wagner

i saw a performance of "das rheingold", the first of four operas in wagner's ring cycle. i was really tired and contemplating on going to the opera, but i decided to go eventhough I might fall asleep. i have never listened to the opera before which is not good ever. mind you, the opera is in one act and it is 2.5 hours long. and there is not a lot of beautiful arias and uplifting endings; you only applaude at the end of this 2.5 hours.

the production was absolutely beautiful. the set was magical and the special effects were done amazingly well. i enjoyed the music when i was not napping, and i specifically liked waton, the ruler of the gods' role. but damn, 2.5 hours is a long time when you are not prepared for the kind of music.

so i decided that i'm going to study wagner a little bit. i chose "die walkure", the second and the most popular opera in the ring cycle, about 5.5 hours long including the intermissions. i had a book with commentaries and printed out the libretto and i downloaded the music so i can listen to it on my bus ride to dc. i listened to the first act of the opera, about 1 hour long. but i say it took me about 4 hours to read the text, listen to the music, play back to hear the leitmotives and just get a grip on the music. as i said, the style of singing is so very different from the "bel canto" i usually listen to, but when you actually get to know the music, you eally enjoy it. the story is also very interesting. So I gradually studied all the acts and listened to the music.

i went to a performance of die walkure last night at the metropolitan opera. and now i understand why you need to study the opera before you go. i knew the words well so i did not need to constantly read them on the screen and I could concentrate on the music. and this was totally rewarding. comparing last night's performance with the ones I have heard before and hearing interpretations of the different singers, gave me something to look forward to.

it's good to do some homework sometimes, is the moral lesson of this post!