The Arts in New York City

I have never had the pleasure of viewing a live jazz performance. The closest I got to them were depictions of big bands in movies and TV shows that borrowed them for “prom night” segments. But those didn’t prepare me for the performance that the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra gave on October 7th.

The night was in tribute to the work of Count Basie, one of the most prominent leaders in the genre of jazz. While listening to his music I felt myself sinking into my chair and becoming relaxed in the laid-back melodies and steady rhythms of the band. I was amazed at how in sync they were as a unit; no note or tune felt like it shouldn’t have been played.

I can’t say that I had a favorite song, but I did find myself appreciating the songs’ attention to details: the silence of the band for a few moments while a clarinet played or the harmony of two trumpets. Each song had its own intricate styling, and while it sometimes sounded like improvisation it never felt out of place.

What I liked most (and least expected) about the performance was the amount of solos. I’m used to musicals and dance numbers that usually only allow a select few of its members to shine in the limelight while the rest of the company (and the music they perform to) fall in the background. But the orchestra gave the musicians a chance to showcase their abilities, and it was a great opportunity to actually hear the Juilliard students’ passion and dedication to their preferred instrument of choice.

Overall, my night with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra was one that cannot be duplicated. I appreciated the enthusiasm of the conductor, the students, and the legend Frank Wess (though he needed support to get on stage, his energetic saxophone-playing had me questioning his age [87?? Really??]). I’ve come to respect and appreciate the genre of jazz even more than I already did.

Of course people are calling this year’s edition of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) a grand retelling of a classic for this generation, but a better observation would be a comparison to films such as the Pierce Brosnan era Bond series or any of George Lucas’ flashy, showy works. Like these movies, the most recent edition of Figaro is so over-the-top, albeit through singing and orchestral flourishes, that every ten or so minutes you find yourself watching a spectacle instead of a scene.

For one thing, this season’s cast is phenomenal. Emma Bell and Isabel Leonard blow their parts, Countess Almaviva and Cherubino, respectively, out of any sort of realist water that could be holding them. They make these characters come alive (see Bell’s Act III aria “Dove sono.”) Also admirable is Denmark’s Bo Skovhus, who plays the often campy role of Count Almaviva in a straightforward fashion that lends itself incredibly well to the innate comedy in the character.

But the most striking thing is the set design. For any newcomer to the Met, or opera in general, the way that the sets pop from the stage will intrigue their mind, while the lighting and mood direction will woo their soul (I needn’t even mention the mind-obliterating set change between scenes III and IV.) It is these mammoth artworks that tie the ostentatious festival together and make it memorable.

All in all, Le Nizzi di Figaro will be one of your favorite productions of the year, even if you don’t like sitting through three and a half hours of opera. It is a treat and an extravaganza whose sum is truly greater than its (pretty great) parts.

To say that I was excited to go to the last night of the Fall for Dance Festival would be an understatement. In reality I was ecstatic, especially for the Alvin Ailey performance of “Revelations” (a piece that I’ve only read about until now). I was familiar with Ailey’s work, having previously seen “Episodes”, “Blue Suites”, and “Memoria”. But “Revelations”, along with the other performances of the night, was like nothing I had ever seen before.

The night started with The Australian Ballet’s “Le Spectre de la Rose”. It was a lovely pas de deux, filled with strong leg extensions and great partnering work. Although the woman’s eyes were downcast as if she was dreaming about her flower, I could see the trusting bond between her and her partner every time they went into a lift. But the star of the routine was the male playing the flower. This might be because he had more solo work than her, but every time he went into a series of turns and leaps my eyes were drawn. He had great stage presence, and his ever-present smile made him enjoyable to watch.

The next dance, “Snow” performed by Sang Jijia, is hard to write about due to my seat in the theater. Half of his performance was obscured because I was sitting near the outermost-right of the balcony. But what I did get to see was great; Jijia’s sharp moves and flexed feet were in contrast to the softly falling snow serving as his backdrop. He managed to utilize every part of the space given to him, including the stage floor. I also found the lines his feet would make in the snow a great accompanying visual to his performance.

