- Option 1: Use the Spotlight Guide that we read and/or your notes that you took during Rob's presentation to react to the performance of Daughter of the Regiment. You can write about several aspects of the performance: the singing, orchestra, sets, lights, costumes, any aspect of the production. As always, give specific examples from the performance or production and write about how the specific examples you choose contributed to the opera as a whole.
- Option 2: Choose a quotation from Much Ado About Nothing or a scene, write it out or describe the scene and then tell how this quotation or scene is important to the development of the play.
As always be brilliant, creative, thoughtful, and entertaining. No whining.
Kate Matthews P3
ReplyDeleteSeattle Opera's production of La Fille du Regiment seemed to lack continuity. The first act was mostly sombre while the second act was lighthearted and humourous. While I enjoyed the humour--I'm a sucker for physical comedy, and the nods to Washington cities were a nice touch for a local production--I felt it out of place. The music seemed to lack a central sound: some songs had the military feel with the snare drums while others were sorrowful with the lone oboe playing. I was expecting a more cohesive production.
I really appreciated the libretto. A line that particularly stuck out to me was, "what is the use in being beautiful if he alone cannot see me," or something to that extent.
Another aspect I appreciated was the set. I liked how it was asymmetrical, it made it not quite so monotonous.
While I could plainly recognise the coloratura within the bel canto, I was expecting more of it. I would think that in opera they would milk it for all they're worth. Granted, Marie on top of the regiment's choruses was beautiful. It seemed a bit lacklustre in general.
I was overall impressed with the show. It was sometimes hard to distinguish the words and it seemed a bit quiet from that high up. I wish I could have heard more of it, as I think French is such a beautiful language. Anyway, I'd give the performance 3 1/2 stars. Not particularly spectacular, but not bad all the same.
Mallori Lindberg, Period 4
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised when I saw the Daughter of the Regiment, my first reaction was my disbelief of how realistic the scenery and staging made the scene look. The first Act and second Act were different, and both very detailed and had several props. It was obvious that the opera was an opera-comique because the music was very peppy and happy rather than dark and gloomy. In addition, at the end the young man ended up wedding the beautiful young woman and everyone was happy. The lighting was always bright, there was never a dark and gloomy scene. Specifically in the second Act, there were several humorous interactions between the characters.
The costumes worn made the opera seem much more realistic in addition to the stage set. The setting was in France at the end of World War 2, the combination of costumes and set made you feel like you were actually in that time and location. The orchestra was very good and their addition of sound effects added to the realistic aspect of the performance. The introduction of the orchestra seemed long, although the music was very pretty and was an impressive way to set the stage for the performance. I was impressed by the amount of lines Marie had, and how she handled them all. Her singing had no flaws as far as I could tell. It was amazing how she could sing so powerfully for so long with hardly any breaks. I had never been to an opera before and I didn't realize how much of an amazing talent it is to be able to perform like that. Overall the performance was a good experience, being my first opera it was fun to see an opera-comique. I am looking forward to seeing different styles of operas in the future.
Madison Ferris
ReplyDeletePeriod: 4
I felt that the Daughter of the Regiment was a wonderful first experience at the opera, for me. I really loved the velvet bright red curtains with the sparkly lights underneath, before the performance began. My mouth dropped when the red curtains opened at the beginning and the scenery was shown. I loved how it looked like a real war-time scene, with each and every character perfectly dressed. I found the first scene seemed like it went by very slow. It wasn't enough to capture the audience's attention for a long period of time. However, the opera singing was absolutely beautiful throughout. My favorite character singing wise, was Marie, the teenage vivandiere. She hit higher notes than any other character in the opera. Her voice went to places I couldn't even imagine. She was full of talent and acted the part very well. I also loved that it was in French, because I am taking French at school and could understand a fair amount, even without looking at the subtitles. I like how they incorporated local towns into the names of the wedding guests, as each couple was introduced. I liked the second half better, because there was more color, and the opera-comique style of opera really showed in that half. I loved the maid and house man dancing in the back, with rags. It made me laugh. My favorite part also was The Duchess of Krackentorp, when he was talking about being tipsy. That added some humor to the play, and it was funny how he was a man and all dressed up in heels and a colorful eccentric dress! It was a nice experience overall, and it takes a lot of talent for the opera singers to sing like that! I look forward to seeing more opera performances, and in different styles too to experience what those are like also!
Arthur Gulledge
ReplyDeleteP 4
I liked the opera The Daughter of the Regiment. I thought the music and the orchestra was the best part. The music was so catchy, fun and easy to listen to. The singing was also phenomenal. The amount of lyrics to memorized amazed me, albeit it was hard to tell that it was French at first. It was apparent that they were when they were talking, though. as I could make out some oui's and non's. The story was a little too simple, and could have used maybe one or two sub-plots. It was also a little hard to tell at first that Marie was apart of the regiment before meeting Torino. I also didn't didn't understand why the leader of the regiment went with Marie to her Aunt's home, would've the aunt not want a soldier in her home? The sets were spectacular, both the regiment canteen, and the Aunt's home. I was surprised at how they transformed the dusky, dank, grey regiment building into an extravagant mansion. My favorite part of the opera was the sunlight coming into the Aunt's home. I also really liked the other set details, like the use of the window in the regiment building, and the bubbling fountain in the back garden of the Aunt's house. The only thing I didn't like about the opera was the actors being clumsy, knocking thing other, as it distracted me from the story. I know it was the first full run-through, but stuff like that can be avoided.The subtitles sometimes would stay too long or too short, that I couldn't keep up, or didn't translate small dialogue that I didn't understand. With these small complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed La Fille du Regiment.
