The Final Blog? (so sad)

It’s truly fascinating to me how much opera is being used and imitated to sell products, and not just for luxury items as one might think, but for loans, showers, pasta sauces and milk. Opera has been used to make tomato sauce appear more authentically Italian, a shower more luxurious, and a loan jingle that stays in our heads and make us laugh. I have to say, I think these were pretty effective uses, especially the spaghetti sauce commercials which I absolutely love. I’m a sucker for opera and Italian cuisine!

I also enjoyed the opera clips we watched of Repo the Genetic Opera, The Wrath of Khan and Milkquarious. Whether some of these were actually opera or rock opera isn’t really the point, although I would go with rock opera, (with the exception of The Wrath of Khan). I just like the fact that opera is getting out there more. The clips that sort of made fun of opera were even funny to me. However, had I felt that they were being disrespectful and malicious, I would have felt very differently, but sometimes you just have to laugh; especially in the clip from Robot Chicken.

I love opera, but I have to admit that there are times when I find it just so utterly ridiculous and over the top that I have to laugh. Opera can be funny, and it can be an easy target, but I think that that can be said of many different art forms. Paintings, ballet, interpretive dance, movies, TV shows; all of these things can be genuinely funny or easily parodied. I just hope that when opera is parodied or used in a commercial or movie, that act helps expose more people to this art form, and that they are able to see beyond the humor and beyond the luxury shower.

I know that for me, before really being exposed to opera, I used to think of it as this ultra serious snobby musical style where people just sang strangely and acted poorly. Now that I know more of the history of opera, I’ve actually invested some time in listening and watching opera, I’m in love with it and I think opera is beautiful. If all of these parodies and commercials can spark some interest and encourage people to explore opera deeper than what is just on the surface, more and more people may find that they too can appreciate all that opera has to offer.

STAR WARS the OPERA

I’m pretty much convinced that if the Metropolitan Opera Company commissioned an opera to be written about Star Wars, it would be the biggest hit they’ve seen in years. I think it’s important that it’s treated respectfully, but that doesn’t mean ignoring the humor in singing about storm troopers and hearing Yoda bust out a high C. There are moments that would need to be treated seriously, while still embracing the fact that some sections are going to be funny.

I could imagine Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo having some absolutely beautiful music. Just thinking about the arias, duets and trios that could be written and how dramatic they would be really makes me wish I had the slightest talent for composition, because I would write this thing right now! The costumes and sets would be mind blowing, there would be no question about whether to stage this opera in a very big way or in a minimalist style; everything should be HUGE!

This would also bring an insane number of people out to this opera, and in doing so, expose thousands and thousands of non opera goers to this art form. Think of the publicity it would get solely on the basis of being an opera based off of Star Wars. There would be people buying tickets for the love of opera, some out of curiosity, and the rest would be the diehard Star Wars fans who attend everything and anything affiliated with Star Wars. I can just picture a huge group of people standing outside of the Met dressed in Star Wars costumes like they do at the premiers for the films.

I think Star Wars the opera would be an amazing success. To take something that has the fan following Star Wars does and be able to successfully produce it, especially in economic times like we’re facing now, would breathe new life into opera. I think our class should copy right this idea and sell it to the Met, GENIUS!!!!!

What Would You Do?

The question was posed in class on Thursday, “If you were cast in American Idiot,” a rock opera by Green Day, would you list it on your resume? I think for most people it would depend on what they were auditioning for. If I was auditioning for something on Broadway, like a musical, I would absolutely have it listed as a role I had performed. However, if I was auditioning for an opera, I would definitely be hesitant, especially as a young singer no one has ever heard of. If I had other more operatic roles listed in addition to a role in American Idiot however, I might feel differently.

If I was the individual responsible for the casting of an opera, and I saw someone had a role in a rock opera listed on their resume, I think I would be even more curious about their singing style. I doubt very much that I would write anyone off because of what roles they have taken in the past; my only concern would be how they would perform in this role right now.