Diana Vishneva’s performance of “The Dying Swan” was as sad as it was beautiful. While her feet were in quick successive motion to bring her around the stage, her arms were as slow as if she were underwater. And her face was devastating; even after performance her expression was melancholy. I was impressed by her dancing, but melancholy due to the tone of her performance.

But I was quickly cheered by the emergence of the bright costumes and spiritual music that was “Revelations”. While I won’t talk about any of the individual pieces within the performance, I will say that each one was just as astounding as the last. The amount of strength, precision, balance, and stage presence each of the Ailey dancers (male AND female) possessed was remarkable, and the music that accompanied them reflected it. They played well to the audience; by the last number, half of the venue was on their feet clapping along to the music. It was a great performance to end the night. I felt uplifted and moved, and I look forward to attending one of their shows in the future.

At eight o’clock sharp the audience was instantly greeted by a blitz of harmonious frequencies and tones emitted by the orchestra; as the all-too-familiar sounds of the infamous Mozartian overture perforated the theater, the audience was given a morsel of the amazing performance to come. Stunned with nearly every aspect of the opera, I can fairly say that Le Nozze de Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera House was one of the best performances I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.

A gift bequeathed from the 18^th century, Figaro exemplifies the commonality of the mankind. An opera written over two hundred years ago performed in a foreign language still attracted hundreds. The opera’s ardor, themes of jealousy and adultery, and even humor were effectively communicated to the audience, despite the apparent language and time barriers.

The true genius of the opera, however, lied in the vocals. Unaccustomed to the sheer power experienced by vocal opera, I was truly “wowed” by this performance. Several times throughout the opera I had to remind myself that the sounds I was hearing were actually being emitted from a human being. All of the performers communicated a gamut of tones and pitches I would never have dreamed. In particular, John Relyea playing as Figaro caught my attention. The distinguished bass of the performance, Relyea was able to emit a sound whose zeal could be felt almost instantaneously.

Only a meager review, however, would discuss an opera’s vocals without drawing attention to the orchestra. The score was unparalleled to any of which I’ve heard. Beautifully enhancing the vocals, the orchestra was able to create a dynamic relationship with the singers; both aspects complimented each other and were synchronized throughout the opera, most notably at the recurring crescendos during the dramatic scenes of the opera. After listening to the score a second time, it’s fascinating to see how the music mirrors the world it depicts; although the score may initially seem to be of elegance and beauty, a sharper ear can trace elements of discord and deception. The wedding march in Act III for example, initially gives the impression of formality and gracefulness. The trembling chords at the end of each phrase, however, communicate to the audience that something is astray. The opera may have been over three hours long, but because of the orchestra and vocals, I almost wished it had been longer.

Psychological perception is never based upon the sum of reactions to individual entities, but rather to the gestalt experienced by the observer. Thus, a true review of my viewing of Figaro would be incomplete without mentioning how the Metropolitan Opera House amazed me. From the lighted water fountain to the enormous glass panes that compose the entire front side, the opera house was truly a feast for the eyes. The set design for the opera was equally ravishing, with the creation of lifelike sceneries and lightning. There was fine attention brought to virtually every detail of the set, from the upholsteries to the marble walls. The lightning was superb, with both the night and sunshine being lifelike. I personally loved the subtitle display box, particularly because a given display was only visible to the person directly in front of it and not to the other people sitting next to him. Upon looking this up, I learned that the words on the subtitle display were actually composed of LED pixels, or tiny “lighted dots.” Each of these dots had a narrow tube in front of them, with one end of the tube faced at the lighted pixel, and the other end of the tube facing directly forward. Thus, a viewer can only see the LED pixels (and thus the entire display) by being directly in front of the display; anyone to the sides would not be able to see it due to the tubes blocking the light.