Chris Root
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The Daughter of the Regiment was very surprising to me. To be honest, I did not really like it. I like to be able to understand things, and it was hard to understand. The whole subtitle thing didn't work for me either. It seemed impossible to be able to understand the performance. Although I did enjoy the music and the acting. I thought they performed very well. The main complaint I had was that it was in French. If the opera would have been in English, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.I hope that our future performances will be more like the Servant of Two Masters, something I can better understand.
Jessica Bruce
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
I really enjoyed the Daughter of the Regiment. I think that I was most impressed by the vocal mastery that each performer had attained. Each note was so precise and the range of their voices was breathtaking. I found myself marveling at the incredible control of their voice and their ability to move the piece forward and tell a story using dynamics such as crescendos and decrescendos. I was also impressed by the quality of sound that each operatic singer had developed. Even on the really high notes Maria kept a bright and pinging sound and it was never breathy. I was also amazed by her talent when I heard her sing some very high notes at a piano or mezzo piano volume. This is extremely difficult and really shows off her talent. Overall I really enjoyed the music of this performance. Many times I found myself closing my eyes and just listening to the song.
I really enjoyed the light feel of this opera comique. The story line was, for the most part, happy and I loved the happy ending. I also appreciated the funny waiter and other background characters who really added to the play. Their comic actions kept me smiling and entertained all through the second act.
Andrew Park
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Prompt#6
Despite all the criticisms, La fille du Regiment was an enjoyable opera. However, there were some aspects of the opera that didn't bring the fun I thought I might get. Act II significantly brought intensity to my feelings towards the story of the opera. The part where the members of the regiment were in the background was my favorite part in that act. It started the beginning of a real ending of an opera comique. When Tonio intervenes, the happy pitch in the singing was revived after the slow tunes of unhappiness when Marie was taken away by the Marquise. I didn't enjoy the First act as much as the Second act because of the singing. Most of Act I was a slow duet that only displayed one part of the story. The duet with Tonio and Marie only displayed them falling in love after Tonio joins the regiment. However, the slowness felt somewhat reasonable because it ends in a tragic form. My favorite part in Act I was the regimental singing of Marie. It brought the beginning of the comedy where it ends in love between 2 lovers. Overall, I would give this opera a B. I loved the background lights and sets that brought the 18th century feeling. Marie's high pitch voice was an absolute masterpiece of romance in French(a romance language). The story gave the opera the expected style of an opera comique. However, the level of enjoyment could have been equal in both acts. They could have equally balanced the happy tones and the sad tones that would make the opera bring more energy to the audience.
The daughter of the regiment experience was pretty much what i expected, I didn't dislike it, and even though i have nothing to compare it too i thought it was a well done opera, but i still don't think I have the knowledge to really appreciate opera yet so I wasn't entertained during it. I was impressed by the props they had, much more realistic than a servant of two masters, and the theater itself seemed much nicer and bigger. I enjoyed watching the orchestra too, in its pit below the stage, I thought the music was nice. I didn't understand too much of what they were saying, and I had a hard time telling who was singing in the beginning of it. How loud they sang was incredible, there were multiple times my ears were ringing from it. I wondered if the shape of the theater was designed to help the sound travel. All in all, it was a good experience, except for getting home late.
ReplyDeleteAshley Barnett P.3
ReplyDeleteThe Daughter of the Regiment was duller than I expected. I was quite excited for this play and it was a little bit of a disappointment. I was excepting more drama, action, and a better story line. From the beginning I was thinking that they would start the play off by finding Marie as a baby and then having her grow up with the regiment. I was also expecting to see Marie and Tonio’s first meeting where he saved her life. If they included these scenes I think the play would have been more enduring and exciting. Just the two stage settings were a disappointment for me and I think the play lacked variety in their performance. I thought the play had a very surface level performance and the plot was shallow. I expected it to have much better direction than a servant of two masters, but in my opinion it didn’t. I did like the servants dancing around and thought that was funny. Also all the guests that came to the party were funny but I thought the humor was out of place, because I don’t think it worked with the first half of the opera. I was hoping for something more intricate. And even though I took French for three years I didn’t understand one word which made it hard to look at the screen and the actors. I have never been to an opera before but from this one I prefer plays, and ballets. Overall I think I would have enjoyed the play more if they included extra setting changes, and scenes because I think that would have deepened the plot.
Elena Wagar
ReplyDeleteper. 3
The Daughter of the Regiment was very interesting to me. I did not really like this opera. It was very hard to understand and follow the plot. The subtitles didn't really work for me because it was hard to read and watch what they were doing at the same time. It would also have been better if this play was in English. The actors did a great job at singing. They were loud enough for everyone to hear. It was hard to tell what actor was talking though. I also liked the stage set it made the scene very realistic. After seeing my first opera I think i prefer plays.
Brandon Penoyer
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I was rather pleased with how La Fille du Regiment turned out. I didn't expect to like Opera as much as I enjoyed it, but my expectations were surpassed. Though, while it was rather enjoyable, I do have some complaints about it, unfortunately. I knew going in that the opera was to be all in French, but I felt even more confused by the lyrics due to the "subtitles" displayed on a screen above the stage. They were general explanations for what the characters were saying, not direct translations. This was probably very helpful to others, but as it was unsynched to the lyrics themselves and occasionally not put up at all, I felt they weakened aspects as well. Another issue was that things seemed rather... Short. We left the opera quite a lot earlier than I expected, and in the famous song 9 high C's as I believe it's often referred to, I was only able to count 5 of the 9. It seemed as if many parts of the play were abridged or rushed as it was only a dress rehearsal, but I'm not entirely sure.
