Write a review of the opera. In your review give specific examples of choices made by the director, singers, or conductor and discuss the effectiveness of those choices. I need examples, not generalized statements.
69 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Preston Longoni Period 4
My favorite part and directors choice of the opera had to be when the storm hit, and all of the loud music and green and blue lights flashed in the backround like thunder and lightning. And also, when the men ran out with the bright blue capes, and twirled around everyone, I thought that was cool. What also added to this part, along with the whole opera, were the transparent curtans. It was neat when they made it look like water.
One of the really cool things that the director did was the lightning and thunder, like Preston said. It looked so real and matched with what the dancers below were doing. It might of gone off too often but that was ok because I just kept staring at it. Another thing that I liked was the fact that Zurga and Nadir had different tones of voice. One seemed to sing a level above the other one, so it was easier to tell who was singing/speaking. Oh one thing that I didn't like was the wrestling/fight scenes. They didn't look real at all (but this was a dress rehearsal so maybe that had something to do with it). So I couldn't take that part serious.
I also really liked the curtain and when people hid behind it, but you could still see them because the spotlight was aiming to them.
This was my favorite opera so far, it was easiest to stay awake and watch.
One of my favorite parts of the opera was the choreography of the dance. I was a gymnast for 13 years, which is why I especially enjoyed that aspect. I liked the way in which the masses of dancers in the first scene somewhat mimicked the ocean as they moved in unison. In addition, I also thought the use of the translucent curtain was very effective in showing two separate events in different areas of the setting simultaneously. The aesthetically pleasing set and dance made the opera much more appealing because I not only wanted to listen as I did during the symphony, but to watch as well. There was next to nothing I didn't enjoy about the opera and it was my favorite performance by far.
I LOVED THE PEARL FISHERS! My favorite part of the opera was how every time they were talking about a story in the past, in the background it was acted out and the diver diving in the background. Also, i loved how the director chose for people to dance through most the music. It made everything more exciting and intense. I was a little surprised that Zurga was shot at the end. Also, that Nadir and Laila only shared one night together. From studying for a month about the opera, I assumed they were sneaking around together for a while.
Seattle Opera's presentation of the Pearl Fishers was choreographically stunning, yet the set sometimes got in the way. The tall statues in the third act blocked some of the action behind the sheer curtain, as well as some of the lighting was off, seeming to spotlight the wrong person who was performing. The costuming and dancing was very in tune to Orientalism, very romantic and stylized 'Indian' clothing, chorus singing, and plot line, catering more towards the French aesthetic than the true depiction of Sri Lanka.
Overall I thought that the pearl fishers was a get interesting opera. My favorite thing that the director decided to do was to have dancing through the whole plays. I found the dancing a easy way to stay attent on the play. Also I liked how when the play was referencing to to past that in the backgroud of the play there was the scene from the past. That made it very easy for me to recognize that the director was referencing to that spacific scene. Over all I found the pearl fishers to be a very inticing play and I can see why this play would be a major revenue booster
I thought this opera was really good. I can see that many people have already said this effect but i'm going to have to say it becuase this was indeed my favorite part of the whole opera. My favorite part was the storm. Lightining in the back ground and the dancers were really cool moving around every where and singing really loud. also the screen they use to make clouds and smoke was really cool too. I thought the pearl fishers was a great opera and it was a great experience.
The Pearl Fishers was by far my favorite opera. The whole story and scenery were amazing and lighting was extremely well done. I really thought the beginning was awesome, with the water music and the wavy screen in front of the stage that made it almost look underwater. Also during the opera I began to listen the the opera in parts, defined by the different songs, such as arias and duets. It made the time go by much faster and made the whole opera much more enjoyable.
Overall I really enjoyed the Pearl Fishers; I thought some of the choices made by the director and the singers really helped make the show interesting. Specifically I really liked the use of the scrims and backlighting to clips from the characters' past. I also felt that the singers did a good job of connecting with the other singers and creating believable relationships, it gave the show more depth. I would say although last night there were a few lighting issues (random flashing in the first act) the show was interesting and enjoyable and very well done.
I thought Pearl Fisher was great and I now can see why you kept saying that Elektra is not the best first musical to go to. Pearl Fisher was so artsy and so musically appealing and reminded me alot of Carmen at times so I see how Bizets plays were similar but both great in their own way so that they both could be very famous. I really like the full ensemble together the best because you always had something to look at and every person was telling a story in their movements. I thought some of the solos were a little boring but then the duets were very beautiful. The set was amazing. I really loved the hand in the third scene and how the cloth went up in the ceiling to create a different mood. It was a wonderful experience.
I thought that the most interesting part of this opera were the mesh curtains. The director was able to make the audience feel like they were underwater in the dark theater and this really deepened the experience for me. The opening scene was also very energetic and was able to grab your attention, which was such a nice change form the usual dull trudging openings from some of the other operas and plays. All in all this was my favorite opera we've been to so far.
I liked this opera MUCH better than Elektra because of the scene changes it gave you more stuff to look at. I also liked the music more. I thought they did a really good job on showing the people diving for the pearls there were some pretty good effects in this opera compared to Elektra. The opera also had i think some pretty good choreography it kept me away. The only thing i didn't really like about the opera was how long it was but that wasn't that big of a deal.
The music in the Pearl Fishers is absolutely gorgeous! I really liked the sets, especially that blue sheer curtain that came down sometimes. When they had the lights playing off of it like water I thought that was absolutely gorgeous. My favorite part of the opera was definitely the friendship duet. It was very beautiful. I liked this opera more than Elektra. I also thought that the dancing was a bit interesting, especially during the storm with all the scarves flying around. As for the conductor, I thought he did a very good job. He made the music come alive which made it sound better.
Overall I enjoyed The Pearl Fishers, but the performance just left me wanting more. In the beginning when we first see the villagers, there are so many that you don't know where to look, they just seem to all be crammed together. I do acknowledge that it is a fantastic feat to choreograph that many people, but even though you could see that there was some order, it was sloppy. Another point was what kind of technological time the director was setting the opera. The guards having guns, mixed with the way they dressed and how the story flows, just didn't seem to quite fit. although, my favorite part, was not really part or the opera performance for us. At the start of the 1st intermission a guy on strings was shown swimming through the air on the stage, looking as if diving for a light (most likely meant as a pearl) and then swimming back up. I thought that was so cool, I wished I could have seen more.
I really liked the opera in general. I thought the sets were beautiful, particularly the background and the water effect with the curtains. The costumes were great other than Zurga's bad wig and the large discrepancy with what the booklet showed them looking like and how they were actually built. I thought the music was played well, and that it was very descriptive of what was happening in the opera, which is important to me. I liked the use of the Friendship Duet motif, and that thought it was placed well, when you may not have been considering the meaning of Nadir and Zurga's friendship at the time. I liked the sound of Nadir's voice the best, just because of the general tone. I thought Leila's voice was a little jumpy, not transitioning very well between notes, I wasn't too big on the overall sound, either - just a little... high, for my taste. I don't think they did well on the ending at all, as it was very difficult to follow the story after Zurga went to save Nadir and Leila. Overall I thought it was very well done, and the composition was my favorite of all we've studied so far.