Le Nozze de Figaro was an amazing experience that has helped expose me to the world of opera.

Krishan Sharma

The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra’s performance on October 7^th was my first experience with live jazz. My first thought was how surprised I was at how many people came to hear such a young group of musicians play. After hearing both sets, I understood how talented the performers were, and their young age made it even more impressive.

Jazz has never been my favorite kind of music, as I have always preferred a set melody that I could follow.  However, the syncopation and somewhat random tunes have begun to grow on me. My favorite pieces that the orchestra played were the upbeat tunes of “Freckle Face”, “Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!”, and “Tickle Toe.” Each of these had surprising tempo changes and very quick beats that forced me to pay closer attention and made me want to get up and dance. Although the song “To You” had a much slower beat, it was still one of my favorites. I felt I could understand the emotion in each drawn out note of the saxophones and trombones, and almost felt like the “you” the song was directed at.

I found the tenor saxophonists and the trumpeters the most impressive. They each performed with a lot of visible passion and gusto and seemed extremely experienced. I also really enjoyed the performers in the rhythm section. Although they did not have too many solos and they mostly just blended in with the music, their consistency and concentration made them stand out. Their beats provided the backbone for each piece, and without them, the sentiment and fluidity of the music would be lost.

The aspect of watching jazz live that is the most memorable to me is being able to watch how quickly and skillfully each of the performers’ fingers moved. I can’t imagine being able to focus enough to move my fingers with such speed while having to blow in accordance with the rhythm and make sure not to miss my cue. I was also extremely impressed when I heard that the students had learned and perfected one of the pieces in less than 24 hours.

Even though I still don’t love jazz, this concert made me like it a lot more than I had. The skill and precision that I witnessed and heard made me appreciate the complexity of the music and I look forward to learning more about it.

The performance of The Marriage of Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera on the night of September 22^nd was fantastic. Being my first opera, I did not know what to expect or how interesting it would be. However, from the moment the conductor began his extravagant motions, I knew this would be an enjoyable opera, and I was not wrong.

The opera began with the overture and the conductor was clearly visible by his elaborate motions and gestures. I did not find this to be a problem, as I thought it added more emotion to the opera and showed the conductor’s love for opera. Once the curtain was raised, the opera began in Italian. I was at first a little concerned about this because I do not know Italian and I did not like the idea of having to look at the little screen in front of me to understand the opera. However, as the opera progressed, I grew accustomed to listening to the opera and then reading the translation on the screen. It was helpful that most of the lines were spoken twice, which gave me more time to listen and read.

The singing and music were amazing to say the least. All the performers had amazing voices and the music fit the situation at hand. I found it remarkable how the performers were able to synchronize with the orchestra almost perfectly. In addition to the wonderful singing and music, the story itself was interesting. Although highly unlikely to occur in real life, it was very entertaining to watch. My favorite part was when Figaro discovers that Marcellina, the woman who he is being forced to marry, is actually his mother. This was a very enjoying scene because of its irony.

The only thing that can be compared to the acting of the opera is the set itself. I was amazed when the curtain was first lifted and it looked as if the sun were in fact shining on stage. I wondered how they managed to make it look so realistic, and still do not know the answer. It was very interesting to watch the light change as the opera progressed. As the day progressed in the opera, the light gradually changed from daylight to nighttime. However, when the set began to move, I completely forgot about the lighting. Many people were in awe when the set first began to spin, as was I, for I had no idea this was going to happen. I was surprised that the performers were able to keep their balance, concentration, and continue singing as the stage was moving, for the stage was at an angle, making it very easy to slip.

Overall, The Marriage of Figaro was an amazing opera, especially since this was my first time attending an opera. The singing was great, the orchestra was amazing, and the set was remarkable. The plot kept almost everyone interested and hardly anyone was upset when they left the Metropolitan Opera that night.