Gracie Legg
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
The daughter of the Regiment was interesting. It was not the most fun thing I have ever done. I didn't really understand most of it at all. And it didn't help that it was in French. Even though it had subtitles, it was hard to pay attention to the Opera, and read the subtitles at the same time. I had a hard time paying attention to it. It also seemed like they skipped around a lot. I feel like since it was a dress rehearsal, it wasn't as good as opera's usually are. But I am not really sure because this is my first opera. I thought that they did a really good job of moving around a lot and having so many different characters. The story line was kind of confusing. But it was very interesting to be at an opera. I prefer plays because they make more sense. If they had made the plot of the opera more interesting it would have been a lot better. I am looking forward to seeing the next opera and being able to compare the next one to this one.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteArezu Abdollmohammadi, Period 4
ReplyDeleteThe Daughter of the Regiment was my first opera. I didn't really know what to expect. I wasn't a big fan of the singing, although it was beautiful and amazing someone could do that with their voice, I didn't enjoy it too much. What I did enjoy was the orchestra. They were wonderful and I have to admit that was my favorite part of the opera. The stage and set was amazing. I felt like i was looking at a screen. I also enjoyed that they used every part of the stage. They didnt just perform in a section of it. This kept it lively for me. I didn't exactly like that it was in french. I wouldn't have gone to this opera on my own time just because its hard to fully understand all the elements of the opera when i cant understand what they are saying or whats going on. I hope in the future operas we go to, at least one will be in english so i can fully engage and get the most out of the opera.
Isabelle Carson Period 3
ReplyDeleteFor most aspects, I did not like La Fille du Regiment. The plot was very weak. The story moved way to quickly in my opinion, one minute Marie is claiming her love for Tonio and the next minute she goes, no questions asked, with a random woman claiming to be her aunt. Because of this, there is very little opportunity for the audience to connect with the characters or get attached to them. I also do not understand why a man played the Duchess of Krakenthorp. There was really no point to it, and it did not make the opera funny. It was pointless to change the time period that La Fille du Regiment is set in. For one, France did not have aristocrats in the 1940’s. And also the 1940’s is not considered modern times. As far as the storyline went, I was very disappointed. I did, however, enjoy the coloratura style of singing. It was amazing to hear the singers hit these obviously difficult notes. I also liked that the Seattle Opera decided to do the entire opera in its original French opera-comique style. And before the class went to go see La Fille du Regiment, it was helpful to learn more about the composer, Gaetano Donizetti, and the specific style of this operetta. All in all, I did not like the plot La Fille du Regiment but I did like the music.
Tristan Liebrock Per 3
ReplyDeleteLooking back on the performance of The Daughter of the Regiment as my first opera I can say I was both impressed and slightly disappointed. I'll touch on the disappointment later, but for now I'm going to talk about what I enjoyed. The first thing that stood was the orchestra, I think the fact that having a live orchestra really added a sense of drama, I also was amazed how the orchestra seemed to be able keep in time with the singers. Another thing that I liked in this performance was the two actors that played the maid and servant. I believe that Jessica already touched on this but those two actors made the second act a lot more enjoyable. Alright now on to the things that kind of upset me about this performance. I think as Isabelle said earlier the time period is all wrong. See during the 1940's France was either recovering from WWII or occupied by Germany so that for me through everything off. I say this because when you look at the name it says Daughter of the Regiment. France didn't have regiments then. Also I think that due to the fact that so much happens in the first half of the performance that it doesn't give you the chance to understand the characters. This made it harder for me to know what was going on because I didn't know what to expect out of the characters. All in all I enjoyed the performance but I wouldn't go and see it again.
Mark Gibbons
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The Daughter of the Regiment was my first play I have ever went to. I did not find the play interesting. I hope the other plays are more interesting and funny than The Daughter of the Regiment. I found it hard to follow the play because it was In French and I don't know any French. I was constantly looking up at the subtitles and then down at the stage to see what was going on. If the opera had been in English, I would have probably enjoyed it more. Also, I did not find the play funny. I didn't get why everybody else was laughing in the audience during times of the play. I wish the opera had also been more modern too. However, the actors did a really good job of singing. I was impressed at how high they where able to get their voices and continue on scene after scene. it was really cool how the actors where able to move and sing at the same time. This was my first opera and can now say that I enjoy plays more. They are funny and more easy to follow along with.
Lily Kristjanson
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
After viewing The Daughter of the Regiment, I realized that it wasn't exactly what I was expecting from an opera. It was full of be canto singing as I was expecting. I enjoyed the songs of the Duchess of Krackentorp the most. Her performance was extremely comical. I was surprised by how few recitatives there were. I was expecting many more spoken words between songs, which really didn't happen. Though it had its moments, I also felt the Daughter of the Regiment, wasn't quite an Opera-Comique. After the intermission the comedy began to pick up, but other than that the humor was somewhat difficult to follow. This may have also been because the opera was completely performed in French. I started to get confused between looking up at the screen translation and looking down at the performance. Though, I did think the costumes were very well done. They were accurate to the time period and helped set the scene. I also was impressed with the two sets created. They were very detailed and well put together. Though there were only two sets, they were made so tastefully that it didn't affect the performance.
Taylor Ingrum
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I was pleasantly surprised with the opera, The Daughter of the Regiment. The most impressive part of the performance was by far the vocal abilities of the actors. It seemed as though every note was mastered perfectly and performed without any mistake. I thought of the skill that must take and learned to respect the Opera in a way that I hadn't before. The use crescendos and decrescendos in the songs really helped tell the story and show the emotion of the characters. Many of the songs consisted of multiple high notes that pierced the theater but still presented the sorrow or anger that was intended. I thought that was very impressive. I have no experience with formal singing, so hearing the daughter of the regiment sing over and over with the perfect pitch and quality seemed incredible to me. Altogether, I really enjoyed the opera, largely because of the singer's talent. I don't see myself listening to this kind of music on my own, but I can now definitely see myself enjoying it in a similar setting. Another aspect of the opera that I loved was the lighter feeling of the play. Opera comique was a very obvious style used in the play as seen through the upbeat and happy story line. I was very pleased with the happy ending and the sporadic comedic actions (like the butler dancing) throughout the play. Overall, I was very pleased with The Daughter of the Regiment.
