Road Scholar put together a great program. We had a group of 22, ranging from âkinda oldâ (like me đ ) to âquite oldâ - there were several people in their 80âs. Most everyone got around pretty well but there was one couple who would take a cab to events while the rest of the group walked or took the subway. She had a cane and probably wasnât up for subway stairs.â¨â¨The first day we had intro talks from the two main experts working with the program - one reviewed the different types of soloists (mezzo soprano, coloratura, tenor, etc) and the other talk was a preview of Aida, our first opera. Then in the afternoon we took the subway to Lincoln Center for a matinee performance of Aida. What an amazing opera house, so beautiful!
We were way up in the balcony, so the performers looked like ants, but we could hear them quite well even though NO amplification is used. You can see that the stage is huge, probably three or four stories tall?
Two of the operas we saw made use of that height by having scenes where the entire stage was lifted up to reveal another set below, and there was action happening on both levels. đ˛
The plot of Aida, in a nutshell, is an ill fated love triangle. Itâs set in Egypt. Amneris is a princess, the Pharoahâs daughter. Sheâs in love with Radames, a warrior whoâs kind of a good-looking dumb butt (the phrase used by our lecturer). Aida is Amnerisâs slave - an Ethiopian captured in the war. And, unknown to the Egyptians, she is also a princess, the daughter of the king of Ethiopia. No surprise, they all die at the end, as is often the case in opera.
One of the things we learned about was the conventions of âgrand operaâ - elaborate sets and costumes, huge casts, and usually, a random ballet thrown in around the fourth act. Aida follows all of those. To me the scenes that included the full cast were the most moving just because of the impact of all of those choral voices.
We couldnât take pictures during the production but hereâs one I found on the internet - same production that we saw but slightly different cast.
So many people! So much gold!
At the end of the scene we got the random ballet. It was a warrior dance, I found it slightly ridiculous but also entertaining. At one point the dancers sequentially fell on the floor and then dramatically threw their arms back in sequence (like doing the WAVE in a stadium). One of my fellow travelers said afterward that he thought it looked like synchronized swimming. đ
At the end, Radames is convicted of being a traitor for revealing battle secrets to Aida (no, it wasnât a Signal chat). Heâs sentenced to be sealed alive in a tomb. Somehow, Aida manages to join him (this was a point of puzzlement to me, how do you get into a sealed tomb?) And they die together. Meanwhile, up above them Amneris sings an aria of rage, jealousy, guilt and grief. I have to say, I found her aria more compelling than the coupleâs sad song sung as they were dying. And I think the rest of the audience agreed - Amneris got the loudest applause during the curtain call.
Even though I thought the ending was ridiculous, I was weeping. Ha. Such is opera. Iâve gone on too long so I guess Iâll create more posts later to bore you about the other operas.
I found this youtube of the triumphal march scene...it's an older production from 2012 but it gives you an idea of the glorious excess. More and more people keep marching on stage. Including several horses! (we had no horses in our production, alas).
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I've never gotten into opera but this trip sounds like a cool way to be exposed to it.
I totally get that it's not for everyone, especially the style that one of our instructors called "park and bark" where the soloist just stands there and sings.
Wow!! The soaring ceiling, stair case and windows are magnificent! Chandeliers too!!
You did great describing the opera. Now I know why people have the opera glasses.
Opera glasses would have been soooo helpful! Maybe I'll get some before the next time I go.
Wow! And there were those horses. Then (as you said), that huge throng kept endlessly pouring across the stage, circling behind it, and reappearing again, holding a different prop. Or did they simply use one thousand extras? Oh my, what a spectacle it must have been backstage. Can there be any question why shows like that cost $10-$12 million to put on?
I thoroughly enjoyed that snippet and would have gladly sat through another scene. But it's so much more fun watching opera live.
BTW, I've been to the Met many times, vicariously, of course: I've watched Moonstruck close to twenty times. They raise the lights to the ceiling in the concert hall over here in MTL as well. I guess it's a thing. I love it; so much drama and anticipation.
It sounds like you got your money's worth with that tour you took. I'd have clapped for the encore. đ¤đ
That's a great point, I didn't even think about the fact that they were probably recycling the "extras"! Imagine the costume change pandemonium backstage. The production I saw had a much less extensive parade and if I recall correctly, everyone ended up standing somewhere on stage once they paraded in.
One of the interesting things I learned is that the Met collaborates with other opera companies around the country (and even in different countries). So there is cost sharing on the sets, costumes, production design, etc. Once the Met takes the production out of current rotation all of the stuff is shipped to the collaborating opera company for them to use in their production. They have a huge field in New Jersey filled with storage containers of costumes and sets that can be loaded on to a truck to bring back to the Met or be shipped to another company.
Oh and the chandeliers being raised to the ceiling as they gradually dim? Magical. I will be watching for that the next time I watch Moonstruck.
@smartasswoman
Now there's a Production Cost Accountant who has my heart.đ
Cher convincingly tears up at the drop of a hat: no wonder she won an Oscar for her role. She was 41 and Nicholas Cage was 23 at the time of filming. Say "cougar", anyone? Lol... đ
Surround sound on a big-screen TV and you'll feel like you're right there in the audience. đ¤
Iâm impressed that you could hear the performers without any amplification. But then, Iâm guessing that opera houses are built that way.
We saw a documentary about the construction of the opera house and it seems they didnât know for sure if the acoustics were going to work until they had their first dress rehearsal. I mean, Iâm sure there are certain principles an architect follows in designing a performance space, but apparently everyone was biting their knuckles until it was tested. Iâm not sure what they would have done if it hadnât worked!
Nothing like an Egyptian story being sung in Italian.
Right? The other funny thing is that the opera just says itâs in Egypt âduring the time of the pharaohsâ so it could be set at any point over thousands of years. And, of course, nobody knows what Egyptian music sounded like during that era, so that part isnât accurate either. Definitely some suspension of disbelief is required. đ
Very impressive!! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for reading! Iâm assuming this series of posts probably wonât be for everyone.
@smartasswoman I loved it. If and when I go to NY, a Broadway show and an Opera are on my, to do list.
@CallMeMrWrong69 I also went to Hamilton and now I want to see more Broadway shows, too! There is more opportunity to do that at home. We get a fair number of touring shows that come through.
@smartasswoman Same here in Chicago but if I am going to go to NY, I at least want to do those two things once since it's on my bucket list.
I've only seen one opera, Puccini's Tosca. It was okay though I would have struggled to understand what was going on if I hadn't gone with an opera buff.
One of the things I realized this last week is that you can get so much more out of it if youâve taken the time to learn a bit about the plot and music before you go. Iâll definitely be doing that in the future.