Remember to write you full name and class period on the first line of your comment.
Write a 15 sentence response to the opera. In your response, you can write about the singing, sets, costumes, orchestra, the story, the display of automatons that was in the lobby; in other words, write about any aspect of the production and/or the performance that you want to. Use specific details from the opera to support what you say.
If you could not go to the opera, write 15 sentences about your art history style.
Madison Ferris
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First of all, anyone who missed tonights performance missed a fantastic production. It was a dress rehearsel, but I thought everything from the settings, to the voices were spot on. You could tell everything was so rehearsed. At the end of the show, one of the directors came out and talked about how many volunteers the Opera company has and how dedicated they all are. I didn't know they had volunteers who helped, that really shows the communities support of the arts. So back to the opera, my favorite act hands down was the first act with Olympia. I thought it was so cool that she was an automaton! It was a very creative, inventive story of Hoffmann's. I liked how she had to be cranked up to keep singing. I loved how lively this whole act was, it really kept me interested. I thought it was funny at the end of this act when everyone found out that Olympia was a robot and that she wasn't a real perfect human being, like many thought and they pulled her head off. In the second act, I felt the pace was a bit slow for me, but the end was great when the villian came out and killed Antonia. I thought it was fun how the villian in each act was always present, hiding and waiting to cause trouble, especially when the villian hid under Giulietta's chair in Act 3. The final act was also just as good as the first. I liked the gondola setup, that was pretty neat. My favorite thing overall was the sets, I was actually amazed at what the company was able to pull out. I loved the neon glowing bottles of alcohol at the start when ETA was drinking. I also loved the glowing red sign in the background of Act 1. And lastly, I really thought the gondola water backdrop looked so real at first. It looked like real water when the lighting was just right, and the performers were standing in the perfect spot. The Tales of Hoffmann was my favorite performance of the entire year no doubt. I am so glad I have gotten to experience all these different types of theater and learn which I liked a lot and which I didn't as much. It was a good year of performances.
Arthur Gulledge
ReplyDeleteP 4
Last night’s dress rehearsal was a huge success. It looked like a lot of effort and love of the story really shined. The first act was the best to me and the pace was perfect. It seemed to me that the most amount of time was spent in the Olympia section as the other acts seemed slower, and not as crazy. I did wonder, though, was the crowd that wanted to see Olympia were humans or automatons like the butler. There was also a moment during Olympia’s song when it seemed a section was redone. It was a freaky replay and I couldn’t tell if they did it because they wanted an applause or they messed up and felt it needed to be done again. It was also weird and unexplained during the second act, when the doctor was diagnosing the empty chair. Was he seeing if Antonia’s spirit was healthy, or was she supposed to be there but the door was locked? I did like the way they could change the scenes quickly and in front of you. I also found it cool that they could move the gold arches that surround the front of the stage. It seemed unnecessary though as it wasn’t a plot point. After the first act, I got to see the automatons. I was surprised to see Rob there and introducing the robots. I liked the bear that moved its paw to fill a cup of water. It had a pipe that runs through it, making a endless cycle. I liked the history of them, and learned that they were made in factories on assembly lines. I also found it interesting that there were many different types of automatons. There were the typical humanoid knitting ones, but also a shadowbox, which is a box with flat pictures of animals that would bounce around. Overall, I think this opera was a great way to end a fantastic year of amazing performances.
Austin Stenberg
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Last nights production of The Tales of Hoffman was fantastic. All though I was a little late I still could pick up easily on what was happening right away. I sincerely enjoyed the performance because it always kept my attention to what was happening. The special effects were really cool especially the flash of light from behind the chair. It was very frightening but still very cool! The smoke effects were my favorite part because of how they incorporated it into the rooms and from under objects on the stage. The actors and singers in the first act were very funny. When there was a large group of people trotting around the stage watching every robotic movement of Olympia was just fun. The orchestra did a wonderful job of keeping perfect tune with the singers. This performance was just a wonderful experience for anyone of any kind. And it was just a joyful night!
Sophea Thach
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The opera was interesting. The first part of the opera was probably the one I liked the most. Although it was boring at first because it took a while to get anywhere in the act. I just liked at the end when Olympia was acting like a robot and just being funny with her movements. Like when she'd touch or how she hugged people. I especially liked the part where Olympia's dad had to basically jump start her because she was starting to wind down. It wasn't the typical cranking up with like how dolls usually are. The second act had a very scary looking set. The room with everything covered in the white drapes just made the act scary looking like how the act was. The third act was probably my least favorite. Nothing fun really happened and it just wasn't entertaining. I was amazed that the actors and actresses were still able to sing.I also liked in the first act when that man kept doing like tricks with fire and all that. A part that was so funny was when the "muse"/guardian angel lady was singing and the curtain was coming down and she ended up being behind it.
