Interesting Tidbits

From Shiangtai Tuan, a member in the chorus:
It is embarrassing that I only recently learned the word Verismo, as in Verismo operas. I learned that word while studying about Carmen so I could tell another group of friends about our production. As the result of the study, I did write an article for their Newsletter. It is in this link: http://menc.us/. Click eMblem and then the button for the 2008 October issue. It is the last article of that issue called, what else but, “Carmencita.” Since I wrote it there, I hate to repeat myself here again. If you have time, please go take a look.

Carmen is not a Verismo opera. This is the Verismo connection the way I see it: Originally, Bizet was commissioned by Camille du Locle, the artistic director of the Opéra-Comique, to compose music for Carmen. It opened in the theater, “Opera- Comique,” and has since been classified as a “French opera comique”. However, in spite of its comic moments, “Carmen” tells the most tragic life story about Jose which leads to the tragic ending of Carmen’s life. Back then, there were the “noble” tragedies and the “lowly“comedies. “Carmen” did not fit in either of the categories though it could fill the bill of both. In effect, it helped to soften the barrier between the two. Additionally, it told the story about everyday people, not royalties, gods, or fairies. To use a recent politically cliché, it talked directly to people without going through the filter of the media. Coupled with the movement of realism in other arts and literature forms, I think it helped start in the 1890’s the realism in Italy called Verismo Operas. Examples are Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana (the first one of them) and L’Amico Frits, Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, etc. By the way, I am sure you already know Capital Opera is to produce Cavalleria Rusticana in March.

In studying Carmen, I also ran into many interesting tidbits. For example, in anticipation of the cigarette factory girls’ entrance, a bunch of guys sing “we will follow you, murmuring words of love to you. ….” The word “follow” in our score is “suivron” (*future* tense, first person, plural) but in some other libretti I saw it is “suivon” (*present* tense, first person plural). The difference probably came from a typo. However, either word works well. The difference in sound is so minute I think it probably won’t be heard even if it were performed by a French group to a French audience. Another word I found interesting is “vivat”. In Italian operas you hear them say viva this, viva that. In French, there is no such lively word, not in English either, for that matter. So, “vivat” is used here, borrowed from Latin. As a result, the final “t” is pronounced. However, one of the authorities, Professor Nico Castel, the long time language coach of the Metropolitan Opera, made a special note in his book to say that the “t” in “vivat” should be pronounced only in Massenet’s Werther (because it was a quote in Latin) but not in Bizet’s Carmen. Authorities, authorities! No wonder people say they are for birds.

Aren’t you for democracy? I am for democracy, totally, and am against dictatorship, totally. However, in performing arts, something “looks like” dictatorship is a necessity. A director wants to interpret the artwork a certain way. We actors, in a sense, are only his tools. So, I say, simply follow the direction. Don’t ask why and don’t give your own suggestions. Whenever there are more than one person, there are more than one opinion. If everybody wants his way, nothing can be done. Then, there are people who could not stop chitchat, claiming “first amendment right”, jokingly, of course. If everybody talks in a rehearsal, nothing can be done either. I have some observation and some discussion on this subject in one of the newsletters I mentioned above (http://menc.us/). It is in the 2008 May issue, articles “Rehearsal” and “Small Universe”. Eric also mentioned this in one of the earlier Blogs.