I thought that the way that the director showed the water and the landscape was excellent, with the multiple curtains or scrims and the lighting that made it actually seem like it was the ocean. Also the dancing really added to the feel of a foreign place, or i guess you could say orientalism. I felt like the dancing made the whole show much more enjoyable to watch unlike elektra which was pure singing and acting. I thought that the costumes made the plot a little confusing because i couldn't differentiate between Nadir and Zurga because they both had long brown hair and sometimes were wearing the same pants. But my favorite part was the actual pearl fisher. One of my questions for Seneca Garber was how they were going to represent actual pearl fishing and when the man attached to the fly on the other side of the scrim began swimming down it was perfect. Nadir had a perfect Baritone voice for that part, it was different from Zurga's Bass part but the two matched in perfect harmony during their duet of brotherhood. I also enjoyed the dancing, and how it represented the mood of the opera and the village people, in the beginning they seemed joyous and singing praise and the dancers were prancing around very eloquently and triumphantly, but during the part when the mob of village people were condemning Nadir and Leila the dancers were violent and thrashing in a way that showed the emotions of the people, but still looked beautiful. Overall i thought the director singers and dancers made excellent choices, and caused me to enjoy The Pearl Fishers much more than Electra.
Ok so I really liked The pearl Fishers, of course there was, for me at least, some racial/ignorant undertones. but like i really liked it. My favorite part that i liked the best was the whole third act. like when who was it, Zurga's bed thingy when up when he found out that Leila was the girl that saved him a long time ago, and when he put the whole village thingy on fire. Zurga was dead set on killing them both, but when he found out who Leila was, he risked his life for her. Its kind of faulty tho when you look at it, i mean he was gunna kill his best friend, but because she saved his life that long time ago, he saves 'em. I mean he could have looked the other way. Oh and i didn't like that i couldn't figure out which was Zurga or Nadir, but i liked it, but as i said in class, if it wwas in fact set in Mexico i believe i would have more to say, but because i cannot say the muic should have been this way or that way because i dont know really how Sri Lankan music sounds or really how they dress, even though im pretty sure they didn't wear close to nothing. so yeah.
I thought the Pearl Fishers was very entertaining, and the way the set, dancing and lighting worked with the music was great. The directors use of screens/curtains really caught my attention and went along really well with the scenes being acted out on stage. The way stories were acted out behind the curtains, while the singers were in front of them was very interesting to watch, especially in the scene where the swimmer was lifted through the air. I think the Pearl Fishers has been by far the most visually appealing opera of the year.
Shae Hurst Period 6 The production of Bizet’s, The Pearl Fishers that we saw at Seattle Opera had an interesting take on the scene where Leila accepts the job of being the village priestess who wards of evil spirits. I guess before I saw the opera I didn’t realize that Nadir recognized Leila before she had accepted the oath of celibacy. I am not sure if that is the way Bizet wrote the opera or not, but it kind of made me less sympathetic towards Nadir and Leila. Also the way that Zurga, was portrayed he seemed kind of sad and lonely even though he was powerful. The scene with him and the other two at the end, after he has started the fire to let them escape proved this in my mind. The way everything was laid out, especially the fact that Zurga was shoot at the end (which I had not expected at all) made me feel more sympathetic towards him, and not Nadir and Leila. The director’s choice to have Zurga shoot at the end, I thought was an interesting one that expounded compassion for Zurga and really made him the hero of the story. What I am trying to say is that the way Seattle Opera presented The Pearl Fishers was not at all what I had expected because of their interpretation of the characters and their actions.
I was very impressed by how the opera was done. What made it interesting for me was the way the director used the screen in the back part of the stage to allow two things to happen at once. Whenever a character remenisced about a past event, I was able to see it visually behind the screen, like when Leila saved Zurga as a child or when Nadir saw the priestess in the jungle. Since the plot of teh opera is fairly simple, I found the action going on behind the screen made the opera more interesting. Besides that, the music was beautiful, and the costumes fit with the exotic ocean theme and made me feel like I was in that world. I also liked how the set designers used statues of Hindu gods for scenery, that also pulled me into the opera. So far, The Pearl Fishers has been my favorite opera.
The Pearl Fishers by Bizet was a great opera to see. I enjoyed many parts of the opera but there were a few things I didn't like about it as well. The director made a lot of great choices with the performance to make the music and singing come to life. One of those was the dancing sequences. I liked them because they added a different feel to the opera which intrigued me. Mr. Schindler wasn't lying when he said that the music was very soothing. Although it was so soothing, it was an amazing pair to Zurga, Nadir, and Leila’s singing parts. The staging was for the most part great to me but the one thing I didn’t like as much was when the curtain covered part or the whole stage and was semi transparent. I’d agree with Andrew Kemis in that it was fairly distracting. The storm scene like most others was my favorite part of The Pearl Fishers. The lighting used was awe-inspiring. Lastly, another point that surprised me was the gunshot in the end. It would have been better for the director to use another method than that I believe.
For the most part I was really impressed with this opera. In regards to the music and singing I thought it was beautiful and soothing. I thought that nadir and leila were amazing preformers in both the singing and acting aspects. I felt Zurga was a somewhat weaker singer. I do not know exactly why but I think I believe this because he was singing in a much deeper voice which is more difficult to carry as I am told or just because I don't really care for the songs he sings. The friendship duet and repetive melody had to be my favorite pieces to listen to. With that music and how it was sung, I believe French has just become my favorite language. The director made some decisions or should I say okayed same disicions that really bothered me. Being part of the technical theater and involved in scenic design and effects, I was unimpressed at the technical portion of the show. This could very well be because it was a dress reheasal however it just seemed like no one knew what they were doing when lights would pop on and off. My biggest beef was with the set. I was a beautiful set however why when it switched to water did the curtain not close all the way. Having the curtain projected with water and what all was super cool just like the flying by with the curtain a fourth open you could see the rock formation! Oh well what do I know. I would be very interesting to see the show again cause i'm sure all the technical aspects are workded out. Contrary to how it sounds this was my favorite opera. One of the more interesting things was the use of dancers. It made the scene lively and energetic. To me knowing that the story takes place in Sri Lanka ( sorry for the spelling)it was interestign to see the costume choice, they worked but not at all what I expected. The costumes and just the actors themselves didn't really make me think orientalist piece. I can see though why the story was set in another country because of the love triangle. Mr. S I thought about the aria and recessative the whole night. I was like you said that the ressecitive led into an aria. Kinda cool because it happened everytime. I cant say that kept me awake but it was worth listening for. I think just the beauty of the music and the experience of a new storyline and the FRENCH style was intriquing. Amazing. Thanks Mr. S
Definitely my favorite performance so far. At the very beginning I was "lost" in the soothing music, making me miss a little of the singing. But like we discussed in class, I think that I still was taking in a lot of it. For example in the friendship duet, there was this one note that Zurga hit that I couldn’t wait for every time the song began. I agree with tess about how the Friendship Duet motif was placed well, how you may not have been considering Nadir and Zurga's friendship at the time. It created more hidden meanings to what was actually happening on the surface, like when Leila arrived to the village for the first time. I thought acting was well done. When Nadir and Leila were meeting once again, they showed hesitance with their distance between each other, knowing that it was forbidden. Also in the scene when Zurga discovers that Nadir has betrayed him, the fighting was realistic (besides that parts with the hitting and kicking, those obviously had made no contact). Like many people said, I liked the use of the transparent curtains. They created a great effect when portraying how the characters remembered parts of their past, with the scene being shown a little hazy, but still vivid. I enjoyed all of the costumes except Leila’s and Zurga’s. Everytime Leila laid down, her nude colored dress made her look naked as it hugged the contours of her body. Zurga’s was fine until he took off his vest, leaving only his pants. In the scene where Leila asks for forgiveness, Zurga was wearing only the same pants that Nadir always wears. It made me confused thinking that Zurga was actually Nadir, and that Nadir was speaking of himself in third person.
