Opera is boring, or
so most people believe. I mean, sure
there are some operas that drag on a little, but I dare you to watch Puccini’s Tosca and not get emotional when Tosca dramatically reacts after her lover’s death (be sure to go see it this
year!) You cannot watch the end of
Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and not be
completely blown away. Not just because
of the destruction of Valhalla (which is
awesome), but because of the music that accompanies the scene. (Indeed, Wagner’s Ring Cycle is based on the
same Norse legend as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord
of the Rings.) Wagner’s music tells
you something is happening; something powerful.
That is what great opera is about; great music, acting, sets, and, of
course, great stories. What would opera
be without their stories? Beethoven’s Fidelio, Verdi’
s I vespri siciliani, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte are but a few operas
that were written about oppression.
That’s why opera is important: it says visually and musically what can’t
be said orally.
s I vespri siciliani, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte are but a few operas
that were written about oppression.
That’s why opera is important: it says visually and musically what can’t
be said orally.
Fortunately, Boston Lyric Opera is
an immensely talented company that can re-create these operas for audiences to
see and hear. Last season's Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten
was an amazing foray into not only a new venue (the castle by the Park Plaza
Hotel in Boston)
but an opera that visually made you uncomfortable, but in a good way. BLO is changing the way opera in presented in
Boston, and I
for one can’t wait to see all their productions. With their dedication and commitment, we are
in for quite a ride this season. Make
sure your safety harnesses are fastened; here we go.
- Rob Tedesco, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
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