Alison Mowry
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Option #1
There were many aspects of the opera, A Daughter of the Regiment, that pleasantly surprised me. Going into the performance, I was partly interested in seeing the opera seeing as I had never been to one, but also unsure because I didn't quite understand the story line when we read part of it in class. When the opera started out, the orchestra played for what seemed to be a very long time. Although it took longer than I expected to open up the performance, I really enjoyed seeing the lights and it built anticipation for what was about to happen. When the play started, the first thing that caught my eye was how realistic the setting was. I thought throughout the opera the scenery was very well done, and the way they used lighting to convey the time of day was done very well in the sense that if it were supposed to be sunny outside, it looked like real sunlight coming through the windows. I also really appreciated the words in English over the stage so that you could understand what was going on rather than being confused throughout the entire play. Another aspect of the opera that I didn't take into account at first, was that there was no use of microphones. I thought it was so amazing that we could be sitting in the back of the opera house, and still hear every word they were singing as they projected their voices. Overall I thought going to the opera house was a great experience, and I thought they did a really good job of conveying a realistic atmosphere.
The Daughter of the Regiment was as entertaining as I expected it to be. I wasn't blown away by the performance but it wasn't unbearable to watch either. All of the performers are obviously extremely talented and I completely respect their ability. However, this kind of entertainment is not the most captivating for me. I enjoyed the visual art of the sets and all of the costumes. The sets were so large and detailed, it really added to the over all beauty of the show. Having completed a year of tech theater at Woodinville, I know the work put into making each set. Creating and painting flats and putting doors into place are all time consuming projects. I can only imagine how difficult it was to create a set that large. The realistic costumes added to the play as a whole. The ability for these men and women to sing the way they do is beyond me. Not only singing opera but in French too! I wondered if these performers know French or had to learn all of their lines and songs before hand. Yet as wonderful as the French sounded, it made it difficult to really understand and follow the play. Even after getting a background on the play, I was still lost for most of the play. Overall The Daughter of the Regiment was a well put together play, but not necessarily my favorite performance.
ReplyDeleteAustin Stenberg
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The Daughter of The Regiment was the very first play of this opera type I have gone to. This play was not at all easy to follow for me what so ever. Since it was in French I couldn't understand a thing they were singing. The subtitles above confused me as well because I couldn't tell what words went together. Also because of the subtitles I was always trying to read them and while doing this I couldn't watch what was happening so I would miss parts and get lost. Even if it was in English I still couldn't understand what they were saying. The music didn't help me much it was always switching from light to dark tones so quickly I didn't know what to feel about the music. The backgrounds also confused me because not all the scenes were supposed to take place in such settings which threw me off for what was happening. During the performance there were "funny" parts that I couldn't understand why they were funny and why everyone was laughing so hard? I felt like it was just the actors doing something stupid that nobody understood so they just laughed at it? But I was impressed with the talent that the singers had because of the drastic range and capabilities that they had with their voices. That was the most entertaining part.
Joshua Scheck
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I had very mixed feelings with the performance Daughter of the Regiment. First of all, I was quite pleased with the scenery of the play. It was very detailed and the actors interacted with it a lot but at the same time I disliked how there were only two locations for the whole play. Another part of the play I enjoyed was the music. The music that accompanied the play flowed seamlessly and it also evoked a moderate amount of emotion. Then I was displeased with the rest of the play. The plot was too simple for my tastes and it was just very boring. The second half of the play was a little better because they incorporated some comedic actions but it still wasn’t very stellar. One aspect of the play that really annoyed me was how I couldn’t understand any of the words so I had to look at the translations which were located in a very awkward spot. I have to admit that I probably missed most of the play because I was looking at the translations most of the time. It would have been better if the translations were located in a better spot so I would be able to see both the play and understand what had transpired without only looking at their actions. Again with the story, I felt that not much really happened. The plot was very simple and not enough was going on to keep me going. I was entertained by the skill of the two main actors who were able to reach several pitches when they sang but I just felt like this performance failed. Also I never really understood the references that were given during the performance but I would have to say that was due to the lack of experience I have with these types of performances.
Grace Nelson
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The Daughter of the Regiment was the first opera that I have ever been to and I found it to be much different than I had expected. For some reason, I expected just one person singing on the stage with no props or sets. I was pleasantly surprised that there were many actors and different people singing on stage. I did find the first part of the opera quite slow moving but then it started to pick up near the end. I did appreciate the subtitles because I could actually figure out what was being said but also I found them a bit distracting at times. My favorite character of the opera was Marie. I thought she had an amazing voice and I liked how she was a bit sassy at times. Although, I found her solo in the chair quite boring. I really appreciated the work that was put into the sets. I couldn’t believe how fast they were able to switch from set to set. Also, I thought the costumes were very well done. I remembered Rob telling us that the performance was set during World War II and I was trying to inspect the costumes to see if they looked like they were from that time. Overall, I really enjoyed this opera and I’m excited to see how the operas to come will be different.
Mack Ohnemus
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The Daughter of the Regiment left with with mixed feelings. One one hand, I was delighted to see such a full and detailed set. There was no such thing as forgotten area. I enjoyed the bel canto, in paticular the nine high Cs (although there were not 9) and the main song that was played throuout. Unlike most people, I enjoyed having the show in French. Even though the reading did get in the way of seeing both at the same time, i found that I didn't need to be constantly looking at the stage. I think the french made it more like the original and translating it to English would have hurt the show severely. I did notice a few things wrong or weird, but nothing that would have ruined the show. In the beginning, there was lightning through the window, but i just stopped suddenly after the first minute or so, I think that if they had had the lightning continue, it would look more realistic. Also, throughout the second act, the coloring of the light changed as going through the day, but the angle never did. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, not just change brightness and color tones.