Although I was somewhat confused by Zurga being shot at the end of the opera, I enjoyed the Pearl Fishers. I liked the director's use of the veils and the lighting all throughout the opera. In the first act the veils really helped to show that while Nadir and Leila were close while singing, they were separated by the veil, which made them seem distant. I thought that using the veils throughout the opera continued that visual motif. The lighting was also very important, especially during the storm sequence at the end. The lighting was used to create tension and show the power of nature at the end of the opera and really brought a climax. I also thought that the scenery was designed well; the set looked as though it was in the ancient ruins on a beach and the sideways head/stairs was used well throughout the opera. Overall, I enjoyed the opera, though I would be curious to discuss the director's choice to shoot Zurga at the end of the opera.
I really did enjoy this opera. I thought it was going to seem like forever because of how long it was, but it seemed to go by so quickly because there was constant movement throughout the entire show with dancing, curtain changes and moving props. What I liked the most was when past experiences were brought up and the memories were acted out behind a scrim in the background. This made the events taking place much easier to keep track of and understand. There were only a couple times throughout the entire show where I had to think "what just happened?" and that was probably just because of how similar Zurga and Nadir looked from a distance. Overall, I thought The Pearl Fishers was fantastic.
I enjoyed The Pearl Fishers more than any other performances our class has attended. The mild, easy-going music was easier to listen to than Elektra’s, and the lengthy intermissions helped keep me paying attention. As others have mentioned, the dancing and choreography was brilliant through and through. Having dancing bodies to watch helped hold my attention between long arias etc as well. This show would have been a much better first opera than Elektra was.
I was disappointed by some of the things I saw on stage though. Painted on abs? Not okay with me. There was also an occasion that I clearly remember where a light was forgotten until being turned on halfway through a scene, which was just as distracting as watching jiggly abs. Though the use of scrims and lighting gave a wonderful effect, Leila backing into one of said scrims looked very sloppy. Watching a curtain ripple unnecessarily detracts from the audience’s entertainment, diverting attention from the singer they should be watching. In the performance’s defense, we did watch a dress rehearsal. I hope those sorts of things are fixed for the final performance.
My favorite part of the opera was the water. The background looked a lot like water and how it flowed into the stage, it really looked like the edge of the water. The Seattle Opera House seems to always have really good stage props, like the big rock, just everything fits together well. I also liked that their was a lot of dancing in the opera. That is different from all the others we have seen and that made it more interesting to watch. There was also so many people on stage that it made fun to watch all the people and see all the different things they were doing. Overall this was my favorite performance we have seen.
I really enjoyed the opera The Pearl Fishers. The lighting really brought alot of excitement. The mood could be seen through what was going on witht he lights. Also, the stage set was so cool. The water screen and the set changes were really quite amazing. The music was beautiful. My favorite being the parts where the harp played. I loved the dancing and all the color that was in the opera. A particular scene that I liked was when the pearl fisher was actually diving behind the screen, it was just one of those things that people weren't really expecting and it turned out really well. Near the end, when Zurga took off his robe, it was confusing to tell who was Zurga and who was Nadir, whether it can be blamed on how far away we were, it was confusing because they look the same. I liked mostly all of the directors choices and it was my favorite opera we've seen so far.
Overall I thought that The Pearl Fishers was a great opera. The music was beautiful, and was stuck in my head for the rest of the night. One of my favorite parts of the opera was the set. The water looked so real that me and Bryttany were talking about if it was real or not. Of course it was obvious that it wasn't real, when the boat was "pushed" into the scene, but the visual was great. Like Andrew said in class though, I do think the use of the curtains was a little bit off. They needed to bring in the curtains at a faster rate, because I found my attention on how slow the curtains were being brought in and out of scenes. It was a good idea though. However, I think its amazing how well setting can be these days. One thing that I really did not enjoy however, was the ending. It was really hard to follow what was happening when Zurga died, and at times it almost seemed like Leila loved Zurga, when her words were saying otherwise. Other than that this was a good opera, a lot better than I had expected.
I liked The Pearl Fishers more than any of the other performances that we have gone to this year. The thing that I liked most was how then they were telling stories of things that happened in the past such as when the little girl saved the man. I have a hard time figuring things out when they do things like tell past stories so for me, that helped to keep it really clear. I also really really liked how they had the man appearing to be swimming as if he was actually fishing for pearls. I though it looked really amazing and it caught my attention for sure.
My favorite part of the pearl fishers was the dancing in the very beginning when it started. There was a lot more than expected I didn't even think there would be that much at all actually. I found it made the opera much more interesting to watch. They did alot of great dancing and they even repeated alot of it but it was really good when they all did the same part together in the circle but all facing different ways then moving around the circle.It must have taken alot of time to practice. I also really liked the costumes they had cause they were more ornate and creative than other ones we've seen.I liked how they looked almost like jeanie costumes in away I found them really nice and pretty.That part was more exciting for me but when the music got slower it was harder to pay attention because it was so nice it was like a lullaby and I wanted to sleep to it. Overall I found this to be better and more interesting than other operas we've seen.
period 2 i was surprised when i got out of the Pearl Fishers because i actually enjoyed it and i never thought i would enjoy an opera. one of my favorite parts that the director did was the storm and all of the colors that the background had and all of the noises that it was making it made me feel like i was actually in one. i also think it was cool that alot of the charactors had different voice tones, but i noticed that the most prominite were Nadir and Zurga. i thought that that was a neat touch because i know at one point i got really confused on who was who and i was able to tell the difference because of the voice tones so i found that really cool that i was able to do that. i also really enjoyed how the director made it so that whenever a past story was brought up and talked about they would act it out in the background and dance. for me that made the opera alot more intersting and enjoyable to watch because there was always something going on.
I loved this presentation of the Pearl Fishers. The dance aspect of it was by far my favorite, for example the opening scene where the villagers are singing about dancing away the evil spirits. The colorful outfits that all seemed to mesh together and yet were specifically choreographed was very intriguing. The way partnered one girl with a very flowy colorful outfit with a man in nude colored blending clothing was cool as well. I also really liked how they had one mesh screen in the background when things such as memories were acted out, such as when Leila recounted how she got her necklace. However, during that one scene especially, the large statues got in the way, and I was unable to see a lot of the acting. They were very distracting, and smaller statues should have been used.
Now, "The pearl fishers" is my favorite Opera. My favorite part was how director put background and colors. It was pretty and good to see. Also, I liked how director used curtain for waves. The bluish color of lighting made mysterious feeling which I like it and one of the scene that I thought it is really cool was when someone flies behind the curtain so make it swimming under the ocean. The actor that I really liked was Nadir, because his voice was really high but soft and clear.
I really did like the show, as far as the acting and the stage effects and stuff. But I don't really like the way the director did the ending. One minute Zurga is in a rage about the two lovers and swears to see them both die, and then 2 seconds after seeing that necklace he's crying out "I will do my duty!" and runs of to save them. It seemed rushed, and I don't understand why he doesn't just go to the execution first and order them to be spared like before. Instead, he goes and sets the whole village on fire and endangers the children. not to mention the fact that he just stood there at the altar at the end and let himself get shot. So while the show as a whole was really beautiful and had some good singing in it, the ending kind of ruined it for me, and I think the director could have done a bit better on that part.
The Pearl Fishers pleasantly surprised me. I really enjoyed Carmen when we watched it in class, and I was expecting to enjoy The Pearl Fishers also, but I loved the softer more exotic feel to the opera. In Carmen, the music was very strong, and fitting with the spanish themes, and The Pearl Fishers was unmistakably set in more tropical place. Not only did the music reflect the scene, but so did the theatrical choreography. I absolutely loved the flashy dancing, and the amount of dancers that seemed to take over the stage at any given moment. As we talked about in class I thought that the scarfs and sheets used in the dances not only added literal color, but also made the performance more interesting the the eye. The dances held my attention and caused me to become more involved in the performance as a whole. Over all, this was my favorite performance to date.