Unfortunately I don’t think that the majority of people doing the casting these days share my sort of hippie lets all get along attitude when it comes to opera vs. rock opera, vs. musical theater. It really is disheartening at the lack of respect other genres of music receive. If someone is talented and can perform different styles of music well, I don’t think they should be discriminated against as a result. I remember in Opera Workshop last semester, someone asked the professor if it was true that if you go for your PHD as a performer, that you should not list it on your resume, because it may lead casting directors to believe that you were behind vocally and needed more time to work on your voice before going out on auditions. He professor thought that was ridiculous, but what is going on out there in the world that a question like that even needs to be asked?!?!?!

Labels!!!!!!

In this day and age I think our society needs to label things. We have some weird undying urge to be able to put everything into a category, why? I don’t know! Opera, rock opera, musical, musical drama, operetta, when you get right down to it, what are the rules to go by when defining any of these art forms? Do you go by musical style, vocal style, if there is spoken dialogue, if everything is sung, if it’s in a foreign language, if it’s boring, exciting etc… The list could go on and on.

Personally, I am inclined to look at the vocal and musical style in which a piece was written and is to be performed. If there is belting involved, I would put it in a musical category, classical singing, it would remain in the opera category until further notice, I would need to examine it more to see if there is spoken dialogue and dance numbers which resemble that which are typical in musicals. (This just sounds so ridiculous!) There is just so much over lap in terms of what defines a work of art. If I was really unsure, like in the case of American Idiot, I would examine the intentions of the composer. I would absolutely not call American Idiot an opera, I would call it a musical, but it was written to be a rock opera.

What is a rock opera? My best guess is a work composed in a musical theater style both instrumentally and vocally, but without any spoken dialogue. It has pieces of both the musical and operatic worlds combined into one. Even now I’m having trouble really being able to set clear boundaries for defining an opera, musical, rock opera, etc… I suppose at a certain point you just have to suck it up and let it go. Call it whatever you want, a pencil is still a pencil even if I call it a cat, the end result will remain the same.

Gaining Focus

Alas, I think I may finally be organizing all of my thoughts for my paper. I’m putting it together like this; I would like to just give a brief background on Menotti, discuss what led Menotti to direct this opera, and finally, describe the differences between the film version and other staged versions.

One of the reasons this is so fascinating to me, and I hope this comes across in my paper, is because a lot of our class discussions have dealt with how we would stage and cast operas, and how well operas we have watched would translate to film. Not only do I have a film version directed by the composer to discuss, with a great deal of background on the filming process, I also have another staged version which is incredibly close to the orchestral score with the libretto and staging written in. I’ve also discovered another version of the opera put on by Northwestern University, which so far seems very well done and gives me another perspective for my paper.

Along with the last book I found on Menotti’s works for the screen, I’ve come across another book which I hope to get from the library tomorrow which discusses many of Menotti’s operas, and is considered, “the definitive guide to his musical works.” I’ve also come across a journal article that I would like to read as well. The information keeps pouring in I’m just having trouble narrowing it down, and I’m concerned that in wanting to really make a point, my paper may be too general, but we’ll see.

The Medium was really a jumping off point for Menotti as far as directing is concerned, and the film version is really the only opera of its kind. The fact that it was a film version allowed him to go back and add in more music and scenes that were intended for the original stage version, but for whatever reason were never included. That right there presents several differences between the film and stage works, but the camera angles and lighting effects added an entirely new level of creepiness to the opera, something that can’t be achieved on the stage. However, there is still so much to be said for the staged performances of this opera in terms of the flow and spontaneity of the work. The film version was somewhere around 80 minutes, short, but the staged versions runs about 55-60 minutes, the pacing is very different, and so is the setting, obviously the film version allows for much more freedom in terms of staging and locations, but the compactness of the stage set is very effective for all of the drama that is going on.

Overall I’m feeling very positive about the paper which should be pretty close to complete over the next couple days. Once the paper in done, I think I’ll have a much better feel of what will work and won’t work as project, but as I’m writing the paper I definitely have project ideas in the back of my mind.