Abbey Folsom
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I really enjoyed this opera last night. Like always the sets were amazing and I am always amazed at the sets they build. My favorite set was probably the one in the last scene with the water. I was trying to figure out how they made the water look so real the entire time! The first act was probably my favorite part. I loved how in the prologue the people in the bar were singing about people and I noticed that all of them were describing the Seattle Opera's performances this year. Also I like how they changed the coloring of the sets when Hoffmann has the glasses on. I loved how when Olympia was winding down, her father/creator came and gave her a jump start. I was just expecting him to come and discreetly wind her back up, but this made it very Frankenstein-like. I think my favorite character or type of character was the help. They always bring the most laughs usually through their actions. I think the first act really showed us how weird or creepy ETA Hoffmann's stories can be. The second act had very pretty singing but after the first act it was a little slow in my opinion. The third act felt a little rushed when they were acting out Giuletta's story. I really liked when Hoffmann's muse was singing/comforting him and telling him that even if his heart may be broken it will help him become an artist. I thought that that song was absolutely beautiful.
I thought that The Tales of Hoffmann was a very interesting opera. I thought the opening scene where the glowing green beer bottles were singing and dancing next to Hoffmann was very funny. The way they made the stage all dark, really made them look like they were floating in air. It was also a very fun and more silly way to start the show. They were really able to set the scene that he was an alcoholic but also adding some humour into it. Yet it also put you in the mind of Hoffmann at the time. Another scene I really liked was the bar scene. I liked the perspective of being behind the bar . Having that viewpoint of having the bartenders backs to you and the actors talking to them made me really feel as if I was a part of the scene. Like I was also behind the bar too, listening to his stories as well. I didn't like the set in the scene with Olympia, to me it just felt off. I think the stage Olympia was on should have been pushed back and a little more to the center. I thought the lights swirling around and into the audience during all the chaos in that scene was really cool as well. I have never seen that before. Especially when the lights were practically jumping in my face while I was in the audience. The actress who played Olympia did a really great job. She really portrayed a doll very well, with the movement of her body and the style of singing in her voice. It was a unique show but not my favorite opera of the year. I really liked the opera Rigoletto and other plays as well.
ReplyDeleteJessica Bruce
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
My art history period is post-impressionism. It is an in-between period between impressionism and modern art. The post-impressionist painters were heavily influenced by impressionism and share many similarities. These include bright colors, visible brush stokes, heavy paint application, and real-life subjects. The difference is that post impressionists sought to add more structure and meaning to their paintings. They did this by slightly distorting figures for an emotional effect, this will later evolve into expressionism. They also used more geometric shapes which led to cubism. The wide swaths of simplified colors seen in many post-impressionist paintings led the way to Fauvism. As you can see, the famous post impressionist artists created impressionist works with their own spin like geometric shapes, simplified colors, or distorted features and this eventually led to the creation of many modern art styles. Speaking of famous artists, the post-impressionist era includes artwork from Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cezanne. Post-impressionism was a very important art period because it opened the door to modern art styles.
Evyn Anderson
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The Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach is an interesting story of E.T.A. Hoffman and all his failed loves. It was definitely the longest opera I have attended so far, but it was also the only opera that I have not fallen asleep for more than 15 minutes. That being said, I found this opera interesting and much easier to follow than ones before. The first act was very creepy and made me uncomfortable. I did not like the robot lady Olympia. The next two acts however, were enjoyable. The costume of Olympia was weird, but the following costumes were pretty. I really liked the third act with the puppets and the gondolas, and I also found that scene to be the prettiest because of the lavish decoration and fancy costumes. The main thing about this opera that I did not like other than the first act was how long it went on for. I prefer going to operas that are not 3 and a half hours long. Also, the fact that it was an evening play was not preferable because I got home very late. But, this is not a huge deal because the opera was entertaining. I would definitely recommend this opera to people of all ages. It was funny and entertaining and the humor was suitable for all people present.
Mimi Gerhardt, Period 4
ReplyDelete"The Tales of Hoffmann" was my favorite performance we've seen all year. It was hilarious and overall enjoyable. It was kind of hard to keep up when actually reading the story. However, when seeing it performed live, it all fit together. I liked how there was some "speaking" parts without any music. Whenever we went to these dress rehearsals for the operas, I'm absolutely amazed. They seem like an actual performance! The music always sounds spot-on. The sets at McCaw Hall are always so elegant and wonderful as well. I really enjoyed how there was a set for another opera stage for Stella. I also enjoyed being on the bartender's side of the bar, because we could see all the different bottles of wines and beers and it added another aspect to the setting that I really loved. The only downside to the performance on Wednesday was how long it was. I would have preferred if it was either shortened, had less intermissions, or started earlier. Nonetheless, I absolutely loved "The Tales of Hoffmann".