Regan McComb p. 6 I really enjoyed the Pearl Fishers. As soon as the dancing began at the beginning of the play I knew it was going to be really easy to pay attention to. The set also added to the opera as a whole. Especially the scene with the water and the swimmer. It all looked so real. I think the scene where Leila was dancing in the background while one of her lovers was singing about her was one of my favorites, as well as the Friendship Duet. However, I wasn't very fond of Zurga's voice but Nadir's was especially intriguing. I think the dancing made the opera a lot more interesting because it's easier to pay attention to when there's action on the stage rather than just singing. Overall the Pearl Fishers is my favorite!
The Pearl Fishers was probably my favorite performance so far. I liked how it started out with a bang by having all the people on stage and all the dancing was a great choice by the director. I know that people have said that the storm was their favorite part, and i do agree. All the lights and dancing was phenominal! I will admit i fell asleep for a little bit, but not because it was boring, but it was so late, but as soon as that storm hit, I was wide awake and totally interested again. I really didnt like how Zurga was shot at the end, that was a downer. But overall it was a great experience.
I really enjoyed the Pearl Fisher, and I would say it’s my personal favorite so far. I loved how they mixed the singing up with dancing, making the performance more colorful and interesting to watch. I think they did a great job on making the sets look realistic, and how it was versatile so it fitted for all the scenes. The music was also very beautiful and soothing to listen to, more so than the music of Electra.
My favorite scene was the opening one. I was impressed by how they had made the curtains look like they were under water. I liked this scene because there was a lot going on on stage. The dancers were good, and having them on stage gave the performance more variation. I liked the costumes a lot, but I found it hard to tell Nadir and Zurga apart. This could have been made easier by not having as similar costumes.
I really liked this opera, even though the story line was slightly boring. The way the director chose to use the curtains that separated one scene to another was a great idea. Especially when behind the curtain there was a person diving for pearls. That was a very effective way in showing what was happening through the song. It also, helped turn such a large stage into two different scenes that were being viewed at the same moment in time. Like when they had the curtain up when Leila and Nadir were making out and the storm happened, giving the villagers reason to come check things out. Plus, the way the conductor had his musicians play a wild, angered story with their instruments to represent the storm was brilliant.
First, I would like to start by saying that I'm glad to know that operas are not long or boring. I really enjoyed sitting through this one and watching. At the beginning of the opera my attention was really caught by the dancers because of their leaps & lifts. You could tell these we're hired dancers because of their talent. An opera singer who does not have dance experience could not do those high jumps or morph their bodies into those positions. I also really became excited when one of the dancers did an Areal (basically a cartwheel without hands). Though I enjoyed the dance throughout most of the show, I really detested the interpretive "storm" dancing. I've seen other interpretive dances like that, but this one just DID NOT work. It really bugged me when they were huddled in to clusters and these people with blue pieces of cloth ran around them. It seemed sloppy and I couldn't focus on anything, maybe that was the point, but they could have dont it with the people moving around frantically instead. Another part of the opera I really enjoyed with Nadir and Zurga's interaction at the beginning. It was clear that they were best friends and they allowed that to really develop and grown, which it was it was absolutely heartbreaking when Nadir betrayed his best friend. Another aspected of the show I enjoy was the set & lighting, they did a great job using their scrim, especially when the swimmer came up behind it while Leila was singing. I liked how in each act they made some sort of new platform they became of use to the singers. Overall this opera made me more open minded to operas.
This was by far my favorite opera so far, even though the lovely music lulled me to sleep for part of it. The music was just so soft and really beautiful. This performance had alot of scenery changes which kept me interested. One of my favorites was the boat that came in on very real looking water. The way they used lights and shadows to make it move like water was amazing. I also loved that it was in french because I could understand some of it, especially during the reccesatif when the words were more spoken than sung. This performance also had wonderful choreography and many dancers so even from the opening scene I was captivated.
I really enjoyed the opera. I thought that the opera was really easy to follow. Unless the director was trying to do this I thought Nadir's and Zurga's costume was too close to tell them apart. Another problem was how Zurga got shot in the end. The people didn't even ask any questions. Other than these part I liked the opera. My favorite part was the diver scene. The folding curtain hid the person and actually looked like water. I think that curtain helped a lot in the production.
The dancing was my favorite part of Pearl fishers. It was very well choregraphed and I liked how all the characters would dance in unison with each other. You could really tell how much work and practice was put into it. I also thought the setting and all the different lighting that was used made the opera much more appealing to watch. There was never a dull moment and all the different voice tones made it easier to understand. I didn't really like how Zurga got shot in the end but other than that I thought it was a great performance!
My favorite part about the Pearl Fishers was the scene between Nadir and Leila. I really liked how in the background, you could see the village becoming worried.
I remember you saying to the class that you always need to give an opera a second chance, the first may be the worst you've ever seen. I totally agree with this statement. The Pearl Fisher was by far the best opera. I thought everything about it was amazing. The stage effects with the multiple curtains to set a completly different scene like water really intrigued me. Also just like Mackenzie said, being a gymnast you really saw a different side of the dancing. But more importantly i loved how the dancing told a story and really exagerated the emotions so the audiance could feel it as well. I enjoyed this opera and i hope there will be more like this one.
At the performance on Wednesday I really enjoyed the storm scene but I don't think that is was the best part of the opera like a lot of other people. I quite liked the final scene with Zurga and Leila in the tent; although it was almost like he was raping her when he got mad. Then When Zurga found out the Leila was the young girl that had saved him and decided to then save Nadir and Leila. I was not expecting Zurga to get shot at the end. I didnt even realize there were guns in the performance. Another thing that I liked was how when they would be talking about the past they would have a scene in the background going through what the character was remembering. One of the things that I didn't care for was during the storm scene there were people dancing around with those blue scarfs. It was kind of distracting. Overall I think that The Pearl Fishers was the best performance we have been to so far this year.
The opening scene of the dancing was a good start, and got me really interested. I loved the different curtains that were used. One that stands out to me is when Leila is singing her first solo and behind the curtain she was standing infront of a pearl fisher came down, and swam back up, which I thought was a really good choice to do, and it caught me so off gaurd and kept me interested to see what else the directed would do throughout the opera. In the end when Zurga got shot that was surprising to me. Overall I found Pearl Fishers to be much better than Elektra, and I really enjoyed it.
The peral fishers was not one of my favorite operas at all. The stage seemed really "busy" because a lot of people were doing different things on stage which made it hard to keep track of what was going on. Also the little ticker/translator at the top of the stage was annoying because I cant watch the stage and the translation at the same time, they could have just sung the opera in english and not have to deal with the tranlations. One cool thing that I did observe was in the begining how they made the peral fisher dive was very creative. Also I really liked how the stage was set up with the statue right in the center really caught my eye.
My favorite part of the play was the music and the water effects. I liked how they made the water look somewhat realistic as well as have the diver. I thought that the music was good there were definite motifs throughout the Pearl Fishers.
