Linkage
The above link will take you to a very happy news article where, after years of abstinence, solo encores have returned to the opera stage.
Music history lesson: back in the day when opera was in its heyday, solo encores were the norm. Opera's to an extent were made to show off the abilities of the performers. Within arias opera divas would go off on these incredible cadenza's...
These performances were also social events. People would talk, walk around, travel from box to box to visit, politic, etc. If the music was truly incredible, the audience would notice. If the audience was especially impressed and insisted on it, the diva would either repeat the aria right then and there or come out at the end of the performance and perform an encore...and this would happen quite often, it was a normal thing for an encore to be performed (much like our modern day rock band concerts)
Then, oh, came the, well, I think 1930's where the opera stage became incredibly serious. No more audience participation, you sat stiff as a board as an audience member (and still do) and watched in awe until the end when it was 'appropriate' to clap (btw, it used to be that a symphony performance was really kinda background music, much like a band performing at a club is now; listen or talk as you please kind of environment). Solo encores were few and scarce. If an encore were to be performed, it would be the whole group. The only time encores really happen today are at orchestra concerts when they have a soloist playing a concerto and they do an incredible job (Yo-Yo Ma quite often plays an encore for example)...and usually the orchestra isn't accompanying them...it's a true solo encore.
Now, don't get me wrong, this is a good thing to an extent, that we request the audience to be silent. The problem with audience participation is that you can't hear the music when people are talking at full blast and TOTALLY off topic ('honey, did you pay the taxes yet', 'no, I told you, I will get around to it' 'oh yeah, you will get around to it, on, say April 15th at 10:00pm' 'why don't you ever trust me, you never trust that I will actually do something. Did you ever think that if you actually had some faith in me, I might actually be inspired to do something perfect just for you' 'well, you sure haven't given me any reason to have faith in you, you always procrastinate until the last second...'). Oh, sorry, I am not writing a play right now, I am blogging...
Well, the last time a solo encore occurred on the stage of the Met was in 1994 (Pavarotti, Tosca). So this is kind of a big deal, and should do a great deal for bringing in the audience. Seriously, I think one of the reasons why symphony orchestras/opera houses are failing is they are leaving the audience out of the picture, not including them in the performance, where it used to be you needed the audience to make or brake a performance. For example, the Stravinsky ballets. If you created a bit of a controversy or scandal, you would FILL the theater. As Firebird was being performed, the audience rioted. And it was a HUGE hit. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. (NO, I am not promoting riots in the middle of performances, but you get what I mean...)
So, let's just say, I am warily happy that the solo encore has returned. :)
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I am going on an honest to goodness date.
I am not interested in him. I never was. He is tall, but I don't know, I never have had a 'hey I am attracted to you' moment with this guy. Don't worry, I won't be all snooty and not give the guy a shot, but...yeah, and anyways I am going to Alabama no matter what this summer, not going to start something here in the mean time.
BUT it's a date. Free food, woot!
It's actually to a guy ask girl stake activity on Saturday night which is being held at the Stake Presidents house, which I think a lot of people won't be at because that is the night of the big Huntington Beach (CA) Regional mid-singles conference (27 through39ish) which is selling out at 1200 attendees...I kinda wanted to go, but...eh, didn't buy a ticket, and I am not 27, I am 26. The guys were being majorly pressured at Church Sunday to buy tickets and ask a girl, so I was a last resort I am thinking.
The one good thing: My ward has very nearly 3 times as many active girls as active boys in it. So that says something, doesn't it?
Music history lesson: back in the day when opera was in its heyday, solo encores were the norm. Opera's to an extent were made to show off the abilities of the performers. Within arias opera divas would go off on these incredible cadenza's...
These performances were also social events. People would talk, walk around, travel from box to box to visit, politic, etc. If the music was truly incredible, the audience would notice. If the audience was especially impressed and insisted on it, the diva would either repeat the aria right then and there or come out at the end of the performance and perform an encore...and this would happen quite often, it was a normal thing for an encore to be performed (much like our modern day rock band concerts)
Then, oh, came the, well, I think 1930's where the opera stage became incredibly serious. No more audience participation, you sat stiff as a board as an audience member (and still do) and watched in awe until the end when it was 'appropriate' to clap (btw, it used to be that a symphony performance was really kinda background music, much like a band performing at a club is now; listen or talk as you please kind of environment). Solo encores were few and scarce. If an encore were to be performed, it would be the whole group. The only time encores really happen today are at orchestra concerts when they have a soloist playing a concerto and they do an incredible job (Yo-Yo Ma quite often plays an encore for example)...and usually the orchestra isn't accompanying them...it's a true solo encore.
Now, don't get me wrong, this is a good thing to an extent, that we request the audience to be silent. The problem with audience participation is that you can't hear the music when people are talking at full blast and TOTALLY off topic ('honey, did you pay the taxes yet', 'no, I told you, I will get around to it' 'oh yeah, you will get around to it, on, say April 15th at 10:00pm' 'why don't you ever trust me, you never trust that I will actually do something. Did you ever think that if you actually had some faith in me, I might actually be inspired to do something perfect just for you' 'well, you sure haven't given me any reason to have faith in you, you always procrastinate until the last second...'). Oh, sorry, I am not writing a play right now, I am blogging...
Well, the last time a solo encore occurred on the stage of the Met was in 1994 (Pavarotti, Tosca). So this is kind of a big deal, and should do a great deal for bringing in the audience. Seriously, I think one of the reasons why symphony orchestras/opera houses are failing is they are leaving the audience out of the picture, not including them in the performance, where it used to be you needed the audience to make or brake a performance. For example, the Stravinsky ballets. If you created a bit of a controversy or scandal, you would FILL the theater. As Firebird was being performed, the audience rioted. And it was a HUGE hit. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. (NO, I am not promoting riots in the middle of performances, but you get what I mean...)
So, let's just say, I am warily happy that the solo encore has returned. :)
//////////////////////////////////////////////////
I am going on an honest to goodness date.
I am not interested in him. I never was. He is tall, but I don't know, I never have had a 'hey I am attracted to you' moment with this guy. Don't worry, I won't be all snooty and not give the guy a shot, but...yeah, and anyways I am going to Alabama no matter what this summer, not going to start something here in the mean time.
BUT it's a date. Free food, woot!
It's actually to a guy ask girl stake activity on Saturday night which is being held at the Stake Presidents house, which I think a lot of people won't be at because that is the night of the big Huntington Beach (CA) Regional mid-singles conference (27 through39ish) which is selling out at 1200 attendees...I kinda wanted to go, but...eh, didn't buy a ticket, and I am not 27, I am 26. The guys were being majorly pressured at Church Sunday to buy tickets and ask a girl, so I was a last resort I am thinking.
The one good thing: My ward has very nearly 3 times as many active girls as active boys in it. So that says something, doesn't it?
4 comments:
Fabulous entry!! So enlightening and I totally agree. And booya for free food - you don't want you to get rusty at this dating thing:)
Maybe he's just shy and needed a serious push to ask you out? Boys are weird.
Hmm, I'm kinda against audience participation mostly, but the few operas and symphonies I've been to have allowed for applause following each number so maybe there's a happy medium?
Thanks for putting me on your site Elizabeth. And glad you made the wise decision to come to Bama for the summer.
LOL...let's have a little class for the boys...."how to ask a girl out"...I'm having the same problem! UGH! I'm tired of HANGING OUT!!!!
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