Andrew Park
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It was a very enjoyable time at McCaw Hall for the final opera of the 2013-14 season, "The Tales of Hoffmann". At first, when we read the stories in class, I felt that E.T.A. Hoffmann had lived an awkward life as a writer. However, in the opera, rather than awkwardness, more humor was present. It brought so much laughter to see Hoffmann come out drunk right as the opera started. That part changed my thoughts on the character Hoffmann in the opera. In the first act, I also liked the frequent change in background colors. It presented the intensity of every outcome of Hoffmann and the doll, Olympia. In that act, I felt that the shocking truth was about to be revealed any moment with the numerous change in background colors. One weird thing I found was how in the paper, it said that Olympia got smashed into pieces. In the actual act, parts of Olympia got shredded apart when she was being dismantled. It was a bit funny but at the same time, it slightly looked unusual. I also found out that in the guide, it said Olympia was a doll. In the act, she moved like a robot. I found this interesting because most people during intermission referred to Olympia as a robot rather than a doll. I think the one way Olympia was a doll was when it was shown that Olympia didn't get shattered into pieces during her destruction. Overall, the first act showed a heartbreaking end to love, the 2nd act showed a tragic end, and the 3rd act showed an unsuccessful end to love of E.T.A. Hoffmann. Despite the length, I enjoyed Offenbach's piece. I definitely can't wait to be back at McCaw Hall in a few months for the 2014-15 season.
Isabelle Carson
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I really enjoyed The Tales of Hoffman. It was a nice end to our humanities shows. The singing was amazing. It was really cool that it was one woman that did Giuletta, Olympia, Antonia, and Stella. To have to ability to do that is pretty crazy. I didn’t really any of the costumes. Some looked older and others looked as though they came out of a cheesy sci-fi TV show. None of the costumes fit with the time period that this opera would most likely fall under. It seemed as though they just mashed a bunch of costumes together from every time period, which made no sense. The same person sang all the evil characters Coppelius, Dr. Miracle, and Councilor Lindorf. That was also very cool. These characters I found were the most funny. Also, when the scene where Antonia, her mother and the villain were all singing sounded really awesome and I liked how the three voices fit together so well. The sets were nice. It was interesting to see them move around.
Elena Wagar
ReplyDeleteper 3
The Tales Of Hoffman was great! It was really long but it was worth it. I loved all the different scenes and props they used. My favorite scene was in the first act with the bar and all the people. You could see all the actors very well and they were all so happy and loud. When they were all singing I noticed that all of them were describing the Seattle Opera's performances this year which was very unique. I also liked how one of there props was with the smoke and bright light it really got everyones attention. I like how the second act was a little darker and creeper, I believe they did this because the writer ETA likes to have things a little spooky in his stories.
Alex Rees
ReplyDeleteper 3
The tales of Hoffman was very good! I enjoyed it even though I was by myself. Things may have been different for people went originally on Wednesday night. But the props were very good and the detail they put into them were good. And the singing was very powerful and touching. A very common theme that I get when we go to operas this year is that they're very powerful pieces that speak to everyone who listens to them. I have enjoyed every opera we went to this year and I think this one tops them all having the complex story line of having 3 different women makes it very interesting but also confusing. Overall though I enjoyed the opera very much and it was a great way to end our studies.
Lily Kristjanson
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The Tales of Hoffman was my favorite of all the operas we have seen. It was the most entertaining and intriguing. My favorite act of the entire opera was the performance of the automaton, Olympia. I found her entire performance hilarious. Not only did the actress who played Olympia do a fabulous job singing, but her acting was so robotic like that at times I would forget when the Olympia we were seeing on stage was the doll or the actress. I was also extremely impressed with the detail of the set. Bring on stage such detailed bar counters, furniture and other props really brought the opera to life. The visual tricks included in the opera may have been the best part of the entire opera. The small flash, explosions and smoke clouds keep my attention and interest. My one complaint about the Tales of Hoffman would be the length. I felt that the same effect off the opera could have been given in a much shorter amount of time. Having multiple intermissions, as well as such long acts, made me lose interest in the opera from time to time.
Ashley Glinn
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As our final performance that we are attending this year, I think that The Tales Of Hoffman was the perfect finale to such an intriguing and unique humanities class! I liked that fact that the stage had only a few props during all three acts of the opera, so my focus was more on the actors/actresses than the setting surrounding them. I also really enjoyed the fact that they incorporated a lot of humor into this opera, I found it especially hilarious during the second act when the doctor, Dr. Miracle would randomly appear behind different props and at one point just seperated the window in half and walked right through it. The costumes were absolutely gorgeous and by adding in small effects such as quite bursts of lights or smoke, I was able to stay captivated throughout the performance. The songs were spectactular as well, and having the opera done in French made the songs and lines of the performance seem so much more elegant and beautiful than if they had been sung or spoken in a different language. Overall, I think that the opera could have been a bit shorter but each of the acts were unique in their own way and the audience really seemed to have enjoyed the performance.
