Richard Gere leans over to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and famously whispers, “People’s reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic. They either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don’t, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul.”
In my second year at U of T, a friend of mine took a class in the Slavic Studies department. They offered cheap tickets to see a Canadian Opera Company production of Gioachino Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers. I recall being slightly worried before the performance. Would I enjoy it? Would I be able to decipher the Italian? Would I be entertained after spending years attending rock concerts? Could I ever learn to appreciate something that seems, quite frankly, snobby? I seemed to be swimming in a sea of doubt.
My fears instantly subsided as the orchestra began the overture. This one opera, which I attended on a whim, had me hooked. And it did indeed become part of my soul.
Since then, I have seen every opera I could, regardless of venue or less-than-ideal seating arrangements. I once spent five hours at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with my head at a 45-degree angle to catch every last minute of Verdi’s La forza del destino. (Some ligaments are still recovering!) While I don’t suggest sustaining personal injury to see an opera, the culture of this very old art form is actually in a period of transition, and is slowly becoming more accessible, particularly to younger audiences.
For quite some time, The Canadian Opera Company has been offering cheap tickets under their Opera for a New Age initiative. This opportunity allows opera-goers under the age of 30 to see current productions at seriously reduced prices (and get this: the seats aren’t bad, either!). With the opening of the new Four Seasons Centre on Queen West, interest in opera has increased dramatically, translating into frequently full houses and a vibrant and dedicated scene.
Recently, I had the chance to see a working rehearsal of Cosi fan tutte. And while the term “working rehearsal” means singers are often holding back their full vocal prowess and lighting is still being tinkered with, the production was impressive and promises to be another hit, following in the footsteps of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which was staged back in September.
This Mozart opera, the title of which literally translates to “All Women are Alike,” revolves around two couples, whose male counterparts decide to clandestinely test the loyalty of their fiancés. It’s a romantic comedy with an ambiguous ending, one that mimics the complexity of real-life relationships. It’s a story with such universal perspective that music from this opera was used in another Julia Roberts movie, Closer. While Cosi fan tutte could be construed as containing negative views of women, the theme of faithfulness could, of course, be applied to either sex.
Cosi fan tutte is in Italian, and the plot can be confusing. Have no fear though-all the opera productions project an English translation of the libretto above the stage, so no one is left in the dark about what is being said. In fact, it was actually the Canadian Opera Company who pioneered the initial use of these “surtitles,” way back in 1983.
If you still feel a bit shy about going to your first opera, there is another innovation that is making opera more user friendly. The Metropolitan Opera recently announced that they will be broadcasting versions of their operas in mainstream movie theatres in select cities across North America, including Toronto. Beginning December 30, you can now go to the opera for the price of a movie ticket.
Between cheap tickets, English surtitles and movie theatre broadcasts, the medium of opera is ready, willing and able to cater to the art-adoring masses. If you’ve ever wanted to experience your first opera, there’s really no time like the present.