Ashley Glinn
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After seeing the Daughter of the Regiment, I seemed to have some mixed emotions. At the beginning of the Opera, I really enjoyed how the ensemble was able to play a few pieces that introduced the first scene quite well. The symphony was quite talented, as you could tell that they had spent hours practicing each song until it was absolutely perfect and it rang true when it came to the actual performance. I had actually thought that the music was coming off of a cd until I looked down and saw them playing. Before the intermission, I felt as though the opera was very slow paced and I had a hard time trying to enjoy the acting because I was busy reading the subtitles instead so I could understand what was going on. I definitely didn't expect there to be so many recitatives but the actors performed very well with each other and their interactions made the performance very captivating. After the intermission, I felt as though the comedia-del-arte seemed to play a larger role as they had specific characters on stage to serve as only comic relief. Both of the sets were very detailed and made the opera seem to fit more into the scene rather than just having a couple of actors on stage with a few props singing opera the entire time. I liked how they were able to balance the amount of spoken word, songs and recitatives equally throughout the performance. The costumes were very elegant and realistic to the time period that the opera was set in. Overall, I enjoyed the Daughter of the Regiment and I would definitely be more open to going to more operas now that I have experienced one for myself.
Jace Brandmeier
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Before the daughter of the regiment, I had never been to an opera. I truly thought that all operas consisted of a larger lady, standing on stage singing, for hours and hours. So I was quite surprised when the opera started. The set and all the cast reminded me a lot of a play. I thought that the first act was a bit slow. The set looked pretty good, and It defiantly looked like a bar or restaurant from a war era. But near the end of the first act I was getting kind of tired of it. When we came back after intermission, the set had completely changed, and I have to say I liked it better. The set brought a happier feeling to the stage and the mood. I thought that the second act was much better. Things were happening much faster. I thought that it was much funnier and that the new characters brought a good light hearted feel to the performance. I also noticed the lighting changed as the act went on to resemble a sunset. I thought this was especially cool since the first set hadn’t changed at all. The subtitles were defiantly nice, because I didn't understand anything they were saying. But it was hard to read them and watch the performance at the same time. Over all I thought that the opera wasn't too bad, and that the second act was much better.
Byron Murray
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After watching the Daughter of the Regiment my opinions on Operas has changed significantly. Before this I had never attended an Opera before and I really wasn't sure what to expect of the performance. Once the Opera started I was really surprised and impressed by the singing capabilities of the performers and I really enjoyed the songs they played along with the Orchestra. Another thing I enjoyed about the Opera was how realistic the sets looked and all of the props that were used. Having the correct scenery really added to the realism of the Opera along with the costumes the performers wore. The performers also did a very good job of transitioning into the songs seamlessly in the play and how emotional and well performed the songs were. One thing that I did not enjoy was constantly looking at the translations of the actors and what they were saying. By having to look at the translations all the time one cannot focus on what is happening on stage so you have to switch back and forth rapidly because the translations were put above the stage. Besides that I rather enjoyed the Opera and it was pleasant to watch. The story was quite predictable and a bit cliché in my opinion so it was hard to keep focusing on what was happening on stage. The only things that really kept my attention were the songs that were played. All in all I feel like it was a very good first experience to an Opera.
John Ross
ReplyDeleteperiod 4
The Daughter of the Regiment was very surprising to me. To be honest, I did not really like it. I like to be able to understand things, and it was hard to understand. The whole subtitle thing didn't work for me either. It seemed impossible to be able to understand the performance. Although I did enjoy the music and the acting. I thought they performed very well. The main complaint I had was that it was in French. If the opera would have been in English, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.I hope that our future performances will be more like the Servant of Two Masters, something I can better understand.
Watching the Daughter of the Regiment was exciting. Definitely different then what I'm used to but it was an experience. Watching it was difficult because it was hard to understand obviously. Not knowing french it was like, what...? So you had to follow the subtitles which were at the top of the stage. And as Mr. Schindler said it wasn't a direct translation but a summary. So at times you didn't know exactly what was going on. Could you understand the basic story yes but the fine details of it were off for me. Like how the young man saved the Daughter of the Regiment. What did he save her from? It was hard to make a direct translation of what happened. But I still enjoyed it even though I had troubles trying to understand. It was a good production, the orchestra was great and the singing were really good.
ReplyDeleteRiley Schroeder
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I enjoyed seeing The Daughter of the Regiment and found it useful to have Rob speak to us before. While I did enjoy the opera i found it hard to follow looking back and forth between the subtitles and actors. This is where it was useful that we had Rob tell us about it beforehand because it gave us a basic understanding of the story. I would have been completely lost had it not been for knowing aspects of the story because of the opera just jumping right into it. I don't know what i expected going into the show, but it seemed different than what i thought it would be. I think along with most people who hadn't been to an opera we didn't know what to expect but still liked the show. The main thing that I didn't realize was that it was in french. I guess i just forgot but that was unexpected for me. And as i was saying earlier it made it hard to follow but as i focused less and less on the subtitles and more and more on the actual singing i found it more entertaining. I might have missed what was happening in a couple of scenes but when i just focused on their voices even if i had no idea what they were saying i appreciated it much more. Regardless i was amazed at the singing and acting ability of the actors. Everyone had such powerful and strong voices that were able to convey the emotions of the show. They did a great job with balancing the comedy and drama, and again the actors did a great job with all the aspects of the show. The sets and lighting were also very well done and looked accurate to the setting. It was cool to see the contrast between the basement and the house in the first and second acts. Overall i really enjoyed the opera and might not have followed it 100% but the music and performance was amazing to see and hear.