Chris Reed
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The Tales of Hoffman was... Interesting. I thought that the set was very well put together, and the music was also superb. The only problem was I just couldn't make myself enjoy the singing. Every time someone opened their mouth to sing I could feel my eyes roll back into my head out of boredom. However, I did like Olympia's part. Her acting was extremely convincing and she seriously just looked like a robot. The costumes on each person I really liked, especially Olympia's square dress, it added onto the sense of her being a robot. I didn't really understand the opening and the comedic aspect behind it, why were a bunch of people laughing at alcohol bottles floating around? I understand they were taunting him but why was that funny? I feel like I may have enjoyed the ending of the Opera, unfortunately we had to leave early to take Noah to take care of his little brothers.
Mack Ohnemus
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The Tales of Hoffman was our last performance on the year! I'm don't know whether that is good or bad. I thought that this opera was a little too long. Multiple times throughout the show, I lost interest. What kept my attention was the special effects. For example, the flash paper or flashes of light. One lighting effect in which I wasn't too fond of was near the end of the first act when all the lights randomly moved around. It reminded me of a concert, but an opera is not a concert. One effect I liked a lot was throughout most of the first act when 3 trusses of lights were lowered so that the audience could see them. Being a lighting guy for WHS Drama, I liked this a lot. The "floating" bottles in the very beginning were very cool, and at first i was like, "how are they doing that?" Then I realized there were people dressed in all black so they could not be seen. Overall, The Tales of Hoffman was a great way to end our year of performances!
The tales of Hoffman was very interesting, lets start with the first act.I loved the fact that the set was constantly changing. The bottles dancing with the music was interesting to watch. Another factor that I thoroughly enjoyed, acting wise, was all of the actors that had to act and move like dolls. watching them was very interesting. The actress who played Olympia was very convincing too. Her aria was very well sung and articulated. The second act was quite unlike the first one. The second act was a lot slower paced and, in my opinion, not as interesting as the first. The third act was very good. I really liked the ending of the third act. The technical side of having the projection of water on the syk was amazing. Most productions that I have seen have not used the syk to their advantage. The bar as well, I thought was very well done by the construction and technical crew working the show, I loved that it came from both sides and looked so put together on stage when it fit perfectly in place.
ReplyDeleteClaire Kennedy
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I thought The Tales of Hoffman was an interesting show. I didn't even realize from reading it in class that it was supposed to be funny. Probably because the way we read it in class was kind of boring. But it was better than I thought it was going to be. However, it was still extremely long. The one thing I did enjoy was that it was three small stories. It made the whole show more interesting together. I liked that each of the sets were fairly simple. There weren’t any too extreme sets that took away from the show. I also liked how different all of the shows were. That made it easier to watch. It would have felt much longer if it were one show for over three hours. But the first part of the play with the dancing bottles was pretty funny. I didn't think that was how it would start. I enjoyed the creativity of the show. Although The Tales of Hoffman was quite long, it was still a very well done show.
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ReplyDeleteSpencer Read
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Though the Tales of Hoffman was super long, I found it pretty interesting. The story was simple enough to follow, and the acting was very good. I really liked the way Olympia was played. The actress did an amazing job acting as both robotic, and acting as a normal human. The acting was all very precise and clearly had a very set choreography, and the actors followed it down to the tiniest of steps and motions. I also really liked the way Dr. Miracle was portrayed. He was a great actor and had a lot of cool appearances and funny little actions. The way he was always trying to persuade and fool people into buying into his games and products was very easy to follow and interesting to watch. This is mainly because it was so easy to understand when he was trying to act like a salesman, and when the other person was trying to resist. I was pretty neutral on the singing itself; I find it hard personally to listen to opera, but this certainly wasn't by any means unpleasing to the ears. It had a good feel to it. So, other than the length of the opera, The Tales of Hoffman was my favorite performance of the year, particularly for the acting and the writing of the story.
Joey Keating
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The Tales of Hoffman was with out a doubt not one of my most favorite performances. I found it to be weird but somewhat interesting and times. Although the only thing that made it interesting was that some of the people were so weird. Another downside to it was that is was way to long! I know that for me and many others, 3 hours of an opera is just too much. The performance could have been shorter if they would have left out some of the somewhat pointless scenes and speed up what they were doing. But I did enjoy the scene where the 2 men got into a sword fight. The reason being is that it was the only real action packed piece that really caught my attention. As for the singing it was actually quite ok. The volume was just right and many of the words were enunciated strongly and properly. Overall the Tales of Hoffman was a very long and tedious performance but there were certain parts of it that were interesting and enjoyable.
