I should begin this by saying that I am perhaps the least qualified person to write this post. I do not do opera. I'd like to say I appreciate it, but I probably don't. I enjoy the music, for whatever that's worth. I once went to an un-staged performance of Anthony and Cleopatra at Carnegie Hall which is perhaps the best opera experience I've ever had. Actually going to an opera house and sitting down for three hours isn't really my jam. That said, I keep this blog half for myself and half because I actually have to blog for school on occasion.
It is pretty supremely cool that we had box seats as a class for Don Giovanni at the Met. This awe factor wears off after you realize that the box seats are actually pretty damn uncomfortable, but they're still some of the best seats in the house. Not only can you see the majority of the stage but also the orchestra, and the pit is a lot of fun to watch. I've also heard that box seats are supposed to be some of the best seats acoustically, but that didn't come from the most reliable of sources. I especially focused on the orchestra during the overture, as opposed to staring for what felt like many minutes at a block of dimly lit Spanish balconies and a sleeping Leporello. And Leporello was my favorite part of the night. Almost no one else seemed to act. I mean everyone had fantastic voices. This is, after all, The Metropolitan Opera house. But no one seemed all that into their characters. I give major props to Don Ottavio and Leporello. Those two dealt with the inconsistencies of the other characters impressively.
I sound negative. It was good. I have seen some really bad opera. But that was in the Ukraine and I was probably stupid to expect better. The vocal talent was impressive, the music was wonderful, and the sets were impressive. They really did build a few blocks of a Spanish town (I really want to say Seville, but that's only because I'm reading the original Don Juan text, El Burlador de Sevilla, for my AP Spanish Lit Class). In the grand scheme of things, my issues with Don Giovanni are really nit-picky issues. But I didn't really enjoy the whole experience.
Ultimately, my issues stem from the story, not from the performance. It's The Met. Everyone is at the top of their game there. But I have some real reservations about the plot. I mean Don Giovanni is an asshole - he sleeps around and he admittedly did kill a guy in a duel - but he doesn't deserve to be dragged to hell for it. Sleeping with 1800 women is pretty damn impressive and it's maybe not the most traditionally moral thing to do, but it's not "get-dragged-to-hell-with-fiery-vengeance" material. At the very beginning of the play the titular don does kill someone - Donna Anna's father, Commendatore - but he does so in a duel that he didn't even instigate. It would be one thing if Giovanni instigated the duel, but he didn't. I'm not saying that the Commendatore is at fault, but he did challenge a much younger man to a duel. What was he expecting?
It is pretty supremely cool that we had box seats as a class for Don Giovanni at the Met. This awe factor wears off after you realize that the box seats are actually pretty damn uncomfortable, but they're still some of the best seats in the house. Not only can you see the majority of the stage but also the orchestra, and the pit is a lot of fun to watch. I've also heard that box seats are supposed to be some of the best seats acoustically, but that didn't come from the most reliable of sources. I especially focused on the orchestra during the overture, as opposed to staring for what felt like many minutes at a block of dimly lit Spanish balconies and a sleeping Leporello. And Leporello was my favorite part of the night. Almost no one else seemed to act. I mean everyone had fantastic voices. This is, after all, The Metropolitan Opera house. But no one seemed all that into their characters. I give major props to Don Ottavio and Leporello. Those two dealt with the inconsistencies of the other characters impressively.
I sound negative. It was good. I have seen some really bad opera. But that was in the Ukraine and I was probably stupid to expect better. The vocal talent was impressive, the music was wonderful, and the sets were impressive. They really did build a few blocks of a Spanish town (I really want to say Seville, but that's only because I'm reading the original Don Juan text, El Burlador de Sevilla, for my AP Spanish Lit Class). In the grand scheme of things, my issues with Don Giovanni are really nit-picky issues. But I didn't really enjoy the whole experience.
Ultimately, my issues stem from the story, not from the performance. It's The Met. Everyone is at the top of their game there. But I have some real reservations about the plot. I mean Don Giovanni is an asshole - he sleeps around and he admittedly did kill a guy in a duel - but he doesn't deserve to be dragged to hell for it. Sleeping with 1800 women is pretty damn impressive and it's maybe not the most traditionally moral thing to do, but it's not "get-dragged-to-hell-with-fiery-vengeance" material. At the very beginning of the play the titular don does kill someone - Donna Anna's father, Commendatore - but he does so in a duel that he didn't even instigate. It would be one thing if Giovanni instigated the duel, but he didn't. I'm not saying that the Commendatore is at fault, but he did challenge a much younger man to a duel. What was he expecting?
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