Paper and Project Woes

I originally wanted to focus on one scene from Carlo Menotti’s The Medium. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to write and present on the scene where Baba begins to lose her grip on reality causing her daughter, Monica, to calm her by singing; (in this scene we hear the aria “The Black Swan.”) Or write about the very last scene of the opera in which Baba kills Toby, her daughter’s mute friend and assistant during the séances.

Now I have watched two versions of the opera, one directed by Carlo Menotti himself, which was produced as a TV movie, and another from the 1970’s produced for the stage. I feel like this fits in perfectly with our Friday discussions on how we would stage an opera and who would we cast. I have one version directed by the composer in movie form, so his intentions and wants are clearly preserved for us to see, and another version directed by someone else for the stage, which is much more in line with the staging directions and libretto printed in the orchestral score.

Now that I’ve watched two versions, and I have more clips off of YouTube to watch, I’m not sure how exactly I want to focus my paper. Part of me wants to go into a more general overview of the differences between all of the versions I’ve seen, but the other part of me thinks it will be more effective to focus on only one scene and use that to demonstrate my point. I’m just not sure how I will translate that into my project as of right now. I originally wanted to show different clips of the same scene, and discuss the differences and similarities between them, but I think that would make for too long of a presentation. If I write a more general paper I could use one scene to support my findings, or with a great deal of help from someone good with editing and technology, I could put together a reel of different versions of various scenes back to back.

I have a book that I just found in the library that discusses Menotti and his productions “on screen,” and I’m hoping that that will help guide me in a good direction for my paper. I have a lot of information; I’m just having a difficult time organizing it all into a contained paper and project.

Film + Opera = Happiness

It is truly fascinating to me how many of the operas we have watched in this class that were either movies, reminded me of movies, or I would love to see made into a movie. I think if done in the right way, and who knows what that way is, almost any opera can be made into a film version, but there seems to be something special about the operas we’ve studied that have been written since 1950. Especially the more recent ones we’ve watched and listened to; Willie Stark, The Aspern Papers, The Death of Klinghoffer and now William Bolcom’s A view from the Bridge.

Is it opera influencing film or film influencing opera? Opera has been criticized for being too dramatic and over the top, but the same thing can be said about movies of today. A great deal of the music from operas sounds very film-esque, or is it the other way around? Before Hollywood was popping out all of these big budget block busters, opera was really the only art form with over the top drama, plot driven music, text, costumes, sets, etc… I mean there are musicals, but where did musicals come from…Opera!

I think we have reached a point where opera and film are really beginning to intermingle. Many of the operas from class have a certain 1950’s classic film appeal to them which I absolutely adore and cherish. Then there are operas that would make fantastic big budget movies like Satyagraha and Cleopatra. Many of the operas that are performed on stage have a certain film quality to them in terms of the effects used, projection, and the way the action is being staged more realistically. It’s becoming increasingly easier to see the thumbprint of film on opera today and I think it’s great.

I don’t know that I would want to see the opera, A view from the Bridge made into a movie, I just think that there is something very special about the fact that as an opera, it has a very classic Hollywood feel, at least in my opinion. Although the subject matter is controversial, there is something extremely charming in the way the music was composed and the text was set. I feel like I have seen these characters a hundred times, but they’re the characters you don’t get sick of, you genuinely care about them or despise them, or cry with them. There is just something so different and so special about this era in American opera history.

Seriously?

Today in class we had a pretty lively discussion on the portrayal of women and stereotypes in opera. I feel like operas written during the 1700 and 1800’s have portrayed individuals based off of the ideals of the time. In my opinion it makes sense then, for modern operas which take place during the 18th and 19th centuries, to also up hold those same ideals, as unfortunate and narrow minded as they may be, because they were the norm at the time.

Modern operas dealing with issues of today, or even over the last fifty years however, which still show women as these fragile, irrational and out of control people, really annoy me. I take no issue with women or men being portrayed as emotional, what bothers me is that women time and again are shown as going beyond being upset and right into crazy town. Men and women are different and show their emotions in very different ways, but I think it is safe to say that when most women are upset, they don’t become unstable and lose their grips on reality. The music of the female leads during heightened emotional states reflects a loss of control. We discussed in class today that the music often becomes erratic, the intervals grow wider and are all over the place, there’s no feeling of being grounded, and this is used to portray a women going mad.