Chris Root
ReplyDeleteperiod 4
I really enjoyed the Tales of Hoffman performance. Even though it was just just a dress rehearsal, the acting and the voices were marvelous. I found little parts where they added fire, lights, and fireworks into the stage really cool. When we read the stories in class I found them really boring. It was hard to concentrate and focus on whats going on. After seeing the live performance I left with a way better understanding of what Hoffmans stories were about. My only complaints about the performance were that it was fairly long, and it got boring in some parts. Parts such as the wind up doll seemed to be repetitive and I lost interest in what was going on. Another thing I dont like about these operas is that they are in French. I understand the reason behind it, but its hard for me to watch the performance and the translation screen at the same time without missing some important acting. My absolute favorite scene was when the two men got into a sword fight. I like action and that really drew my attention. Overall I thought this performance was done really well. It was a great performance to finish up on, and I hope other people thought so as well.
Sarah Porter
ReplyDeletePer 4
After reading the Tales of Hoffmann in class, I honestly had really low expectations for seeing the opera. The stories all seemed pretty hard to understand and didn’t make a ton of sense, and I wasn’t sure how much different the performance would be. However, I found that I actually loved the performance and thought it was one of the best we’ve been to all year. A huge part of it was listening to Rob talk a little bit about the opera, but it was also just seeing it live that made it so much better and easier to follow. I also found that, although the English subtitles helped with understanding, they weren’t necessary to enjoy the opera because of how great the performers were at acting along with singing. I felt that even without knowing what they were saying, one could thoroughly enjoy the performance because of how well everyone acted out the whole storyline. I thought the sets for each act were interesting to see and really added to the rest of the production. I especially liked the setting in Act 3, with Giulietta and Dapertutto. Overall, I thought the Tales of Hoffmann was a great performance to end the year with.
Mark Gibbons
ReplyDeleteP. 4
The Tales of Hoffman was the most brilliant thing I have ever placed my beautiful green eyes on. The music was hypnotizing and almost put me in a smooth rhythmic trance. The production of this opera was absolutely magnificent and mind blowing. I didn't even blink my eyes once because I didn't want to miss any of the spectacular show. The lights and effects were out of this world. I especially liked the magician act. The singing was very beautiful. Also I found it to be quite energizing. The acting was also very great, the actors put in a lot of work and enthusiasm.I liked the girl singing in the yellow fringe dress. Grace and I couldn't stop talking about her magnificent performance while on the bus after the opera. Overall I loved this opera very much. I feel like a new man after experiencing it. To end off this blog, I would like to thank Mr. Schindler for being such a great role model and inspiration to me.
Grace Nelson
ReplyDeletePer.3
I quite enjoyed the performance of the Tales of Hoffman. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was during the day time because I started losing interest because I was so tired. I really wasn't in love with the singing, I thought I would've enjoyed it more but I didn't find it that great. Although I found that the woman with the yellow fringe dress to have an absolutely beautiful voice. She was the most captivating portion of the whole performance for me. I did love the stage production aspect of this opera. I thought it had a great usage of light. The effects were the best of anything we have seen this entire year. I also loved the acting. I found it very well done and it really brought life to the performance. All in all, I found this opera to be a good one and I would like to thank you Mr. Schindler for giving us the privilege to enjoy these fantastic productions throughout the year! :)
Arezu Abdollmohammadi
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Tales of Hoffman was interesting. Im on the edge of if I like it or not. The set was a lot different than what i had pictured in my head. I noticed they used a lot of technology. The background of the the set was from a projected. I personally thought that was lame because i enjoy looking at all the hardwork put into a set that was built. But I did like the use of the lighting. They really used that in all the scenes and i thought that was cool. I think my favorite part of the whole performance was the part about Kleinzack. The song was so catchy and it was funny how they showed Kleinzack. I also enjoyed the part when Spalanzani has to start Olympia again. Instead of winding her up like a normal doll, he jump started her. I thought that was a great twist to the classic way of doing it. Overall, it was great for being a dress rehearsal.
Jace Brandmeier
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
So I thought that the Tales of Hoffman were pretty good. I’m glad we read the stories before in class because I don’t think I would off understood what was going on if we hadn’t. My favorite part of the entire performance was the sets. I thought that the sets were really cool. It always amazes me how many environments they can simulate while using only one stage. I thought it was cool how they had the kind of old fashioned opera stage/ coliseum, and the singer looked like she was actually standing on that stage. I think my favorite set was probably the last one with the water. I thought they did a good job with the building and the water together. I liked how they had made it look like the people in the boat were actually floating on the water. I also noticed that the lighting changed as time went on to simulate the sunset which I thought was pretty cool. Another thing that I thought was neat was the automatons. I thought the one guy with the spiky hair was really good. I was impressed with how long they could remain totally stiff and act very none human like. All in all I thought the overall performance was good. But I didn't quite understand all of it.