Danielle Knapik
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
The Daughter of the Regiment was not quite what I had expected. While thinking about an opera, having never been to one, I was imagining singers in long, plain dresses lined up singing for a few hours. To my surprise, there was an actual set and stage props that the performers were using. Most of the opera was sung, but some small parts were just spoken, and lots of recitatives were used, which was cool to see after learning about what they were. The fact that it was French was kind of distracting but it was fun to see what few words I could make out, and being able to hear them sing 'la fille du regiment' whenever they said it. Overall the experience was more rewarding than I thought it would be and I am glad we are going to see more operas throughout this school year.
Desirae Lopes
ReplyDeletep 4
The Daughter of the Regiment was the first opera I have ever seen. I was surprised about how much talking there was. I expected it to be entirely singing. The subtitles helped me to understand what is going on. My favorite part was the beginning of the second act with Maria and the Duchess. The comedy was refreshing, especially with the butler and the maid. I enjoyed duets more than trios and arias because of the interaction and conversation. The first act I found to be slow and hard to follow. It seemed to be the same situation happening over and over again. My favorite aria was the high c's by Maria's love. It was amazing to see such talent right in front of you and it was quite humbling. I am more appreciative of the opera as an art form after seeing The Daughter of the Regiment. Also, the symphony was quite talented. I found it interesting that I could see them playing. The instrument players were wearing normal street clothes and I found that to be in sharp contrast to the intricate costumes shown on stage. Over all, I enjoyed the opera and look forward to the next performance.
Ilya Bauer
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
The first scene in Much Ado About Nothing really sets the stage for the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. It starts of with Leanato, Beatrice, Hero, and a messenger. The messenger announces the return of Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick. They all performed gallantly in the victory over Don John. Beatrice asks the messenger of Benedick. They get in a heated exchange where Beatrice takes shots at Benedick. She also calls him names and such. This scene is important to the development of the play because it shows that there was history between Benedick and Beatrice. This history was one of a back in forth battle of wits.This gives the reader an impression that these two hate each other. This will surprise the reader later on when they have come up with a grand scheme to have Benedick and Beatrice fall in love.
Julia McMichael
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I really enjoyed The Daughter of the Regiment. It was the first opera I have ever been to and I had a great experience. I thought that the opera done in French made the show more realistic to that time setting. The screen above the stage that read all the words in English was very helpful in being able to fully understand what was going on in the opera. Without it I think I would have been lost. I thought that they did a very good job on the sets as well. My favorite set was the in the second act which was of a living room. I liked how they made it so there were windows and you could look out of them. Especially when you were able to see characters coming from outside into the room, that really added to the comedia-del-arte. The performing was very good as well. I thought that the first act didn’t have as many comedic elements but the second act had a lot more with the servant and the singing drag. The singing was also fantastic. I was amazed by the 9 high C’s and how very impressive it was to sing such notes. I also really enjoyed the costuming. In particular I liked Marie’s dress in the end of the second act, it was beautiful and it perfectly fit to the occasion. Overall I had a great first opera experience seeing The Daughter of the Regiment.
Sophea Thach
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
I liked Daughter of the Regiment. I don't think I've been to an opera before so seeing this was exciting for me. When the opening scene started and all the characters were in the bar, that was great. They made it seem like how it really was back then, especially how the actors/actresses dressed and the scenery. I liked how the orchestra played throughout the whole opera. I liked how everyone mostly sang their lines, really giving the opera feeling. I liked how Marie could sing high notes. Then in the second part of the play, I liked how the scene changed. It went from a bar to a fancy mansion home that Marie lived in now and it was all set up so well. I never thought that the set up would be so nice and realistic. The opera was comedic and light. With some actors being silly like dancing and such. And how the actors just did funny things to make the opera more enjoyable for people.
I actually really enjoyed the Seattle opera more then I thought I would. Although I fell asleep for the first 10 minutes, the rest of the play was very nicely performed and put together! This was the first opera I had ever been to and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest. I'm glad there were subtitles in English so I was actually able to somewhat understand what the opera was about and it was entertaining! The singing was amazing, and I thought there were a lot of funny encounters as well. My favorite scene was the last scene when all of the guests were being announced. I didn't really understand though why the mother of the groom to be seemed like a man? It was funny but I didn't get that part! I had a really great experience and I'm looking forward to the rest! I'm also very grateful Rob got to come and talk to us beforehand so I could get a better understanding of what I was going to see!
ReplyDeleteAbbey Folsom
ReplyDeleteperiod 3
Daughter of the Regiment
The opera as a whole was great. This was my second opera and they were totally different from each other. The subtitles were a little difficult to work with but once we got to Act 2 it became easier. I thought the singing was amazing. I could’ve sat and listened to Marie and Tonio sing all night. I seriously was blown away by the coloratura singing and Tonio’s nine high C’s; that was beautiful. I really enjoyed the sets. They looked fantastic and really realistic, I was amazed by them. The costumes were okay but I really loved Marie’s closing dress; that was gorgeous! As a production I think it ran well. Attending the dress rehearsal was nothing like I thought it would be. I thought the production would be stopping a lot but they just paused after each huge musical number which was nice. I think that the dancing servants really made the last few scenes. It made it more enjoyable to watch especially since towards the end I was falling asleep a little bit. Also I think that the Duchess of Krackentorp was the best character ever, she really added to humorous part that the servants brought.