I really really enjoyed Pearl Fishers. I thought that the storyline and the easier subject matter made it a lot more relatable and the light, smooth music made it easy to listen to. I thought that the reasons I liked it were definitely more linked to Bizet's writing, music and storyline than to any of the choices the director made. I didn't like the gunshot at the end, it seemed jarring compared to the rest of the opera, kind of out of place, and I thought the director could have approached it in different ways. Also, 50 minutes of intermission?! Really?! I loved the use of coloured screens and the scarves by the dancers, and I also really enjoyed the pearl fisher who swam past in the background. They helped to catch my attention and keep drawing it back in.
the pearl fishers was my favorite preformance we have gone to so far. i really liked the technical theater it displayed with the diver in the background with the screen that was in front and looked liked water. also i really liked how you could tell the difference between nadir and the other guy just by the attitudes they displayed and by the music that went along with the two different characters.
I think that my favorite part of The Pearl Fishers was the sensuality of the opera. Many operas i've seen in the past don't allow the characters to show as much affection as the lead characters did, especially in the scene right before they were discovered. I think this made the story more believable and real, and created a deeper connection with the characters instead of just implying love through the music which is often lost. and who doesn't love a little skin?
The pearl fishers was a very good opera. I really like the efcets they used. The way the used the transparent curtains with a lighting effect really amazed me. Before the opera I was wondering how they would portray the underwater part and that was a great idea. The one thing I did not lien about it was the amount of performers on stage. I felt it was too cluttered to pay attention. Overall it was a good performance besides the fact of how late it was.
Personally I thouht that the opera was not that good. Everyone else seemed to like it but to me, it was just so boring, it was almost impossible to stay awake for the whole thing. there were some things that were somewhat interesting such as all of the dancing and the curtains. The dancing kept me a little entertained while they were but, while they weren't, I was almost out cold. For the curtains, those were actually pretty cool because for example the beginning, where the curtain was out and it looked like it was under water. But when there was justa acouple people singing on teh stage, I was bored out of my mind. There sould of been something else going on or at least a little more movement to keep some people like me awake for more of the opera.
The opera was too long for me to stay awake for the whole thing and i actually found some parts boring, only because i was tired in the first place and the music just put me in a trance because it was so soft and easy to listen to. there were parts i enjoyed and that kept me entertained. In the beginning the dancers and all the people laughing and having a good time set a good mood. The dancers made the music interesting because it was pretty slow and dull for the most part, the dancers gave it some life and kept some action going.
As most people my favorite part has to be when the storm appeared. I enjoyed the lighting and music they picked to depict that certain scene in the opera. Not many scenes in opera's come alive but the storm scene really came alive for me. I also liked the dancing scenes, i thought they did a beautiful job with all the dancing scenes. Other than that, all i really liked was the transparent curtains that made it look more water like and the musical motifs, as a whole i thought it was kind of boring....Not the best opera we have scene all year.
This was so far my favorite opera. What I really enjoyed was the subtle scene changes. I also enjoyed when the time would change because the lights would go from light and bright to dark and gloomyish. The most effective thing for me to see when they were really on the beach was when they turned a black stage to look like it was sandy and also the way they did the water. The red ribbons they used when they talked about killing Leila and Zurga was also effective because you saw what they were doing. I think the gunshot at the end should have been done differently and also should have been more eye catching because it caught a lot of people off guard and it wasnt really something I would have pictured because even though guns were present I pictured they would have been killed with knives or swords because those were more pronounced throughout the whole opera.
The main parts of the opera that I loved were the music and the sets. I liked the colors throughout each of the sets, the way the water actually looked real, and the one scene where the person was swimming. My favorite scene was the storm. The flashing, and the lighting of the different blues and purples made the storm scene most enjoyable. Also the music for the scene was very storm-like, with the crashing of the cymbals and the thudding from the tympani. More over, the music was beautiful. It was like a lullaby throughout the whole opera, well excluding the storm and the unhappy parts. All the love songs were like lullabies (Nadir and Zurga’s Friendship Duet, Leila’s aria, Nadir’s aria, etc.). My favorite songs were sung by Leila. She has an amazing voice, which is saying something because I don’t generally complement opera singers. The Pear Fishers is so far my favorite opera.
One of the best choices made by the director was to not actually show the village burning on stage. We were told that in some productions they had actual pyrotechnics on stage to represent the burning village. This must have dwarfed the performance of the actors on stage considerably. Without the village burning, it gives the audience more incentive to pay attention to the actors rather than the blazing buildings.
I thought the Pearl Fishers was a great opera. In class when we would talk about the opera and read I thought it would be very boring to see in real life. I was wrong, the lighting and the different background textures kept my eyes peeled the entire time. And then when I was starting to get tired....THE STORM HIT, and put new energy in to the play. I also liked how during most scenes there was a diver in the background and they always used to catch you eye for a little while and then they would wonder off stage. Overall I thought the opera was my second favorite performance, after Elektra.
I thought it was interesting how they did the man fishing for the pearl, it looked very realistic. The motif of the duet that the two men sang together in the beginning was very effective. When it played you knew a new twist or turn involving the love triangle was coming your way. It was play quite a few times. The use of lighting was very clever. The lights were able to create the illusion of being under water, flashing lightning in a storm, and many other things. Also the set up of the stage was very convenient for all of the different settings for the scenes. They used the curtains well. The dance choices were also very effective. In the beginning the ensemble were leaping with joy and singing to keep the gods and towards the end when the show became more dark and about death the people were lying on the ground as if they were in pain or hiding for the gods. The choreagrapher used levels to their advantage. It made it more interesting and fun to watch. I did not, however think that gun was the right way to do the suicide in the end. It didn't seem to fit, perhaps a knife would have worked better.
I found "The Pearl Fishers" to be a very entertaining opera and although it had both positive and negative traits it still had something for everyone. During the performance it was difficult to determine what time period this opera was set in and can be accredited to the director and his interpretation of the opera. In the beginning of the opera most of the men only carried knives and reminded me of a relatively uncivilized culture. During the middle of the opera and again near the end we saw guns fired which didnt seem to fit into the surrounding setting and time period. I believe the director's decision to use guns in the opera was a poor choice and took away from the experience by making you wonder about the time period. One thing I truly enjoyed with regards to the opera was the amount of dancing integrated into the show. I found it interesting to be able to visually see the mood and current feel of the play through the way the dancers performed and at the same time hear similar moods and feelings through the singers and orchestra. For example when the dancers first appeared on stage the music was exciting and loud which could be seen through the dancers and their frequent leaps and quick movements across the stage. I also liked the technique they used to create an underwater effect. The light with the water gobo displayed upon the curtain helped me visualize an underwater scene and was a resourceful way for the director to create the undersea oasis.
Pearl Fishers I thought was done very well and it was one opera that was easy for me to stay awake for. I really liked when the guy was swimming in the background but i dont think i liked the blue veil the whole time because i didnt think it matched the idea at the time. At the end when the man was shot, i think the director could have picked a better choice of weapon like a sword or something.
69 comments:
Preston Longoni Period 4
My favorite part and directors choice of the opera had to be when the storm hit, and all of the loud music and green and blue lights flashed in the backround like thunder and lightning. And also, when the men ran out with the bright blue capes, and twirled around everyone, I thought that was cool. What also added to this part, along with the whole opera, were the transparent curtans. It was neat when they made it look like water.
One of the really cool things that the director did was the lightning and thunder, like Preston said. It looked so real and matched with what the dancers below were doing. It might of gone off too often but that was ok because I just kept staring at it. Another thing that I liked was the fact that Zurga and Nadir had different tones of voice. One seemed to sing a level above the other one, so it was easier to tell who was singing/speaking.
Oh one thing that I didn't like was the wrestling/fight scenes. They didn't look real at all (but this was a dress rehearsal so maybe that had something to do with it). So I couldn't take that part serious.
I also really liked the curtain and when people hid behind it, but you could still see them because the spotlight was aiming to them.