Taryn Riegel period 4
ReplyDeleteThe tales of Hoffman was quite a show. I don't remember a lot of it because I was uncomfortable. When I'm uncomfortable I tend to block things out. I was uncomfortable for many reasons. One reason is the doll singing thing was really creepy. The way it walked made me think it was possessed. The creepiness kind of took away from the main point of the act. It was a distraction. When the head came off I was very uncomfortable. I found the water in the third act to be lovely. It looked very realistic and was a great use of technology. It was not what I expected.
Katie Daniels
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After reading the Tales Of Hoffman with the class, i was not sure if i would like the performance. However, i did end up enjoying the opera more than i thought i would. The beginning i really liked, the glowing bottles rising and falling was actually pretty entertaining. My favorite scene of the show was the bar scene hands down. I thought they did a great job with the props, and the actors made it such a live experience. The walking across the counter and the rushed bartenders just added onto it. When it comes to the cast, the actress who played the role of Olympia did an amazing job on her part. the singing was very well done as well, and i thought overall it was very real for just a dress rehearsal. The second half to the performance was much slower in my opinion. I sort of lost interest towards that part, however picked back up with the closing end. I just thought overall some parts of the opera were not very interesting, but they did a great job at grabbing my attention at some parts, especially the end bar scene with the breaking bottle. This opera was not my favorite, but was definitely worth watching. It was a little to long for me, however the cast and crew did an amazing job.
Joshua Scheck Period 3
ReplyDeleteThe opera was a fantastic performance and I honestly think only a couple aspects of the opera could be improved. First of all, I very much enjoyed how comedy was deeply incorporated into this opera. It felt as if the comedic aspects made the opera more appealing to younger audiences and also made it a more entertaining opera overall. What made the opera funny was mainly a due to the gestures of several of the actors. An example of this is how Olympia and Cochenille acted so robotic and also in the instance when Olympia pulled Eta Hoffman into her chest. I just really enjoyed the whole experience. The scenery was very well made and well thought out. I particularly liked the scenery in act 3, when Hoffman and Nicklausse were in the boat. The beach scene in that act was extraordinary and well though out because they were able to create an illusion and make it appear as if waves were moving back and forth. I am pretty sure the coupled the use of projectors, lighting and tangible scenery objects to do this, however, I am not completely certain. I also liked how they used the lighting throughout the whole entire opera to show emphasis to certain people and/or objects. The only aspect of the opera that I feel like they could improve immediately is human error. An example of this is when Nicklausse accidently was too far away and the curtains came and blocked her. Although the event was quite funny, it needs to be improved for the final show. Overall, I thought the opera was quite amazing. There are only a few aspects that could be improved, but in it’s current state it was very good.
Kristina Lebakken
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I wasn't able to go to the Tales of Hoffman, and will be attending it later. My art history style is cubism. Cubism is a geometric style using a lot of shapes to make up a bigger picture. Cubism is an early 20th century art movement. The people who are thought to be the creators of this movement are Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. These two people are probably the most known for their work. There is also the Spanish artist Juan Gris, who is also know as the "Third Musketeer of Cubism." Overall this style is very geometrical and has an emphasis on formal structure. The style that this is related to is Futurism. although the two are very similar futurism is more dynamic and has a sense of motion. The movement of cubism was to revitalize old traditions. These artists believed that Western Art had run its course and was boring. Some things that they would do would be that they challenged the perspective. Cubism was really the first abstract style of modern art.
Taylor Ingrum
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
As always, I enjoyed this opera more in show than I did in class. Whether it be because of the music or the characters, it was a great experience overall. My favorite aspect of the play was Dr. Miracle. I loved the way he portrayed his character and used the stage as if he was in a real-life scenario. That goes the same for all of the actors, but Dr. Miracle stood out the most to me. My favorite part was when he bent the window frame and walked through it. That was so unexpected for me and just added to the humor of his character. The way the lighting hit the curtain and window frame was so perfect that it made it look incredibly believable! The music wasn't my favorite when compared to other performances, but it still conveyed the emotion and meaning behind the story. I think this was a great way to end our performances for the year!!
