The Magic Flute say what?

Technically its Sunday, but in my body its still Saturday.  I just stay up REALLY late.  So I didn’t miss a day!

Today Nitta came into town for a quick weekend visit.  We had a long typical chat about everything and nothing while eating brownies and then dinner.  Yes, in that order.  I had bought us tickets to the opera, so 7:30 found us leaving Cale behind and heading out the door.  We sound so sophisticated, but there was snorting and laughing and we were in jeans.  So lets not get ahead of ourselves.

The opera was Mozart’s The Magic Flute performed by my college’s music and theater departments.  They performed the opera in English, which is not all that unusual.  I first saw it in English.  Unlike other operas, the translation works extremely well from the original German.  Its easier to watch an opera if you don’t also have to read subtitles, so I was excited.  I also have the opera nearly completely memorized in English, so I wouldn’t get confused!

In such huge opera productions, the cast is split, not unlike some professional performing companies.  A soprano can’t be expected to sing the lead role of an opera every night and not eventually lose her voice.  Either there is a double cast or there are not performances every night.  This is also true for Broadway shows and the like.  They are double cast, AND have understudies.  Very complicated.

Anyways – Thursday and Saturday had one cast in the major roles.  Friday and Sunday had another cast.  I have friends, and favorites in both casts.  Kelly wanted to go on Friday because she heard it was the better night to go.  Nitta was coming Saturday, so it was easier to go tonight.  I think Friday’s performance was more theatrical and tonights performance was more operatic.  Overall that is.  Both casts had their individual strengths and weaknesses.  I don’t really think one cast was better than the other.  They were just different.  Different people interperting the music differently.  These are extremely subtle differences.  The sets stayed the same, costumes were basically the same design and the stage directions were pretty much the same.  Some roles had stronger voices one night, and weaker voices the next.  Some roles had stronger actors, and weaker then next.  Overall, it really was a good balance.

So what didn’t I like?

I’m not getting into my issues with the oboe section, cause I haven’t quite put my finger on it.  Friday night, Kelly and I sat next to Denis, the grad student who was here my first two years.  He needed a degree from a US college to be able to be accepted into the US circles of performance.  For all his bluster and ego, we have a really excellent orchestra conductor.  But Denis was also not a kid fresh out of undergrad.  He had been working with orchestras all over Europe and Asia.  He’s got experience and knowledge, and I miss those things about him.  Both he and I had some of the same reactions.  Mozart’s operas don’t have scenery.  We’re talking an empty stage.  The descriptions come from the music, lyrics and costumes, not the set designer.  There weren’t even set designers in those days.  One of the main characters, Sarastro, is for some reason portrayed as an Egyptian.  He sort of worships Isis and Osiris, so I might understand that – but Denis also confirmed that was highly unusually.  He also agreed there was a lot of physical comedy and action that usually does not take place.  The action is portrayed through more of the music, not actual stage movement.

I suppose I do understand why they made most of the decisions they made.  I don’t really think any of them were choices made without any thought.  But for whatever reason, Denis and I lean towards the same style.  I don’t know if its purest, or European or original performance practice.  There are later operas where the set does become just as important as the singers on the stage.  Mozart just wasn’t one of them.

But Stardust still rocks my world!