The same goes for men and their stereotypes. I think that most male characters are allowed to show anger and passion, but God forbid they shed a tear, or show any sign of an emotion that could be taken as weakness. During emotional scenes involving men, their music changes, but differently then women’s music, you never get the sense that they are going crazy, in fact to me, the music sounds stronger and more powerful, which I tend to see and hear happening during moments of rage or anger. It’s not that men don’t lose control; they just lose it in a way that is more “acceptable”. Men go mad with anger, women go mad from sadness, (and it’s usually because of the men in their lives.) It is definitely a hope of mine to see an increase in the number of operas written that reflect more realistic displays of emotion by both men and women in regard to both plot and music.

Hollywood Operas

If the 2003 film production of the opera “The Death of Klinghoffer,” by John Adams, is any indication of where opera is headed, I’m all for it. In watching this version, which did not take place on a stage but rather on a film set, I found it to be incredibly believable and effective. It made the opera extremely accessible in my opinion, and all though I truly do believe that part of what makes opera special is its authenticity, in other words, a live performance in which all of the drama and music unfolds right before the audience without any sort of sound editing, I think this sort of a medium for opera would be incredibly successful in attracting more people to opera.

I know that people have mentioned directors in class who have put together movie versions of operas similar to this one, and I think it’s wonderful. Some of the previews I have seen for these opera movies have been amazing, they look like big budget blockbuster operas. If this is what it takes to gain more support for this art form, I’m behind it one hundred percent. I would hope that by making opera more accessible to the masses, that more people would in turn attend live performances of opera.

Over all, I found the acting to be quite good, slightly over done at times, but I’m going to assume that the cast is accustomed to having to make grander gestures to reach the back of a theater. Mrs. Klinghoffer’s aria at the end of the opera was truly one of the most powerful and touching operatic moments I think I have ever seen. I think part of that is because the camera allowed me as an audience member to feel as if I was right there with her, I could see ever facial expression, every thought in her head, and every tear she held back, it was a beautiful moment. I don’t think I would have had that reaction had I been sitting 50 rows away from the stage. Hollywood and opera collaborations are certainly something to think about, who knows what it could lead to.

Where have all of the Heroes Gone?

“Why do they so adamantly refuse the heroic? Why did they insist that Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer be portrayed in the opera as they undoubtedly were in life: a nice but relatively ordinary, un-poetic, well-off Jewish couple celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary with a luxury cruise?”

To this question I would ask, why do they need to be heroic, and what is a hero? If a hero is your stereotypical idea of what you see in Hollywood films like James Bond or Zorro, then no, they are not even remotely portrayed as heroic. However, if you consider the ordeal they were facing, how are they not heroes? While watching this opera I felt incredibly on edge, it just hit extremely close to home. Have I ever been the victim of a terrorist attack or hijacking? NO. However, if I try and put myself in a situation similar to that of the Klinghoffers, I don’t know that I would have been half as courageous as they were. When face to face with your own mortality, what options do you have?

At least in the version of the opera I watched, I saw Leon Klinghoffer speak his mind, he respectfully stood up for himself, and I don’t know that I would have had the courage to even phonate around the Palestinian hijackers, forget about defending myself. And furthermore, I never felt for one second that he was shying away from the fate that awaited him, he faced a disgusting and horrific situation with honor and grace.

I feel like sometimes in opera we get caught up in the over the top drama of it all, and why not, it’s fantastic, but what is wrong with an opera trying to portray events in a realistic more intimate way? Perhaps it would have been more entertaining if Leon Klinghoffer rose out of his wheel chair and attempted to fight off the hijackers, but that’s not what happened. I think John Adams was trying to present two sides of a story, not to comment, but to present, and it was up to the audience to decide what they felt. I found Leon Klinghoffer to be very brave, and his wife was a compassionate woman deeply concerned with the well being of her husband, and not afraid to speak her mind. If you’re looking for a hero in this opera, there are a few; it just depends on your idea of what is heroic.