Riley Schroeder
ReplyDeletePer 3
I really enjoyed seeing Tales of Hoffmann on Wednesday, and while i'm sad that we don't have any performances left, i think it was a great one to end with. It was very different from the rest of the operas we have seen, and was much more whimsical and magical. The sets all looked great, my favorite out of all of them was Spalanzani's with the industrial look and being behind the giant neon sign, that later changed which was a nice touch. All the actors were amazing and played their parts very well, and i was most impressed by Stella and the amazing job that she did for each of the love interests. Each act felt very unique in the set, music, and overall style but kept the overall theme and story moving forward which i really enjoyed seeing, especially how hoffmann looked the same throughout each of those moments as if he were walking through and recalling these stories. I think my favorite part of this opera was the first act and the way the automatons were portrayed. All of the guests had such a static and robotic walk, as you would expect of the automatons. In addition i liked the way that they changed the restarting Olympia from being a wind up crank, to jump starting her with a battery. The way the lights dimmed as if it were draining energy fit perfectly and i thought it was a cool change. And along with that act it was really nice to see the actual automatons, even if the crowd made it difficult. I thought that it added to the crazy, but passionate and imaginative nature of Spalananzi, because you could just see how much creativity and hard work must have gone into making those machines. Along with that thought it backed up and made the way that he felt like such a father to Olympia all the more realistic, because if he truly had put the time, care and effort into this machine he really would take pride in it and treat it as his daughter. My favorite act in terms of the music would have to be the second act. All of the music was great, but just something stood out about it, probably the fact that Antonia and her mother were opera singers. The songs were just so beautiful and flowed amazingly and built up and up until the perfect climax when she fell, and i loved how powerful that scene was. The third act was great and some of the songs were my favorite from the opera, but for some reason it didn't quite feel like it was the best act. There was nothing wrong with it and it was done perfectly but nothing overly stood out too me, but it did really add to the show and it made for a great ending. This was a great production and i have been excited for it, and it did not disappoint.
Desirae Lopes
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I enjoyed this opera very much. In class, it was difficult to wrap my head around all the abstract concepts that Hoffman wrote about. Watching it brought all those concepts to life. The singers made sense of all the ambiguity I found in the readings and turned them into something beautiful! The set design always kept my attention. The consistent green and purple lighting made me think of Barney, in the best way possible. I was intrigued by the fog! I wonder if it was dry ice or a fog machine. Also, the singers never ceased to amaze me. I can't believe the one woman was able so sing all those parts! It seemed as though she never had a break. The doll costume was very interesting. It was not at all how I imagined it would be. I enjoyed the life sized doll in which they put on it's head. That made the whole part come into focus for me. Over all, this opera did not make me sleepy and that is very high praise.
Campbell Gunnell
ReplyDeletep4
I was unfortunately unable to attend the performance because of work so for my art history project I am doing symbolism. honestly symbolism is a pretty neat topic because it is just everything. the way I understand it it is anything that has an alternate meaning then just a piece of art. it is almost like a puzzle and really portrays the artists thoughts and the time period. the art from this period is incredibly dramatic and very good. I have seen a great many examples of symbolism in my travels, especially in Madrid and Barcelona. the museums there are full of some of the greatest works to date and I highly recommend checking them out. I really didn't know that much about symbolism other than I enjoyed it before this project so this is pretty cool. I intend to go see the performance ASAP because everyone said it was pretty good so I should check it out.
Mano Barkovics
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The Tales of Hoffmann was a great production in my opinion. I absolutely didn't expect this opera to be this eventful and interesting. The first and the third act was definitely my favorite and the second act was good, too, but it was just slow for me. The first act was definitely my favorite, I loved how the introductory act in the bar when Hoffmann started to tell stories was leading up to the the first act. When it started I was a bit confused since I didn't quite know what was going on (even though that I read the story and knew what to expect), but as soon as Olympia has "awakened" the story seemed to be more alive too. One thing that caught my eye and it was kind of obvious too, that they used a robot for Olympia, it had the same dress as the person who played her when she was dancing but it was all mechanical, before and after her dance with Hoffmann. Also, her dress was fascinating and beautiful, I loved how she was right on the beat when she was singing and dancing, it really give it a robotic/automatic/doll feel and expression. The first act's ending was absolutely fantastic and I didn't saw that coming at all! I really enjoyed the disco lights and the strobe lights lighting up the crowd in the dark, it was like something out from the movies. As I said before the second act was a little boring for me but I liked how Antonia's mothers painting came alive and sang with her until Antonia died from singing her heart out. Also, at first I couldn't believe that the production people would use a "explosion" on the stage and create real sparks and smoke, when Coppélius appeared out of nowhere and when the servants carried the dry ice through the stage, even though that was in the third act. Speaking of the third act, I absolutely loved the actors appearance, having that Renaissance Carnival and Masquerade feel to it and also with the gondolas and the moving water in the beginning of the act! I loved this Opera and Im sad that this was our last Opera for this year, but Im definitely going to see Symphonies this summer, and Operas and Plays next year with the school!
