What DO we talk about when we talk about opera?

I didn’t always love opera. As a young college music student I dutifully studied Bizet’s Carmen and Berg’s Wozzeck. I attended opera performances with interest, but mainly because I felt I was supposed to: Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, Mussorgsky’s Boris Gudenov, and Puccini’s La Bohème. I nod knowingly when movie characters go to the opera, my all-time favorite being Nicolas Cage and Cher in “Moonstruck.”

Then something unexpected happened. As an older person attending the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD broadcasts at my local theater, I fell in love. My eyes were opened to a world full of beauty, charm, adventure, and melody. A renowned opera singer hosts each broadcast, interviewing singers as they step off the stage. They give the viewer fascinating behind-the-scenes peeks at scenery costumes, stage food preparation, and animal trainers. As a more mature person I bring my life’s baggage to a performance. I can relate to the characters’ pain, joy, and passion. It is sublime experience aurally, visually, and emotionally.

What do we talk about when we talk about opera? 

Here’s what:

·   Composer: Who wrote the music? Did he or she write other kinds of music, too?

·   Arias, Recitatives, and Interludes: Is there any famous music that you will recognize or that the opera is known for, like “Musetta’s Waltz” from La Bohème?

·    Story/Libretto: What is the story and where did it come from? Is it from mythology, the Bible, history, literature, or a modern story? What motivates the characters? Look online, in a bookstore, or in your library for a libretto or synopsis. Reading up on the story before attending the performance will enhance your enjoyment. Find Met summaries here: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/history/stories/.

·    Librettist: Who wrote the words? Did they partner often with the composer? Did they get along? Mozart had two main librettists, Lorenzo da Ponte who he did not get along with, and Emanuel Schikeneder who was his friend and favorite collaborator.

·    First Performance: Where and under what circumstances was the opera first performed? Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was performed for an Italian count at a private affair and not again until the twentieth century.

·    Contemporary Singers: Who is singing? I’ve never been a baseball fan, but I find myself wishing for baseball-style cards of opera singers telling me their specialties and previous roles.

·    Contemporary Productions: Sometimes musical theater and movie directors try their hand at opera and bring a new perspective. Sometimes more traditional directors have control. What is unique about any production?

·    Scenery and Costumes: Are they traditional, set in the time that the composer and librettist intended? Are they set in a different time period like the Met’s Rigoletto in Las Vegas? Are the costumes creative in some way like Julie Taymor’s irresistible puppet costumes for the Met’s production of The Magic Flute?

Grab a synopsis or a libretto and go experience an opera performance at an opera house, auditorium, or movie theater. Then, tell me what you think.