It was a weekend at the opera for me. Well, actually it was a weekend at my local cinema. The Metropolitan Opera New York broadcasts every season some of its shows live and if you are lucky, you get tickets. And I was.
I really looked forward to this. They played Verdi’s “Il Trovatore”. I love the operas of Verdi and Puccini. (Mozart - not so much. I love his music but his operas are way to happy for me.) I had high hopes and I wasn’t disappointed.
Usually for me it’s all about the story and about how well it is told. Sadly, most operas are not really that big on the story - they differ in their complexity and if it is one that is based on a play by Shakespeare you are lucky.
At the opera it is all about the music and the emotion that goes with it. And Verdi is one who does it best. The music is amazing. And the singers in this performance were exceptional. There was Anna Netrebko as Leonora and of course, she was amazing like always. I expected nothing less. It cannot be easy to find an equal counterpart for an outstanding singer like Anna Netrebko but honestly, Yonghoon Lee who sung Manrico was so good that he swept me right off my feet. And suddenly, I forgot all about her. Honestly, that was something I didn’t expect and it never happened to me before. Seriously, I’m thinking about spending a lot of money to see him live at a real opera house. (I already looked it up - I could next summer when he’s doing some perfomances nearby.)
I’m a huge fan of the opera and I am definitely going to see more shows. And I really don’t know why so many people are not. My friend and I are always the youngest ones, the main audience is way older. In their 60ies at least. They dress up even if they are going to see the shows at the cinema and they can be quite ignorant. Especially when you are coming in a hoodie and jeans like I do. But folks: You can ignore that shit! When you have the opportunity to see an opera at your local cinema, go for it. It’s much cheaper than at a real opera house, but since you can see shows broadcasted from the MET or the Royal Opera London there’s a good chance the quality will be amazing. And you can look the shows up on wikipedia or youtube to get a first impression if you like the plot,the music and the performing artists. You can go in sneakers and have some popcorn and maybe you will be astounded by the complexity of the music and the emotions that go with it. If it’s not for you so be it.
I didn’t know if I would like it either. I rarely listen to classical music at home and I hate musicals. No, really. I tried several. Hate them. Yes, even West Side Story. (Maybe especially West Side Story, I’ve seen it at my local theatre and it was plain ridiculous. Cool costumes though.) A friend of mine suggested that we try the opera and I thought “Okay, why not.” I’m all for trying new things just for the fun of it. Sometimes I don’t like them but often I do. And sometimes I discover a whole new world, full of emotions, drama and tragedy.
So don’t let the “cool kids” fool you: The opera rocks.