Ashley Barnett
ReplyDeleteP.3
I really enjoyed the Tales of Hoffman. I thought the whole thing was very well done and interesting. I really liked the opening scene with the dancing bottles. I thought the singing was really great too. I also liked the girl’s outfits. And I liked how they did the doll scene. I thought all the other robots were very creative. I also liked how the background changes really flowed with the performance. I also liked how crazy it was at times. Like with the broken glass and fire. However I didn’t like how long it was. I also didn’t like that it was that late on a school night. It was really hard because I had a lot of other homework to do to. But I think it was a good last performance to go to. It met most of my expectations and I thought it was a good opera to end on.
Brandon Penoyer
ReplyDelete3rd Period
I greatly enjoyed our last performance of the year. I entered the opera house with fairly low expectations, as I wasn't sure how well the three stories would blend together, but luckily it was an amazing show. My personal favorite touches came from the "enemy," in all of his different forms and personas. He had his intimidating and powerful moments, such as his opening song where he ignites the letter Hoffman had wrote. But, he also had very amusing moments, like most of his entrances and exits as Dr. Miracle. Watching from the viewpoint of someone in technical theatre, I was really impressed by the work done on the set pieces and effects. The explosive effects and lighting added to the atmosphere of every scene that I thought was well needed. It's only a shame it's our very last show of the year. At least it was a very enjoyable experience.
John Ross
ReplyDeletePer 4
the performance of the Tales of Hoffman was very fun.the singing was very well done as well, and i thought overall it was very real for just a dress rehearsal. The second half to the performance was much slower in my opinion. in comparision to the first act with the robot lady and the dancing beer bottles. i think my favorite part was when the robot lady kept malfunctioning and they had to keep on fixing her. while she was doing that the music went along right on key. Overall I thought this performance was done really well. It was a great performance to finish up on. and one of the more weirder shows we watched. still i thought it was great.
Mallori Lindberg
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
I was not able to attend the Tales of Hoffman so I am going to write about my art history style, Surrealism. Before I looked up information about the art movement my first impressions of the art was that it looked a lot like abstract art. It made me think of fantasy styles and almost dream-like imagery. Those happen to be two large characteristics of Surrealism! I found that it arose after the Dada movement, by leader André Breton. It was a revolutionary that spread throughout the World from the 1920's and on. The goal of the art was to aim for dreamy and unrealistic imagery, making regular objects and shapes distorted and fantasy like. Not only was there artwork but also theater, films and writings that came out of the Surrealism movement. The leader Breton wrote the Surrealistic manifesto of 1924 which explains the goal and purpose of the group. He defined Surrealism as: "Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior reality of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dream, in the disinterested play of thought." A lot of the artwork I found was oil on canvas, with several out of place objects and abstract style lines and shapes. They all look like they were made in the imagination before even painted onto the paper. So far one of my favorite artists is Salvador Dali. His work looks as if it was taken straight out of a dream and all normal objects have some twist or change in them that makes the painting interesting. I can't wait to learn more about this movement.
Bryia Madison
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
The Tales of Hoffmann opera was not one of my favorites because I found ti was confusing. I knew the stories because we read them in class but I thought that the character of the Muse was rather off-putting. I thought that her opening scene was great but I didn't understand how played the part in Hoffmann's life. I was unsure at times if she was supposed to be seen by Hoffman or not. It was confusing on whether or not she was there just a figment of his imagination or some kind of guardian that guides him through life. I thought that the evil character was presented well. The dry ice smoke added a sinister tone to him along with his maniacal voice. I also really enjoyed his colorful suit and his wacky hair. However, I thought that his appearance changed enough that I often found myself questioning if that was the same guy/character or not. The sets were lovely. I especially liked the story of Stella because the theater backdrop looked real. The perspective on is was great because even though I was off to the side, it still looked liked it was con caved and an actual auditorium. I also liked the added comical flare that this performance added. I thought that this would be a dry performance and instead I was pleasantly surprised.
Wyatt Smith P.4
ReplyDeleteMy art history project was on New-Objectivismn. While doing this project I learned a lot about thias tyle of art work and how it made a impact on the world of art. This style of art wokrm was founded and most popular in Germany duri9ng the 1920's. What sets this style of art apart from the rest is the realistic look, as it was suppose to be about turning towards the objective world. Sort of an "all-buisness" type attitude. I learned that this style of art originally was works that were in a post- expressionist spirit, but evetually had a life of its own. Leading up to World War II, much of the art world was under the influence of Futurism and Expressionism, both of which abandoned any sense of order or commitment to objectivity or tradition. after the war was over new-objectivity was sort of the new beginning for art work.