Fink, “Klinghoffer in Brooklyn Heights,” Cambridge Opera Journal, 2005, 17:2, 173-213.

Divas

After our last class I began thinking about how women in the operas we have watched thus far have been portrayed. We have seen women with strength, power, the ability to manipulate, and weakness. I would say that the majority of female characters in opera are portrayed as weak, immoral or lacking any significant intelligence. Someone mentioned in class that even strong female characters are often given at least one flaw so as not to seem too powerful and therefore more acceptable to an audience. I think it ultimately comes down to keeping this stereotypical idea of what is “feminine.”

I would have to say that out of all of the operas we have looked at Cleopatra has been the strongest by far. She is certainly a woman of independent thought, and lives and dies one her own terms. I look forward to the day when it is no longer rare to come across an opera with a truly strong female lead. Cunegonde was relatively strong in my opinion, but not powerful, her strength came in her ability to manipulate and scheme. The role of Anne Stanton was written around weakness and uncertainty. She had great difficulty making up her own mind, and seemed to lack any true convictions. Juliana is the epitome of the opera diva, and Tina seems to just live in her shadow. Neither woman is particularly kind, and in my opinion, they appear to be quite petty and at times nothing less than cruel.

I wonder if the lack of strong positive female characters in opera comes from a lack of female composers writing operas. It boggles my mind why in this day and age it is such a struggle for women composers. I am by no means an expert on opera after 1950, but I can’t think of a single opera written by a woman after 1950 or before. It is still such a male dominated field, but one that I think could be enriched greatly by a new and female perspective.

Beautifully Odd English

I’m always so used to listening to operas in Italian, French or German, that it’s rather strange when hearing an opera performed in English. Not strange in a negative way, but different. It’s wonderful to be able to (for the most part) understand what is being said without the use of supertitles, but it’s odd to hear English, a language I speak every day sound so foreign to me. I attribute this to the use of crisp consonants, pure vowels and flipped [r]s. It’s a side of the English language that I think most people are not used to hearing on a regular basis. However, in the case of The Aspern Papers, by Dominick Argento, I thought the English lent itself beautiful to the musical style of the composer. The music enhanced the language, and in turn, the language enhanced the music.

There were a few moments when I found some of the word choices quite humorous. The text was taken, for the most part, directly from the novella written by Henry James. When spoken aloud I’m sure that the text would be lovely, but when sung, there were occasions when the flowery language sounded almost out of place. The moments I am referring to made me imagine that the libretto had originally been written in French or Italian, and translated into English. In my mind, this created just a few awkward moments as a result, but as I said before, the composer, who was also the librettist, pulled the text almost directly from the novella.

Aside from those couple of instances where I felt the choice of words was peculiar, I thought Argento composed beautifully for the text and truly communicated its meaning to the audience, something that was exceedingly important to him. While watching the clips I felt completely immersed in what was going on onstage; the text, music, costumes, scenery and especially the lighting was so effective in creating, what I felt, was an appropriate mood, that I would definitely like to see and hear more of this work.

Another Musical Review by Yours Truly

I know I referenced this in another blog that I wrote, but I just have to say it again, this period of opera after 1950 is so incredibly diverse it boggles my mind. There’s just an amazing amount of inspiration and experimentation happening at this time and its influence on composers is extremely apparent. Willie Stark is the fourth opera we have watched/listened to in class, and I have yet to feel like any one of these operas is particularly similar to the other. Of course one can always make comparisons, but overall, they are vastly different.