Hannah Hunt
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The Daughter of the Regiment held true to my expectations. The actors were talented, as were the musicians of the orchestra. You could tell that many hours were put into the performance and was on it's way to perfection. Although, the opera was not something that was right up my alley, I could appreciate the work and skill of the actors. The updated and modern theme of World War 2 served the opera well, and made it more relatable and easier to see as a real story. If the play had been set in it's original era, I think it would of been a little dry and harder to follow. I loved the costumes, especially Marie's dress at the end. I would love to have that in my closet! Speaking of Marie, I thought her voice in particular was incredible. She kept the opera moving forward apart from a few drawn out solo scenes. What I was surprised about was the lack of depth the story had. There were two or three plot points without commenting or connecting the lessons of the opera to the outside world. But maybe that's the point of the opera, beautiful singing and sets. It invoked emotion towards Marie and her lover, and connected you to the characters because you wanted them to end up together. All in all, I liked the Daughter of the Regiment and look forward to the other operas we will attend.
Kristina Lebakken
ReplyDeletePer. 4
The Daughter of the Regiment was not what I had in mind. The opera was definitely hard to follow for me considering it was in French. The subtitles were a huge help. the actors and actresses were so talented. I can't believe that their voices were so loud and able to go so high. The set was also really amazing. In the beginning with the first set when the thunder and lightning was going on, it looked so realistic. Also in the second set it was cool how they created that outside balcony, that also looked super realistic. The opera was really long, and the first half was harder for me to sit through. Especially because it was in French. Also something I was curious about was if all of the actors and actresses speak French? But overall it was a good experience and I definitely appreciate their talent. I look forward to the next opera!
Joey Keating
ReplyDeleteP.4
The Daughter of the Regiment was definitely something I didn't like as much as the play. I don't speak French or whatever so I didn't even understand what they were saying 1/2 the time. Although that is where there acting came in very handy. Even if I didn't understand there language, I could watch their body language. That was something that was very helpful throughout the opera. Also, the set was very well put together. It really put the opera in perspective for the audience. Along with that, the lighting was just right. At times it was dim then other times it was very bright and you could see a lot. That was one of the things that they did very well. Lastly I was very impressed about how they were able to project there voices for the crowd. I was able to hear every word of them the entire opera.
Laney McFarland
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The daughter of the regiment was very exceptional in a way that it held my interest, and that's challenging. I recall you and Rob talking about the keys of music the actors would be singing in, when Tonio sang his 9 high C's, i paid very close attention. It was amazing I don't think it should be humanly possible that anyone should be able to sing like that. Much talent was shown by not only him but also Maria, her voice was very pretty and displayed keys showed in coloratura. Although I found the story line sort of bland, I found the set and costumes to make up with it by its visual appeal. I loved in scene two the usage of the sets, especially when the gardeners and maids were outside. And I thought it was very comical when the duchesses and dukes names were announced. Unfortunately I had a very heard time following the play sometimes i found myself staring at the subtitles in order to follow the story. I could not have been happier with the connection the actors had with each other and the audience. In the future I really hope that I can see another opera, only this time i hope its in English.
Sean Rankin
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
I think that the Daughter of the Regiment was pretty good. I didnt like that fact that it was in french because it was kind of distracting looking away from the stage to understand what was going on. However, I really enjoyed the music especially the singing. I found it really amazing that people can sing that loudly continuously for the two hour performance. I enjoyed the fact that the opera had physical comedy which was a lot easier to pick up on than the french jokes. I'm really curious if the performance will be better after they have a chance to iron out some of the mistakes. I thought that the sets were truly beautiful. I found it amazing that they could change the set that quickly during the intermission. I really enjoyed the intro music before the opera because it kind of gets you hyped up to see whats going to happen. The opera really made the story easier to understand because of the acting. I enjoyed the servant of two masters more than daughter of the regiment probably because it was in english and that made the jokes easier to understand
Katie Daniels
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The Daughter of the Regiment was definitely not what i was expecting. When it came to operas, i had this visual of them being extremely boring, and dull. I expected no humor, and let alone, no props. However, i was wrong in that aspect. When the opera started, i was extremely surprised with how large the cast was, and how realistic the stage was set up. Thinking of an opera, i only expected one person to be singing, and for it to be a non comical presentation. Watching the cast have a great time together, and preform a great performance, it was very refreshing to me. There was definitely more singing and vocal moments than i expected, however it was very well done and professional. The only downside of the performance was that it was not in English. I have a hard time enjoying things, when i am unable to understand the plot. I was able to follow the characters by their emotions, tone, and actions, however would have preferred English. I did enjoy this opera much more than i expected, however i have come to the conclusion that i prefer plays.
Spencer Read
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The Daughter of the Regiment caught my attention the most with its music. I found it very engaging. The way that the militaristic feel was added to all songs was interesting. It helped reminding the audience of the point of the film. That point was that the female character was a daughter of soldiers. Even the sad and emotional parts had that feel to them. The music was very well done, and very well rehearsed. I really enjoyed how precise and synchronized it was with the rest of the opera. That is what I typically enjoy above all other things during any performance. There can be no mood or feeling without music. Music provides almost everything, to any kind of performance. It also provides a lot in life. That is why I personally enjoyed the music in this opera, more than anything. One could almost listen to the play and understand what the characters are feeling, by only listening to the tunes. I hope that in future operas, music will be used as it was in this opera. It is the most important thing, even above the singing and visual arts.
Michael Stiles
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
The Daughter of the Regiment was a great experience. I felt that for my first opera that it went very well. I was much surprised of how the actors were able to sing for over 2 hours. It shows that not everyone can do what they do. Once the opera started I was a bit frustrated on how the subtitles were set up, the actors were speaking french with the subtitles displayed over the stage. I feel that if we hadn't read this opera before going to the actual performance that many of us would have been lost. At times it felt really slow and I almost fell asleep but never did, it could be that I'm not one that usually likes operas. Although the performance went well I still would rather go see a play over opera mostly because anyone without any knowledge of the play can go in and enjoy it because its a lot easier to understand. I'm very optimistic about our next performance and I really hope it will be as good or even better as this one.
