tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871003.post111765389868820382..comments2023-11-03T04:39:50.760-05:00Comments on Galley Slaves: Opera for DummiesJonathan V. Lasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426165197358366129noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871003.post-1117887875476213362005-06-04T07:24:00.000-05:002005-06-04T07:24:00.000-05:00I try to see one WashOp opera a year. This year a...I try to see one WashOp opera a year. This year a friend of mine and I saw Tosca. It was our first time with this opera. I always keep an open mind going in and am never disappointed, one way or the other. Our alternative title for the opera: "People unclear of the concept." <BR/><BR/>There's lots o'genuflecting, lots o'cross-signing, lots o' talk about how religious everyone is, but absolutely none of the characters exhibits anything that reflect sound Christian beliefs. Quite frankly, Tosca's "Art and Love" aria is nothing but an exercise in typical artistic self-absorption. Boo-frickin'-hoo. She's not too bright. That said, Ines Salazar deserved every single clap and "Brava!" she received. It was spectacular.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you that the singers were first rate. Licitra was fantastic, and his performance of Cavaradossi's ACT III aria was sublime. But Puccini is too 20th century: melodramatic and existential, depressing and annoying. I always leave one of his operas depressed that the 20th century turned out as bad as it did, and annoyed that I enjoyed the music so much. Puccini is like the Spielberg of opera, unimaginable talent in the service of a maudlin vision. <BR/><BR/>And like other WashOp productions, this one was quite awful. At one point someone who looks like the Pope leads a procession followed by a cardinal under a canopy. Again, unclear of the concept.<BR/><BR/>I'm still haunted by the image of Marzelline rolling around in a sand-box in the opening scene of WashOps' production of Fidelio a few seasons back.<BR/><BR/>How do you screw up Beethoven? WashOp will find a way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871003.post-1117746597971040222005-06-02T16:09:00.000-05:002005-06-02T16:09:00.000-05:00I thought this was an "Oprah For Dummies" post. I ...I thought this was an "Oprah For Dummies" post. I want my 4 minutes back!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871003.post-1117719581038221302005-06-02T08:39:00.000-05:002005-06-02T08:39:00.000-05:00Vic - using real swords, though obviously adding i...Vic - using real swords, though obviously adding immensely to the excitement of an opera experience, would likely have the negative side-effect of diminishing the ranks of our Opera performers in rather short order. Of course to some real sword play may be worth the price, but to others it may be a loss. <BR/><BR/>You fail to mention in your list of Operas, the Opera watched by Palpatine and Anakin in ROTS (which, speaking of repression, during which Palpatine describes the dark side as consisting of things "some would consider unnatural", with a rather discomforting smile). If you thought that German Operas were confusion, try to figure out what was happening in that water bubble.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871003.post-1117710255472218482005-06-02T06:04:00.000-05:002005-06-02T06:04:00.000-05:00Licitra was spectacular; his Vittoria aria represe...Licitra was spectacular; his Vittoria aria represented the most powerful singing I have seen at WashOp (er WashNatOp) in years.<BR/><BR/>Re Billy Budd: Sam Ramey is Satan. The man has mastered the role of the evil one and this performance confirmed it (seeing him in Susannah, Mefistofele, Faust ...).<BR/><BR/>You did not mention the big disappointment in Samson, when the walls kind of rumbled but certainly did not tumble down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871003.post-1117657055179101972005-06-01T15:17:00.000-05:002005-06-01T15:17:00.000-05:00my opera experience:my opera friend is a red-head....my opera experience:<BR/>my opera friend is a red-head.<BR/>she goes to opera with me because she likes me more than she dislikes opera.<BR/>i know this because during a scene from rigiletto, when the assasin is confronted by his whore sister, protrayed by a flaming red-head, she leaned over and whispered, "in opera/theater, all whores are red-heads". once this comment registered, i had to contain a full-fledged belly laugh until the music stopped.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com