In regard to Willie Stark, I really enjoyed the music and the story line, and I thought that for the most part, one truly enhanced the other. There were however, some scenes when I found the music to be slightly dull, but there were some beautiful moments. I’m a big fan of Carlisle Floyd, Susannah is without a doubt one of the best operas I have ever listened to and I hope someday to actually be able to see it performed. I love his use of folk song, harmonies and melodic lines, and the way he marries the text and the music together is just so beautiful. I heard a lot of similarities in terms of the musical components of Willie Stark and Susannah, however, I feel like Willie Stark almost has a Sondheim type of feel. There were moments when there was spoken dialogue, and moments when the characters were undoubtedly singing, but there were also moments when the singers were doing sort of a mix between singing and speaking, but it didn’t really seem like recitative. It reminded me of moments from Sondheim’s Into the Woods and A Little Night Music. He writes these musical numbers that are songs, but have a very speech like quality to them. At times I felt like I could have used a little more lyricism, but overall, I really enjoyed this work.

Willie Stark goes to Hollywood

While I was watching this opera I kept trying to think of whom, all of these characters reminded me of, or who I would cast in place of the original roles. It’s funny that in watching Willie Stark, an opera, the only people I could think of were actors from film, and I’m relatively certain that none of them can really sing like these roles would require. For Willie Stark I kept thinking of Tom Hanks and the character he played in Charlie Wilson’s War. They both play very charismatic southerners and take part in some rather unsavory activities, and I could see Tom Hanks being a good match. The role of Jack Burden would go to James Franco, and Jack’s father, Judge Burden, would be played by Brian Dennehy. Anne Stanton was a tough one for me, I never really felt like I got a clear sense of who her character was. With that said I’m sort of leaning towards Scarlett Johansson, I think she would be able to play the two timing girlfriend of Jack, and the loving, yet apprehensive girlfriend of Willie Stark.

I think part of what makes me think of this opera as a movie, and surprisingly, a movie with a non musical cast, is because the opera in so many ways reminded me of characters from other movies I have seen, as well as the way the orchestration functioned almost like a film score. I remember reading in one of the articles that the music wasn’t really in the forefront of the opera. When the characters were singing, I disagree with that statement; I felt that the way the orchestra and voices worked together was very effective. However, when there was spoken dialogue or nothing really going on onstage, I feel like the orchestra helped to create intensity and tension, just like it would in a film score. At times I wasn’t even particularly aware that there was any music playing, but when I noticed the music in the background, I realized how effective it was at helping create and echo the tone of the drama unfolding on stage. The entire opera just seemed very movie-esque to me, and I liked that.

Zoned Out

I mentioned in class that the visual aspect of the opera, no matter how out there I felt it to be, was one of the reasons I was able to stay engaged in the music. I would sort of zone out, something on stage would catch my eye, and I would be brought back to the music. I don’t think I would be able to listen to this music without having a visual to keep my attention.

Due to the repetitive and minimalist nature of the music I was unable to keep my focus. I found my mind would either wonder on to other things, or I would completely zone out. I think I mentioned in a past blog that I am a sucker for a beautiful melody, and I felt like that was lacking in this opera. However, I don’t believe that it was meant to have beautiful melodies and grand sweeping harmonies, that wasn’t the composer’s intent. That is not to say that I didn’t appreciate the work, but I wasn’t a huge fan.

I try to be open minded about new music, and there is a great deal of it that I truly do enjoy, but there is also a great deal that I do not enjoy. I’m concerned at times that I have become a narrow minded music snob because I don’t always care for more modern music. I absolutely appreciate new music and encourage new music to be written and performed; I am in no way suggesting that we only perform the “classics.” If we did that how would music ever evolve? But because I have listened to mostly classical music from probably 1920 and before, it’s difficult for me to get into some of these operas. With that said, I do feel like I’m gaining more perspective on operas written over the last 60 years, and a greater understanding of why and how they were written. If anything, I would say this is one of the most diverse and fascinating periods of composition I have ever studied.

I don’t think that I would choose to listen to Satyagraha again, but I value the experience of having watched and listened to the work. Overall I feel that there is a lot to be gained by listening to music outside of what we know and what we are comfortable with.

