Flying Dutchman

 

Last weekend we went to our third opera of the 2012-2013 season, The Flying Dutchman.  We began our evening with an exquisite dinner at Affare, a contemporary German restaurant in the Crossroads. From the delectable cocktails to the perfectly crafted small plates, this restaurant was truly fabulous. We had much to celebrate- my dissertation proposal was approved by the faculty, Joe had a few successes at work, and the snow left us with high spirits. 

The opera itself was intense- Wagner isn't my favorite, as the constant drama is hard to keep up with, but the performances were definitely amazing. I love the story of the Dutchman who leads a cursed ghost ship, and the captain's daughter who is destined to fall in love with the Dutchman- it's very romantic and the basis in folklore and the high seas lends the story a dark feel. The best part of the Lyric's production was the set and costume design. The beginning scene on the sea was created with digital projection, which was seamlessly integrated with the large-scale ship on the stage. It was really interesting to see a classic opera updated with digital technology. The costumes were created locally, and were gorgeous; together, the set and costumes really lent to the feel of a northern European fishing village, and made the performance rich and engaging. All in all, a fantastic night in Kansas City.

 

Il Trovatore

When it rains, it pours.

The last few weeks were filled with much work and much play. The work part has left blogging to the back burner, the play part has left much to catch up on. Halloween, a birthday, museums, I hope to get caught up on all of it in the coming days.

For now I'll write about the opera Il Trovatore that we saw on my birthday weekend. For as minimal and singular Madama Butterfly was (and I mean that in a positive way), Il Trovatore was full and plural. A huge cast, a bountiful drama, dark passion, gypsies, castles, this is what one thinks of as opera in the fullest sense of the term. Verdi's score is brooding and heavy in the best 19th century way (the anvil chorus is part of Il Trovatore), and the dark visuals of the Lyric's performance contributed to the intensity of the opera.

I'm still an opera newbie, so before we go I like to read various blogs and summaries so I better understand what we're about to see. In the case of Il Trovatore, I was definitely glad that I did so. Some of the summaries left me confused and wondering if I'd be able to follow the plot on stage over the course of three hours, but the stage direction and dialogue left no confusion (the Italian is translated into English subtitles on discreet little digital screens in front of each seat). My snazzy new opera glasses (above photo!), which were my birthday gift from Joe, also helped in keeping track of the performers and stage action.

Overall, I'm finding that as we attend more opera I'm learning to better distinguish my appreciation for the score, the performers, and the stage direction each time. I think Il Trovatore is high on my list of operas, and the performers were fantastic, but I'd like to see a different stage and art direction on this ambitious drama before passing judgement on the sparse, eerie direction we saw at the Kauffman Center.

Madama Butterfly

Last spring we went to the brand new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts here in KC to see the Barber of Seville. It was so fantastic that we decided to become season ticket holders to the Lyric Opera.

The first performance of the season was last weekend, Madama Butterfly. I didn't know what to expect, as this was an opera I didn't know much about, but I knew it was a tragedy of lost international love set in early twentieth century Japan. I was worried that it might be Orientalist in nature, or that the tragedy would center around the character as an innocent, but in fact it was not. The opera really focused on the tragedy of the main chracter, Cio-cio-san and her desire to escape her troubled past. The performance was stunningly beautiful, and the performers phenomenal. It was truly transporting, and held one's attention completely for the entirety of the three hours. Most amazing was Elizabeth Caballero as Cio-cio-san; her voice was stunning, and as the majority of the performance centered on her character, she was fantastic at keeping her energy and intensity up for the duration of the opera.

Of course, attending the opera is also about dressing up and drinking wine at intermission, which is when I took the above photo. The Kauffman Center is an amazing building- the acoustics are some of the best anywhere in the world, and the immense view of the city through the glass front of the building, which sits atop a hill, is breathtaking.

Now I just need to get a pair of opera glasses.....