This was my favorite opera so far, it was easiest to stay awake and watch.
^ Lacey Helmuth per. 4
Sorry
Mackenzie Engel
Period 6
One of my favorite parts of the opera was the choreography of the dance. I was a gymnast for 13 years, which is why I especially enjoyed that aspect. I liked the way in which the masses of dancers in the first scene somewhat mimicked the ocean as they moved in unison. In addition, I also thought the use of the translucent curtain was very effective in showing two separate events in different areas of the setting simultaneously. The aesthetically pleasing set and dance made the opera much more appealing because I not only wanted to listen as I did during the symphony, but to watch as well. There was next to nothing I didn't enjoy about the opera and it was my favorite performance by far.
Heather Thomas Period 2
I LOVED THE PEARL FISHERS! My favorite part of the opera was how every time they were talking about a story in the past, in the background it was acted out and the diver diving in the background. Also, i loved how the director chose for people to dance through most the music. It made everything more exciting and intense. I was a little surprised that Zurga was shot at the end. Also, that Nadir and Laila only shared one night together. From studying for a month about the opera, I assumed they were sneaking around together for a while.
Helen Wiltsey Per. 4
Seattle Opera's presentation of the Pearl Fishers was choreographically stunning, yet the set sometimes got in the way. The tall statues in the third act blocked some of the action behind the sheer curtain, as well as some of the lighting was off, seeming to spotlight the wrong person who was performing. The costuming and dancing was very in tune to Orientalism, very romantic and stylized 'Indian' clothing, chorus singing, and plot line, catering more towards the French aesthetic than the true depiction of Sri Lanka.
Matt macdougall
Per 4
Overall I thought that the pearl fishers was a get interesting opera. My favorite thing that the director decided to do was to have dancing through the whole plays. I found the dancing a easy way to stay attent on the play. Also I liked how when the play was referencing to to past that in the backgroud of the play there was the scene from the past. That made it very easy for me to recognize that the director was referencing to that spacific scene. Over all I found the pearl fishers to be a very inticing play and I can see why this play would be a major revenue booster
Chris Hong Period 6
I thought this opera was really good. I can see that many people have already said this effect but i'm going to have to say it becuase this was indeed my favorite part of the whole opera. My favorite part was the storm. Lightining in the back ground and the dancers were really cool moving around every where and singing really loud. also the screen they use to make clouds and smoke was really cool too. I thought the pearl fishers was a great opera and it was a great experience.
Andrew Song period 6
The Pearl Fishers was by far my favorite opera. The whole story and scenery were amazing and lighting was extremely well done. I really thought the beginning was awesome, with the water music and the wavy screen in front of the stage that made it almost look underwater. Also during the opera I began to listen the the opera in parts, defined by the different songs, such as arias and duets. It made the time go by much faster and made the whole opera much more enjoyable.
Sam Franklin Period 6
Overall I really enjoyed the Pearl Fishers; I thought some of the choices made by the director and the singers really helped make the show interesting. Specifically I really liked the use of the scrims and backlighting to clips from the characters' past. I also felt that the singers did a good job of connecting with the other singers and creating believable relationships, it gave the show more depth. I would say although last night there were a few lighting issues (random flashing in the first act) the show was interesting and enjoyable and very well done.
Kyle Glaser Period 2
I thought Pearl Fisher was great and I now can see why you kept saying that Elektra is not the best first musical to go to. Pearl Fisher was so artsy and so musically appealing and reminded me alot of Carmen at times so I see how Bizets plays were similar but both great in their own way so that they both could be very famous. I really like the full ensemble together the best because you always had something to look at and every person was telling a story in their movements. I thought some of the solos were a little boring but then the duets were very beautiful. The set was amazing. I really loved the hand in the third scene and how the cloth went up in the ceiling to create a different mood. It was a wonderful experience.
Kenny Exelby Period 4
I thought that the most interesting part of this opera were the mesh curtains. The director was able to make the audience feel like they were underwater in the dark theater and this really deepened the experience for me. The opening scene was also very energetic and was able to grab your attention, which was such a nice change form the usual dull trudging openings from some of the other operas and plays. All in all this was my favorite opera we've been to so far.
Katie Hodgson
Per 2
I liked this opera MUCH better than Elektra because of the scene changes it gave you more stuff to look at. I also liked the music more. I thought they did a really good job on showing the people diving for the pearls there were some pretty good effects in this opera compared to Elektra. The opera also had i think some pretty good choreography it kept me away. The only thing i didn't really like about the opera was how long it was but that wasn't that big of a deal.
Michelle Le, period 2
The music in the Pearl Fishers is absolutely gorgeous! I really liked the sets, especially that blue sheer curtain that came down sometimes. When they had the lights playing off of it like water I thought that was absolutely gorgeous. My favorite part of the opera was definitely the friendship duet. It was very beautiful. I liked this opera more than Elektra. I also thought that the dancing was a bit interesting, especially during the storm with all the scarves flying around. As for the conductor, I thought he did a very good job. He made the music come alive which made it sound better.
Talia Cowan per6
Overall I enjoyed The Pearl Fishers, but the performance just left me wanting more. In the beginning when we first see the villagers, there are so many that you don't know where to look, they just seem to all be crammed together. I do acknowledge that it is a fantastic feat to choreograph that many people, but even though you could see that there was some order, it was sloppy. Another point was what kind of technological time the director was setting the opera. The guards having guns, mixed with the way they dressed and how the story flows, just didn't seem to quite fit. although, my favorite part, was not really part or the opera performance for us. At the start of the 1st intermission a guy on strings was shown swimming through the air on the stage, looking as if diving for a light (most likely meant as a pearl) and then swimming back up. I thought that was so cool, I wished I could have seen more.
I really liked the opera in general. I thought the sets were beautiful, particularly the background and the water effect with the curtains. The costumes were great other than Zurga's bad wig and the large discrepancy with what the booklet showed them looking like and how they were actually built. I thought the music was played well, and that it was very descriptive of what was happening in the opera, which is important to me. I liked the use of the Friendship Duet motif, and that thought it was placed well, when you may not have been considering the meaning of Nadir and Zurga's friendship at the time. I liked the sound of Nadir's voice the best, just because of the general tone. I thought Leila's voice was a little jumpy, not transitioning very well between notes, I wasn't too big on the overall sound, either - just a little... high, for my taste. I don't think they did well on the ending at all, as it was very difficult to follow the story after Zurga went to save Nadir and Leila. Overall I thought it was very well done, and the composition was my favorite of all we've studied so far.
Tanner Low Period 4
I thought that the way that the director showed the water and the landscape was excellent, with the multiple curtains or scrims and the lighting that made it actually seem like it was the ocean. Also the dancing really added to the feel of a foreign place, or i guess you could say orientalism. I felt like the dancing made the whole show much more enjoyable to watch unlike elektra which was pure singing and acting. I thought that the costumes made the plot a little confusing because i couldn't differentiate between Nadir and Zurga because they both had long brown hair and sometimes were wearing the same pants. But my favorite part was the actual pearl fisher. One of my questions for Seneca Garber was how they were going to represent actual pearl fishing and when the man attached to the fly on the other side of the scrim began swimming down it was perfect. Nadir had a perfect Baritone voice for that part, it was different from Zurga's Bass part but the two matched in perfect harmony during their duet of brotherhood. I also enjoyed the dancing, and how it represented the mood of the opera and the village people, in the beginning they seemed joyous and singing praise and the dancers were prancing around very eloquently and triumphantly, but during the part when the mob of village people were condemning Nadir and Leila the dancers were violent and thrashing in a way that showed the emotions of the people, but still looked beautiful. Overall i thought the director singers and dancers made excellent choices, and caused me to enjoy The Pearl Fishers much more than Electra.