Welcome to Opera World

It was mentioned in class that in Philip Glass’s quest to be considered a legitimate composer, he was perhaps hesitant to call his compositions ‘performance art,’ and thus labeled them as operas. Although I’m still not sure how I feel about the production I watched of Satyagraha, at times I felt the staging and costumes made the opera more of a spectacle, and detracted from the significance of the work, but I feel like there is a great opportunity with this opera to do something that’s never really been done before. On Friday we discussed the possibility of making opera more interactive, or an opera theme park, brilliant!

I do think that in the case of Satyagraha an interactive performance may push this opera even more towards performance art, probably much to the dismay of the composer, but I think it could add so much to the overall experience of this work. People had all sorts of ideas as to what sort of effects and staging should be used to tell this story and make it interactive with the audience. My personal favorite is audience seating that moves. I think it would be incredibly effective if the audience could move on platforms from left to right, and even up and down. Imagine how cool that last scene would be if the audience could rise up and pull backwards away from the action on stage during the last few minutes of the opera. Wind could blow on the audience and create the feeling of being outside, lighting and projections on the ceiling and walls of the house could create sunny or cloudy skies during the day and starry skies for night, and it would make the audience significantly more involved in opera. Someone even mentioned different smells being released into the room and pillows for the audience to sit on instead of chairs.

The possibilities are endless and I would love to see how far this idea could go, not just with Satyagraha, but with other operas as well. Imagine all of the dramatics of Tosca or Don Giovanni being done in a way in which the audience feels they are a part of the show, I think it would greatly increase the accessibility of opera today.

Leontyne Price: My idol!

When reading the Heyman article, “A New Opera House,” there were sections that truly caused my stomach to sink and my heart to race. During any sort of a live performance mistakes can be made, machinery can malfunction, someone can miss a cue, etc… it’s live theater and it happens. However, while reading the sections of this article pertaining to the mistakes and malfunctions during the premier of Antony and Cleopatra; it was like reading an account of a performer’s worst nightmare.

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for everyone in that cast and especially Leontyne Price for their ability to handle everything that was thrown at them during that opening night at the Met; and I think it speaks volumes as to the professionalism of Leontyne Price. Firstly, her costumes were incredibly detailed and heavy. I think a lot of singers may have found it challenging to sing in a headdress that size, but Leontyne pulled it off. She was trapped in the giant pyramid at one point and had to sing from inside, and she was heard over the orchestra! There were missed lighting cues and as a result, Leontyne Price had to make an entrance in the dark. As if that wasn’t enough the turn table stopped working and had to be run manually by stage hands disguised in costume. The article at one point mentioned that in general, the music constantly had to compete with the noise of the machinery, as well as all of the live animals Zeffirelli insisted on having in the production.

When I was reading all of this all I could think of is what I would have done if I were in Leontyne Price’s shoes. She must have been so solid in her memorization of the music, text and staging to have made it through such a stressful opening night. Her talent is truly remarkable, and clearly, so is her work ethic and sense of camaraderie.


Heyman, "A New Opera House," Samuel Barber: The Composer and his Music, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), 428-460.

The Barber I Thought I Knew

Perhaps naively, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on what Samuel Barber sounded like. I’ve sung a few of his works for voice and piano and heard many others and I adore his orchestral music; Adagio for Strings gives me chills every time I hear it and has been one of my favorite pieces for many years. This being said, I thought I knew what an opera by Samuel Barber would consist of. Before listening to Antony and Cleopatra, I was expecting beautiful arias and heart breaking melodies and orchestration throughout. After reading the article “A New Opera House,” by Heyman, I knew that there had been a serious miscommunication or misunderstanding between Barber and the director/ librettist Franco Zeffirelli, as to the staging, sets, costumes and over all enormous scale of this production. However, even after knowing this I was still expecting the music to sound like the Samuel Barber I know and love.