Robert Hawley
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
I really enjoyed the daughter of the Regiment. I felt that almost every aspect of how a good opera should be carried out was there. The settings were stunning, the way they manipulated the look of the pub scene was magnificent. How it was as if we were looking at it from directly above the stage, not just in the crowd; like we were looking down at the scene. The actors were phenomenal as well, the lady Marie was stood out of all of them though. Her external transformation from the Vivandiere to the Nobel woman was amazing, she seemed so very stiff in the first half with the trench coat. But then when she stepped out in the dress it was as though she had set down a great weight and was relaxed. I actually have very few qualms with this opera, but chiefly among them was the pacing. The first half dragged on for an hour and fifteen minutes. I could of summarized the plot of the first scene in 5 sentences. I'm glad the pacing picked up in the second half, but it was almost intolerably lengthy for what it was. Don't get me wrong, I loved the acting, but I think they could of taken away from the first part in order to elaborate more on her transformation into the noble woman, it would of been comical to see more of her mother trying to tame her, but ultimately give up in the face of the proud woman that Marie was. My final word will be about the subtitles. They were oddly spaced, and from my brief experience in the french language, were taken too literally. A better translation would of helped the pacing immensely. It's the small things like this that really degrade the experience. And one last thing. The orchestra was astoundingly good. They got that part spot on.
Sarah Porter
ReplyDeletePer 4
Before Wednesday I had never been to an opera, so I didn't know what to expect. The Daughter of the Regiment was definitely not what I thought it would be. I was expecting to see three hours of singing extremely high notes in French. Instead, I actually enjoyed the opera more than I thought I would. I was surprised that the opera was comic and fairly easy to follow. However, although I'm taking French it was difficult at times to understand even with subtitles, and I feel like I would have enjoyed it even more if I wasn't constantly staring at the subtitles above the stage in order to fully understand the opera. That said, the actors did a great job of using both verbal and physical or nonverbal humor so that the audience wouldn’t have to rely on subtitles. Even if I am not necessarily a huge fan of operas, I thought that the sets, orchestra, and the actors were all amazing and very impressive.
Mimi Gerhardt, Period 4
ReplyDeleteLeading up to this opera, we had only read summaries of The Daughter of the Regiment and not really an overall reading of the play, so it had its open ends of what was to happen. However, I did know the general plot, which made it easier for me to follow the opera itself. I really enjoyed seeing this opera. I had never seen anything like it before, so it was a brand new experience to me. Having it be a dress rehearsal was even more fun, as you could pick out some parts of a scene they were still working on or listen to the orchestra fix a couple measures of the music during intermission. The set of the show was so much more than what I was expecting. Every last detail was in those sets. I especially loved the Marquise's house with the beautiful piano and "backyard", because it was clear that this production was very well thought out and worked on. I didn't find the subtitles to be much of a problem. At some points, it was a little confusing (after all, it was in French, a complete other language!), but after translating it back into English, it made enough sense to follow along. The actors helped out the audience by making both the nonverbal and verbal comical queues to be more obvious, making it silly. Overall, I enjoyed this opera and I'm very excited to see what comes next!
Amin A,
ReplyDeletePd 04
The Daughter of the Regiment turned out to be a great play and I really liked it. All I thought before going to the play was the stage set up and how it’s was going to look like. This was because the last play, the stage was not as good as I thought. I was pretty surprised what I saw when the red curtain went up. The stage was so detailed. It looked like an old place and it was pretty dark. I think that made it look more realistic. I noticed the changes that were happening through the window, you could see how the lights kept changing and giving it more of a natural lighting. For instance, you could see when the sun rises and sets. I think it looked realistic compared to the plays that I have attended. I think the two servants were pretty funny, when they kept dancing when they were supposed to do their chores. The summary about the play really helped a lot; I didn't have to look at the subtitle all the time.
Evyn Anderson
ReplyDeleteP4
Before going to watch The Daughter of the Regiment my expectations were low. When I thought of an Opera I pictured one person singing piercingly loud on stage with little to no set. I didn't even consider that there would be a coherent story line or multiple interesting characters. However, I was obviously very wrong. I was pleasantly surprised when I first sat down and saw how beautiful and realistic the set was. Then, when the orchestra started playing and I heard the music I knew I was in for a treat. Even though the Opera was in French, there were subtitles, and the acting was good enough so that I could follow along without knowing exactly what they were saying. The actors were very talented, and there were some humorous scenes which provided some nice comic relief. All in all, The Daughter of the Regiment was a great first Opera for me!
Maiah Swigert
ReplyDeleteP3
Since I have never been to an opera before The Daughter of the Regiment, I didn't quite know what to expect from it. But the performance was absolutely brilliant. I would definitely see it again... and I look forward to experiencing more operas in the future.
I was also very glad that the opera was in French and not in English because well it's more original and it sounded absolutely beautiful.
And being into the technical aspects like I am, I was blown away by the set and also the costumes that were used in the performance-- breathtaking. I recommend the opera to both the tech savvy and those who would just like to sit and enjoy an amazing performance.
Bryia Madison
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
This production was a bit of a let down from the wildly amusing production of A Servant Of Two Masters. Although the high Cs were impressive and the music was beautiful, it was a bit dull. I don't have much experience with opera productions but I thought that the modern adaptation of the opera was rather comical for what it was. Not being able to understand french or the bellecontra singing, the subtitles made it hard to catch the physical comedy provided by the actors (mostly the waiter). I really thought that the stage production and the costumes were great. I was happily surprised to find that the Duchess was actually played by a man. I thought it added comedy purposes but he actually played the role quite well. I was impressed. Something that I didn't understand was the music being played without the curtains being opened yet. I was unsure if my lack of opera experience was coming into play or if it was because it was still a rehearsal. Overall, beautiful to look at, but not something I would be able to stay awake if I saw it second time.