Leticia Lopez Period 4
Ok so I really liked The pearl Fishers, of course there was, for me at least, some racial/ignorant undertones. but like i really liked it. My favorite part that i liked the best was the whole third act. like when who was it, Zurga's bed thingy when up when he found out that Leila was the girl that saved him a long time ago, and when he put the whole village thingy on fire. Zurga was dead set on killing them both, but when he found out who Leila was, he risked his life for her. Its kind of faulty tho when you look at it, i mean he was gunna kill his best friend, but because she saved his life that long time ago, he saves 'em. I mean he could have looked the other way. Oh and i didn't like that i couldn't figure out which was Zurga or Nadir, but i liked it, but as i said in class, if it wwas in fact set in Mexico i believe i would have more to say, but because i cannot say the muic should have been this way or that way because i dont know really how Sri Lankan music sounds or really how they dress, even though im pretty sure they didn't wear close to nothing. so yeah.
Gabe Gonzalez Period 2
I thought the Pearl Fishers was very entertaining, and the way the set, dancing and lighting worked with the music was great. The directors use of screens/curtains really caught my attention and went along really well with the scenes being acted out on stage. The way stories were acted out behind the curtains, while the singers were in front of them was very interesting to watch, especially in the scene where the swimmer was lifted through the air. I think the Pearl Fishers has been by far the most visually appealing opera of the year.
Shae Hurst Period 6
The production of Bizet’s, The Pearl Fishers that we saw at Seattle Opera had an interesting take on the scene where Leila accepts the job of being the village priestess who wards of evil spirits. I guess before I saw the opera I didn’t realize that Nadir recognized Leila before she had accepted the oath of celibacy. I am not sure if that is the way Bizet wrote the opera or not, but it kind of made me less sympathetic towards Nadir and Leila. Also the way that Zurga, was portrayed he seemed kind of sad and lonely even though he was powerful. The scene with him and the other two at the end, after he has started the fire to let them escape proved this in my mind. The way everything was laid out, especially the fact that Zurga was shoot at the end (which I had not expected at all) made me feel more sympathetic towards him, and not Nadir and Leila. The director’s choice to have Zurga shoot at the end, I thought was an interesting one that expounded compassion for Zurga and really made him the hero of the story. What I am trying to say is that the way Seattle Opera presented The Pearl Fishers was not at all what I had expected because of their interpretation of the characters and their actions.
I was very impressed by how the opera was done. What made it interesting for me was the way the director used the screen in the back part of the stage to allow two things to happen at once. Whenever a character remenisced about a past event, I was able to see it visually behind the screen, like when Leila saved Zurga as a child or when Nadir saw the priestess in the jungle. Since the plot of teh opera is fairly simple, I found the action going on behind the screen made the opera more interesting. Besides that, the music was beautiful, and the costumes fit with the exotic ocean theme and made me feel like I was in that world. I also liked how the set designers used statues of Hindu gods for scenery, that also pulled me into the opera. So far, The Pearl Fishers has been my favorite opera.
Nathan Zimmerman, Per. 6
The Pearl Fishers by Bizet was a great opera to see. I enjoyed many parts of the opera but there were a few things I didn't like about it as well. The director made a lot of great choices with the performance to make the music and singing come to life. One of those was the dancing sequences. I liked them because they added a different feel to the opera which intrigued me. Mr. Schindler wasn't lying when he said that the music was very soothing. Although it was so soothing, it was an amazing pair to Zurga, Nadir, and Leila’s singing parts. The staging was for the most part great to me but the one thing I didn’t like as much was when the curtain covered part or the whole stage and was semi transparent. I’d agree with Andrew Kemis in that it was fairly distracting. The storm scene like most others was my favorite part of The Pearl Fishers. The lighting used was awe-inspiring. Lastly, another point that surprised me was the gunshot in the end. It would have been better for the director to use another method than that I believe.
Andrew Kemis Period 6
For the most part I was really impressed with this opera. In regards to the music and singing I thought it was beautiful and soothing. I thought that nadir and leila were amazing preformers in both the singing and acting aspects. I felt Zurga was a somewhat weaker singer. I do not know exactly why but I think I believe this because he was singing in a much deeper voice which is more difficult to carry as I am told or just because I don't really care for the songs he sings. The friendship duet and repetive melody had to be my favorite pieces to listen to. With that music and how it was sung, I believe French has just become my favorite language. The director made some decisions or should I say okayed same disicions that really bothered me. Being part of the technical theater and involved in scenic design and effects, I was unimpressed at the technical portion of the show. This could very well be because it was a dress reheasal however it just seemed like no one knew what they were doing when lights would pop on and off. My biggest beef was with the set. I was a beautiful set however why when it switched to water did the curtain not close all the way. Having the curtain projected with water and what all was super cool just like the flying by with the curtain a fourth open you could see the rock formation! Oh well what do I know. I would be very interesting to see the show again cause i'm sure all the technical aspects are workded out. Contrary to how it sounds this was my favorite opera. One of the more interesting things was the use of dancers. It made the scene lively and energetic. To me knowing that the story takes place in Sri Lanka ( sorry for the spelling)it was interestign to see the costume choice, they worked but not at all what I expected. The costumes and just the actors themselves didn't really make me think orientalist piece. I can see though why the story was set in another country because of the love triangle. Mr. S I thought about the aria and recessative the whole night. I was like you said that the ressecitive led into an aria. Kinda cool because it happened everytime. I cant say that kept me awake but it was worth listening for. I think just the beauty of the music and the experience of a new storyline and the FRENCH style was intriquing. Amazing. Thanks Mr. S
Selena Swaim, per. 2
Definitely my favorite performance so far. At the very beginning I was "lost" in the soothing music, making me miss a little of the singing. But like we discussed in class, I think that I still was taking in a lot of it. For example in the friendship duet, there was this one note that Zurga hit that I couldn’t wait for every time the song began. I agree with tess about how the Friendship Duet motif was placed well, how you may not have been considering Nadir and Zurga's friendship at the time. It created more hidden meanings to what was actually happening on the surface, like when Leila arrived to the village for the first time. I thought acting was well done. When Nadir and Leila were meeting once again, they showed hesitance with their distance between each other, knowing that it was forbidden. Also in the scene when Zurga discovers that Nadir has betrayed him, the fighting was realistic (besides that parts with the hitting and kicking, those obviously had made no contact). Like many people said, I liked the use of the transparent curtains. They created a great effect when portraying how the characters remembered parts of their past, with the scene being shown a little hazy, but still vivid. I enjoyed all of the costumes except Leila’s and Zurga’s. Everytime Leila laid down, her nude colored dress made her look naked as it hugged the contours of her body. Zurga’s was fine until he took off his vest, leaving only his pants. In the scene where Leila asks for forgiveness, Zurga was wearing only the same pants that Nadir always wears. It made me confused thinking that Zurga was actually Nadir, and that Nadir was speaking of himself in third person.
Andrew Pilgrim Period 4
Although I was somewhat confused by Zurga being shot at the end of the opera, I enjoyed the Pearl Fishers. I liked the director's use of the veils and the lighting all throughout the opera. In the first act the veils really helped to show that while Nadir and Leila were close while singing, they were separated by the veil, which made them seem distant. I thought that using the veils throughout the opera continued that visual motif. The lighting was also very important, especially during the storm sequence at the end. The lighting was used to create tension and show the power of nature at the end of the opera and really brought a climax. I also thought that the scenery was designed well; the set looked as though it was in the ancient ruins on a beach and the sideways head/stairs was used well throughout the opera. Overall, I enjoyed the opera, though I would be curious to discuss the director's choice to shoot Zurga at the end of the opera.
