Assignment #10 Opera and Musical Theater

Opera and

Musical Theater

Play

University of South Carolina Department of Theater and Dance

presents 

Big Love

Describe: On November 13th at 7:30, the Longstreet Theater presented the play Big Love. A class of eight graduate student acting class and four undergraduate students comprise the cast of this play. The Longstreet Theater considered a theater in the round. The story line consists of 50 brides fleeing their arranged Greek marriages and arrive in a tiny Italian villiage. Their rejected fiances come looking for them and all is murdered but one. The playwright, Charles Mee, describes the one-in-50 survival rate "about the same odds as today."

Before the play started, two female actors and two men actors acted out the idea of love/hate relationships.

Analyze: The play consits of around 10 scenes. The progression of the story line is aided with musical enhancement. What I noticed that throughout the play, the actors never broke character. Even when they did not speak for minutes at a time, they continued to stay in character. Also, there was great unity among the actors. It wasn't a normal taken turns to recite their lines, there was a deep understanding fo the story. Their stage prescence enhanced the story with effective body language and eye contact. Before the play began, two female actors and two male actors were interacting as couples and enemies in a weird collage of movements. This forshadowed the fine line of hate and love for the play Big Love. There was no reservations among the actors as they were totally encompassed with each scene. In addition, the porps weren't too overbearing as they added essential objective ideas to the play.

Interpret: Although the play is consumed with a comidic take on love, the bigger picture defines that without love, we are not human. This was a hard idea for the character Thyona, the instigator of the brides, to understand. She took the defensive role on love. But in the end, the portait of the true love between Nikos and his bride persuades Thyona that without the presence of love, humans just exist. As a viewer, the play Big Love gave me the feeling or relatability. I think that the great thing of this play is that it depicts the all types of love, rather it be new, old, strong or weak, the viewer can relate to at least one character in the play. As Charles Mee said, the odds of the survival rate of love can be a metaphor for love today! Not only that, Big Love can be a metaphor for the trials and tribulations of love in todays society. Although we do not experience arranged marriages, we can attribute many of our successes and failures at love to a problem of society. The good news is that one of fifty relationships survived!

Judge: Although I love theater and love the arts, some parts of the play did not settle with me well. I was totally confused about the time the play took place. Some ideas reminded me of ancient Greece (and Italy) while some scences depicted traditions of modern day. For example, the idea that there are arranged marriages in Greece gave me the idea that this was play was centered years ago. Yet the last scene of the play was at the wedding of the true marriage, the song All the Single Ladies played by Beyonce (obviously modern day.) This was unsettling to me... maybe it was a personal disposition, but at times it overshawdowed the quality of the play. But in retrospect, it was a pleasant way to spend my Saturday night!

Dance

The Columbia City Ballet

presents

Dracula

Describe: 

The Columbia City Ballet performed their seasonal show titled Dracula. The show was held at the Koger Center on October 27, 2010 at 7:30pm. There was pre-show activity in the lobby of the Koger center. They had many people dressed in their Halloween attire and exhibited Halloween related animals. (Owl to the right) The show is comprised of 3 acts telling a story with approximately 30 dancers. The story uses dancing, acting, and music to portray the trials and tribulations of Count Dracula and his dark mistresses. 

Analyze: 

Dracula combined many aspects of art. I think the most intriguing aspect of the dance for me was that such a beautiful, graceful art such as ballet was used to tell a harsh, dark story. Although one may think this would be a great contrast, the show was put together so ingeniously that these two ends of the spectrum unified to tell a story- and to tell it well. There was a constant unison of the dancers as if they were a whole show, not individual dancers. The color of the outfits, the lighting and the mood to the music coincided with each other. At any point in time, there was both balance and unity among the dancers. 

Interpret:

Columbia City Ballet presented Dracula for many reasons. I think the main motive behind the production of this dance was to show the audience that dance form of ballet can break out of the norm and present a loud, obnoxious show. Also, the dance may be a metaphor for the balance of dark and dainty in any human. In other words, good (ballet) and bad (Dracula) exists in all humans. By the end of the third act, I was literally sitting at the end of my seat waiting to find out the ending. I remember thinking, "This is like a movie!" It was better than a movie! The production enthuses the audience with the action-provoking music, incredible dance abilities, and attention capturing story line. Dracula found a way to keep ballet thriving by making it modern and likable by the ever-so-changing generation of people. 

Evaluate:

I love, love LOVE the dance! It is the best dance I have ever seen. I appreciated everything the dancers had to offer. The story of Count Dracula was so emotion provoking I lost myself in the story on many occasions. Better than the story was the dancers. Their art form is immaculate, intricate but yet demanding. They danced for two hours straight- all rehearsed! Honestly, I did not expect the dance to be of such high caliber. But I was all smiles afterward! I plan to attend many ballet's in the future.