It may be because I am a sucker for a melody, but I was really disappointed by this opera. I love it when I listen to a work for the first time and a tune gets stuck in my head, or I have some sort of an emotional response to the music. That didn’t happen once in this opera. I found the music to be quite frankly, boring, and it was difficult to understand the text. As much as it pains me to say this, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. There were a few moments where I heard snippets of what I would typically associate with Samuel Barber, but for the most part I felt that this opera was dull and monotonous. I think it’s wonderful when composers experiment with their creativity and try something new, and I would never want to discourage that practice, but I think in the case of Antony and Cleopatra, it just didn’t work for me.

Having listened to Antony and Cleopatra, I’m very interested in listening to Vanessa¸ the opera Barber wrote before Antony and Cleopatra. Perhaps I would reach the conclusion, that what I think I know about Samuel Barber, is false. I’m sure he is much more than what I know him to be as a composer, and maybe that is the problem.

Heyman, "A New Opera House," Samuel Barer: The Composer and his Music, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), 428-460.

Excuse Me While I Vent

Although I did enjoy the Kristen Chenoweth version of Candide that I watched online, I was really annoyed by the musical numbers that they left out. I know that I mentioned this in class, but clearly I’m not over it, so here I go.

I feel very strongly that the song “Nothing More Than This,” was the first time that Candide realizes who Cunegonde really is, and begins to come to terms with the journey he has been on. I made the point in class that it is in this moment, when he put Cunegonde in her place, that she truly hears what he is saying, and that this is what sparks her transformation at the end of the opera. However, although I do believe that Cunegonde understood the significance of his words, she has yet to change. In the recording I have of this opera, Bernstein Conducts Candide, the narration states that “Cunegonde’s nagging gets worse and worse,” and that “Candide does not speak.” I completely forgot about the next song, “Universal Good,” in which the text states:

“Life is neither good nor bad. Life is life and all we know.

Good and bad and joy and woe Are woven fine, are woven fine.

All the travels we have made, All the evils we have known, Even paradise itself,

Are nothing now, are nothing now.”

It isn’t until after this song is sung by the chorus that both Candide and Cunegonde accept the past, and accept one another for who they truly are, because they love each other. Candide finally speaks, and asks Cunegonde to marry him. It is at this point that we hear “Make our Garden Grow.” Knowing the back story makes “Make our Garden Grow” so much more powerful. It gives meaning to the words they are singing and it no longer seems so random and out of place. I know that this is a satirical opera and allows for liberties to be taken, but there is a serious undertone to this opera, and I feel that the two pieces that were cut out are incredibly vital to this work, and not including them detracts from the message and believability of the opera.

Bernstein Cunducts Candide, Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Digital Stereo 449 656-2, 1991.

Pushing the Envelope - To do or Not to do

Whether you’re a diehard opera buff or you appreciate the art form from a distance, it is clear to see that for many, the stereotypical idea of opera is changing. Opera can be seen as more than people acting and singing in 18th and 19th century costumes while in extravagant historical settings. It is particularly important in these difficult economic times to get people to the opera, and opera companies are pushing the envelope more than ever. Whether it’s the subject matter of new operas or the reinterpreting of old operas, the art is changing, but is this effective? In trying to appeal to those who wouldn’t normally attend a performance of an opera, are they turning others off?

In class today we briefly discussed interpretations of operas involving different settings, scenarios and staging, and at what point these reinterpretations begin to undermine the music and the drama and become more of a spectacle? I believe there truly is a fine line; so many operas can be adapted in incredibly intelligent and creative ways, appealing to people who love opera as well as to those who wouldn’t ordinarily consider attending an opera. However, there are also those occasions in which directors seem to push the envelope just for the sake of pushing the envelope. I also think that there is something to be said for a classic opera production produced in time-honored settings and costumes. Several people mentioned that seeing a more traditional opera production was what originally turned them on to this art form; it didn’t take an otherworldly adaptation set on the moon with the cast half nude and flying around the stage simulating a zero gravity environment.

In my opinion, the opera interpretations designed to create controversy probably turn off just as many people as they attract, if not more. While more traditional opera productions and truly creative adaptations could quite possibly bring in more of the people who love opera as well as those who wouldn’t ordinarily attend such an event. I suspect that there’s a balance in place, opera isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but there is enough variety out there to appeal to someone.