My brain is a little dead now. But for all the dozens of hours that I spent working on the minor simulation and writing the essay about near-Earth objects, the pre-Salome information session from this morning is what was most striking to me. In particular, the guest speaker from the Kennedy Center Education program was infuriating. As a musician, and in particular as a student of classical voice, his insinuation that the music in opera is secondary to the theatricality and plot of the performance was maddening. After all, Monteverdi, Puccini, and Wagner were composers, not playwrights or authors! Nobody remembers Lucia Popp or Luciano Pavarotti for their superb acting skills. And it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings.
I also found it really unfortunate that he was trying to present opera as relatable to a group of students about to see Salome. I really don't think that any of us can relate to the desire to sing a sexually charged aria to the severed head of a prophet. Salome operates around spectacle, shocking the audience. Entire aspects of the opera are purposefully supposed to be unrelatable.
I am really excited to see Salome, though. I am much more familiar with British, French, and Italian opera than German opera, so this will be very educational for me. However, I feel like this particular opera might be sort of inaccessible to people that don't have a background in opera, so I wish we were seeing something funnier or at least less disturbing, like The Magic Flute or even an operetta like Mikado. Regardless, I'm extremely excited for our trip to the Kennedy Center.
For your viewing pleasure, a look at the dirty side of opera. The gist of what she's implying is that there's no good reason for her to only sleep with one person if more than one person wants to sleep with her. The singer is Cecilia Bartoli.
I will definitely agree that the beauty and art of opera is the music. However, as an actress and a classically trained singer, I must point out that nothing is sung well unless a story is told. By this I mean that the actor or actress singing must go on an emotional, mental and even physical journey, and when they do, the audience will follow. I agree that when discussing the opera, the gentleman from the Kennedy Center should not have down played the magnitude and importance of the music in opera. Unlike a straight play that can be read in class and performed, or at least attempted by any group of individuals, opera is different because it demands years of hard training, and an enormous amount of pure talent. When was the last time you heard of a high school putting on an opera? Its unheard of because the musical rigor and amount of training needed to perform operatic works is exemplary. I am so excited to see Salome tonight and I really enjoyed you video!
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