Concert

USC Symphony

Describe:

The University of South Carolina's Symphony held a performance at the Koger Center on October 19 at 7:30pm. Three musical pieces were performed: William Schuman's American Festival Overture, Robert Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor and finished with another piece of Schumann's Symphony No 3 in E-flat major. The second musical piece had guest cello Wendy Warner. The symphony is comprised of 80 musicians mastering instruments such as violin I, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba and a percussion area. The performance was about one and a half hours long. The Koger center exhibits a prothsenium stage with a main seating area, an upper deck, and a second deck.

Analyze:

The three different performances sounded very different. A general misconception of symphonies (or classical music for that sort) is that they all sound the same. But as the listener disregards common predispositions, one can hear the different moods, rhythms and emphasis' between the pieces of work. The first piece by William Shuman was of the lighter, airy, feminine mood. The second (with guest cello Wendy Warner) was slow, involved and quiet to showcase the solo cello performance.The mood of this piece exhibited romance. The third and final piece, was at times, sporadic. it had many stops and starts. But ultimately it gave the listener a feeling of lightheartedness. The show as a whole was amazing. The knowledge of the music among the musicians was ingenious. There was a flow among them as they known how to sync their instrument with the various sounds at any point in time.

Interpret:

As many know, these composers lived many years ago. So the modern day struggle may be to keep the intricate music alive. How is this possible? Through modern day symphonies. Because of this I believe there are two main reasons for this art form: one is to challenge a musician to master complex yet beautiful music as a form of expression and two, to pay tribute and keep the sense of classical music alive. Through the medium of symphonies, a society can pursue to keep music alive.

Evaluate: 

I loved the symphony! This wasn't my first visit to a symphony and definitely will not be my last. I am especially fond of the symphony because my mother played in a strings orchestra when i was younger. This exposure led me to an early appreciation of the symphony. I enjoyed the performance not only for the music but the witnessing of integrity among my peers.

Assignment #12 - Music

Playing a Grand Piano on a Caribbean Cruise

Music

A. What is the time for this music?

4/4 Time

B. How many beats does the solid green G get

One beat

C. How many beats does the open green G get

Two beats

D. What is one dark vertical line to one dark vertical line called?

a Measure

E. What song is this?

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star 

Peter and the Wolf

1. Who wrote "Peter and the Wolf?"

Peter and the Wolf is a composition written by Surgei Prokofiev in 1936 in the USSR.

2. What instrument is played as Peter?

String instruments played Peter in the film

3. What instrument is played as the wolf?

French Horns played the wolf

4. What instrument is play as the grandfather, duck, bird, and alligator?

Grandfather-Bassoon

Duck-Oboe

Bird- Flute

Alligator- Alligator?????????

Phantom of the Opera

 The

PHANTOM

of the 

OPERA 

The Phantom of the Opera contains many art disciplines. Five of the art disciplines that were presented in the film include 1) opera 2) dance 3) music 4) drama 5) film 

Download one of the songs from "Phantom of the Opera" and describe what is going on during the song and opera.

The song title from the soundtrack of Phantom of the Opera was titled just that- "Phantom of the Opera". This song is the recognizable tune affiliated with film. The link to watch a clip and hear this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1zMxbhOO0

Phantom and Christine. The music is at a medium rate until Christine takes the hand of Phantom for the first time, leading into the harsh, loud, recognizable tune of Phantom of the Opera played on an organ. There journey together through the halls of the lower levels of the Paris Opera House follows with the words to the song which read:
 
In sleep he sang to me in dreams he came
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again? For now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind

Sing once again with me our strange duet
My power over you grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me to glance behind
The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind

Those who have seen your face draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear it's me they hear
My spirit and my voice in one combined
The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind

Beware the Phantom of the Opera
Is that the Phantom of the Opera?

Sing, my angel
Sing for me
Sing, my angel
Sing for me





Christine begins to sing with lyrics and that read "The Phantom of the Opera is inside my mind" forte, as if she just realized the reality of the Phantom  in her mind. The main tune plays again with the sight of a horse  provided for Christine to ride to the lower levels of the Paris Opera House. The Phantom continues with singing the second verse... He sings toward her as he chauffeurs Christine down the cellar. Again, at the sight of the lake, with a tiny boat, the recognizable tune plays again- as a sign for danger. Once in the boat, the Phantom sings, "beware the Phantom of the Opera." Christine repeats with, "is that the Phantom of the Opera?" the Phantom continues with chants "sing for me, sing, my angel." Christine sings tunes at the top of her lungs as she is mesmerized with the sights of the lake, boat, skills, gates, and raising chandeliers through the depths of the water. She also sings with her eyes closed at the top of her lungs as if the Phantom has hypnotized her. The music ends with the arrival of the boat to the Phantoms "dungeon".