Group Blog post- Opera Gala.

I had been looking forward to visit the new building for our university’s music college since last semester. It was ready for students at the beginning of this semester but I didn't visit there until this Friday for the Opera Gala held in the evening. The Voxman music building looked very beautiful both from outside and inside because of the designation of large-area glass instead of the wall of building. 

I never watched the opera before and I felt it’s kind of far away from my daily life. But when I arrived the Concert Hall in the building, I found there were so many people already seated. No matter the young or the old, everyone seemed very familiar with it. I hoped I have more chance to go to this kind of events in the future. 

After I sit down and was ready for the show, I felt more excited. This event was called “The Celebration of Opera.” The couch, Wayne Wyman, briefly introduced the event and the history of the orchestra of the university. Then the show started. Everyone on the stage was dressed very formally, and with a little European style in 1800’s, which is known as The Baroque. There were many outstanding musicians during that period. And for this show, all the songs were from that time. I believed they were famous classical pieces because I knew Vivaldi and Mozart, and I heard Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso before. I guessed all of them were in French. Even I didn't quite understand what they were singing, but I could read something from their performance. Some were about sad love stories, while some were about happy stories. The performers did very well and distributed all of themselves into the show. Their singing techniques were very awesome, which were unreachable for general people or even some pop singers. But I noticed that the piano was the only instrument used during the whole performance. If there was a big band with more instrument, I thought it would be more impressive. 

       

In the past time of my life, I never saw an opera and thought I would never like it because I thought it’s too dramatic. But after this event, I felt I learn something new. Something I didn't know or understand a lot, but it’s good for improving my understanding of culture and life. According to Richard Mantle, “Those big moments in opera are usually the ones that deal most directly in the big human themes: life, love, death, loss, passion, joy, anger – but opera can be subtle as well as showy.” It clearly reflects some emotions in our life. It can help us understand and appreciate our life better.

        A lot of people thought art and culture make no sense on our life, and spending time on watching them is wasting time. But after I went to several concerts and this opera show, I do think the arts which come from our life could help us learn how to live a real life better. Just like the culture of a nation can make the country stronger. (David)

       the opera with my group members on Friday and I really enjoyed it. It is the first time for me to watch an opera in our school.  This opera left me a very deep impression and I think it is a very great show. I will talk about the opera from the music side.

There was only a piano accompanied for the opera. It is very simple but very powerful at the same time. It actually makes me feel better, it is a complete different feeling compare to listening to an orchestra. An orchestra will shock you, but a single piano won’t. Instead, it is going to lead you to a magic world that fills with melodies. The melodies have ups and downs that follow the content in the play. The background music can enhance the feeling that the performers or the author of the play want to express. Sometimes you don’t have to understand each single word like you understanding a language. The myth of music is that you can just hear it and feel it, you will get what the music means on earth. There is no limit or boarder for music to tell people what it wants to tell. 

       There are couple different styles in the whole show. They come from different composers and different time period, which means their background are not the same. The most famous one in the act should be La Traviata, which is produced by Verdi, one of the most influential composer in the 19^th century, Verdi. His style is very Romantic. The music is very emotional. During the La Traviata, when the prom start, the music is very happy and light. But later on, when main characters start to argue with each other, the music becomes very strong and kind of radical, so that it will fit in the scene at that time. But overall, La Tratiata is a very romantic opera because that is Verdi's style and he belongs to the romantic period in music history. Another example will be the La Boheme. La Boheme is one of the earliest pieces from Puccini. Puccini's style is different from Verdi. His style includes impressionist style, which makes the music in La Boheme very variable and imaginary. All the music you hear is very happy and it makes you feel very comfortable. The third one , which is the most beautiful and incredible piece from my point of view, is Die Zauberflote, from Mozart. Mozart is one of my favorite musicians, his piano pieces and opera pieces are all excellent. Die Zauberflote is his last piece when he was alive. The scene of this piece that showed on stage made me very comfortable and I can feel the happiness between the two main characters. Their love and relationship are fully expressed by the music and the performers. The music of this piece is jumping all the time and it is very short noted as well. These all enhanced the feeling that the characters love each other and the play itself is very happy. All in all, this is a great show. (Zhijie Zhang)

The opera was an amazing experience. I had never been to an opera before so it was eye opening. I 

think opera is a part of culture because people love music. Music is a part of everyone's life whether 

you listen it on the radio or from your iPod music is all around us. People go to concerts every year. 

There are formal concerts and casual concerts. The opera was a casual concert because it was free to 

the public but typically when you go to an opera it is a formal event where people dress up. Casual 

concerts are more popular with people these days and the younger crowd. The younger generation 

enjoys going to see their favorite musician in concert. It all depends on your preference whether you 

like a more casual setting or formal setting neither is good or bad. I like both settings. I was in choir 

for six years and when we performed we had to wear formal clothes and sang typical choir songs so I 

am used to a formal music atmosphere. I also love to go to concerts to see my favorite musicians and 

sing along with them. I think a person should experience music in their life either by going to a 

concert or just singing in the shower. Music is how we culturally express ourselves. It is also a 

therapeutic mechanism. Calming music can help people relax and calm the mind and body. Music can be religious and spiritual also. All in all music can influence life around us.  (Allison.F.)

I went to the concert with my partner slast Friday, which the room we went is located at the Voxman Music Building. It was the first time I have been to there. Actually, I was a little confused and unhappy before I went there, because last semester, I had a class about concert, it was so boring, we sit in here for two hours every times; second reason why I do felt unhappy was that this kind of music in my country is not popular. When I arrived at the building, I saw many people waiting for the line, most of them were the aged people, they looked like exciting. I waited my partners for 20 minutes and then we went into the concert room together.

       I am going to introduce some of the program about act one. First of the concert, there was a girl come to the arena, and the compere introduced her and introduce the background of the first song. Actually, I feel surprised cause there was not boring like the song I have heard before, it made me feel comfortable when I immerse in the music. The first scenario was all of the performers were singing together, and also, all of them wore the formal clothes, there were two main leader’s song face to face, an Asian men and an America woman.  Secondly, there were two people singing together, I could not understand what they were singing, but I can recognize that it was a sorrow story, cause the character(women) avoided another(man) all the time during the song. I immersed in their singing, it is really pleasant.

       I noticed that, most of the music are in the same period of time, this kind of music began in Italy, and La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian Libretto by Francesco Maria Maria Piava.  It is become distinct in the modern world, cause most of the young people do not like this kind of music, they like the brightly music, and like the articulate lyric. For the opera Gala this kind of music, it is suit for the old people, this kind of music is largo, it can make the people release. As far as I am concerned, opera is becoming a civilization in Italian, it is a represent of that country. When I have the opportunity, I just want to go the specific theater to listen the opera gala.

       In the conclusion, I am very happy and appreciate this opportunity, I really enjoy that.  I think this kind of slow music, like the pianolet, the violin music or something, it can make me release and edify my sentiment.  In the spare time, I will go to the concert. (Niko)

                                                                                      By David, Zhijie, Niko,Allison.F