Jessica Karr, period 4
I really did enjoy this opera. I thought it was going to seem like forever because of how long it was, but it seemed to go by so quickly because there was constant movement throughout the entire show with dancing, curtain changes and moving props. What I liked the most was when past experiences were brought up and the memories were acted out behind a scrim in the background. This made the events taking place much easier to keep track of and understand. There were only a couple times throughout the entire show where I had to think "what just happened?" and that was probably just because of how similar Zurga and Nadir looked from a distance. Overall, I thought The Pearl Fishers was fantastic.
Jordan Adam Per. 4
I enjoyed The Pearl Fishers more than any other performances our class has attended. The mild, easy-going music was easier to listen to than Elektra’s, and the lengthy intermissions helped keep me paying attention. As others have mentioned, the dancing and choreography was brilliant through and through. Having dancing bodies to watch helped hold my attention between long arias etc as well. This show would have been a much better first opera than Elektra was.
I was disappointed by some of the things I saw on stage though. Painted on abs? Not okay with me. There was also an occasion that I clearly remember where a light was forgotten until being turned on halfway through a scene, which was just as distracting as watching jiggly abs. Though the use of scrims and lighting gave a wonderful effect, Leila backing into one of said scrims looked very sloppy. Watching a curtain ripple unnecessarily detracts from the audience’s entertainment, diverting attention from the singer they should be watching. In the performance’s defense, we did watch a dress rehearsal. I hope those sorts of things are fixed for the final performance.
Cristina Rice
Period 2
My favorite part of the opera was the water. The background looked a lot like water and how it flowed into the stage, it really looked like the edge of the water. The Seattle Opera House seems to always have really good stage props, like the big rock, just everything fits together well. I also liked that their was a lot of dancing in the opera. That is different from all the others we have seen and that made it more interesting to watch. There was also so many people on stage that it made fun to watch all the people and see all the different things they were doing. Overall this was my favorite performance we have seen.
Stephanie Bateman Period 2
I really enjoyed the opera The Pearl Fishers. The lighting really brought alot of excitement. The mood could be seen through what was going on witht he lights. Also, the stage set was so cool. The water screen and the set changes were really quite amazing. The music was beautiful. My favorite being the parts where the harp played. I loved the dancing and all the color that was in the opera. A particular scene that I liked was when the pearl fisher was actually diving behind the screen, it was just one of those things that people weren't really expecting and it turned out really well. Near the end, when Zurga took off his robe, it was confusing to tell who was Zurga and who was Nadir, whether it can be blamed on how far away we were, it was confusing because they look the same. I liked mostly all of the directors choices and it was my favorite opera we've seen so far.
Mandi DeLaVergne
Period 6
Overall I thought that The Pearl Fishers was a great opera. The music was beautiful, and was stuck in my head for the rest of the night. One of my favorite parts of the opera was the set. The water looked so real that me and Bryttany were talking about if it was real or not. Of course it was obvious that it wasn't real, when the boat was "pushed" into the scene, but the visual was great. Like Andrew said in class though, I do think the use of the curtains was a little bit off. They needed to bring in the curtains at a faster rate, because I found my attention on how slow the curtains were being brought in and out of scenes. It was a good idea though. However, I think its amazing how well setting can be these days. One thing that I really did not enjoy however, was the ending. It was really hard to follow what was happening when Zurga died, and at times it almost seemed like Leila loved Zurga, when her words were saying otherwise. Other than that this was a good opera, a lot better than I had expected.
I liked The Pearl Fishers more than any of the other performances that we have gone to this year. The thing that I liked most was how then they were telling stories of things that happened in the past such as when the little girl saved the man. I have a hard time figuring things out when they do things like tell past stories so for me, that helped to keep it really clear.
I also really really liked how they had the man appearing to be swimming as if he was actually fishing for pearls. I though it looked really amazing and it caught my attention for sure.
^ Chanelle Herrera
period 4.
My favorite part of the pearl fishers was the dancing in the very beginning when it started. There was a lot more than expected I didn't even think there would be that much at all actually. I found it made the opera much more interesting to watch. They did alot of great dancing and they even repeated alot of it but it was really good when they all did the same part together in the circle but all facing different ways then moving around the circle.It must have taken alot of time to practice. I also really liked the costumes they had cause they were more ornate and creative than other ones we've seen.I liked how they looked almost like jeanie costumes in away I found them really nice and pretty.That part was more exciting for me but when the music got slower it was harder to pay attention because it was so nice it was like a lullaby and I wanted to sleep to it. Overall I found this to be better and more interesting than other operas we've seen.
period 2
i was surprised when i got out of the Pearl Fishers because i actually enjoyed it and i never thought i would enjoy an opera. one of my favorite parts that the director did was the storm and all of the colors that the background had and all of the noises that it was making it made me feel like i was actually in one. i also think it was cool that alot of the charactors had different voice tones, but i noticed that the most prominite were Nadir and Zurga. i thought that that was a neat touch because i know at one point i got really confused on who was who and i was able to tell the difference because of the voice tones so i found that really cool that i was able to do that. i also really enjoyed how the director made it so that whenever a past story was brought up and talked about they would act it out in the background and dance. for me that made the opera alot more intersting and enjoyable to watch because there was always something going on.
Rebecca Taicz. Period 6
I loved this presentation of the Pearl Fishers. The dance aspect of it was by far my favorite, for example the opening scene where the villagers are singing about dancing away the evil spirits. The colorful outfits that all seemed to mesh together and yet were specifically choreographed was very intriguing. The way partnered one girl with a very flowy colorful outfit with a man in nude colored blending clothing was cool as well. I also really liked how they had one mesh screen in the background when things such as memories were acted out, such as when Leila recounted how she got her necklace. However, during that one scene especially, the large statues got in the way, and I was unable to see a lot of the acting. They were very distracting, and smaller statues should have been used.
Jinny Kim p.4
Now, "The pearl fishers" is my favorite Opera. My favorite part was how director put background and colors. It was pretty and good to see. Also, I liked how director used curtain for waves. The bluish color of lighting made mysterious feeling which I like it and one of the scene that I thought it is really cool was when someone flies behind the curtain so make it swimming under the ocean. The actor that I really liked was Nadir, because his voice was really high but soft and clear.
Brian Penoyer Period 2
I really did like the show, as far as the acting and the stage effects and stuff. But I don't really like the way the director did the ending. One minute Zurga is in a rage about the two lovers and swears to see them both die, and then 2 seconds after seeing that necklace he's crying out "I will do my duty!" and runs of to save them. It seemed rushed, and I don't understand why he doesn't just go to the execution first and order them to be spared like before. Instead, he goes and sets the whole village on fire and endangers the children. not to mention the fact that he just stood there at the altar at the end and let himself get shot. So while the show as a whole was really beautiful and had some good singing in it, the ending kind of ruined it for me, and I think the director could have done a bit better on that part.
Kaiti Staup Period 4
The Pearl Fishers pleasantly surprised me. I really enjoyed Carmen when we watched it in class, and I was expecting to enjoy The Pearl Fishers also, but I loved the softer more exotic feel to the opera. In Carmen, the music was very strong, and fitting with the spanish themes, and The Pearl Fishers was unmistakably set in more tropical place. Not only did the music reflect the scene, but so did the theatrical choreography. I absolutely loved the flashy dancing, and the amount of dancers that seemed to take over the stage at any given moment. As we talked about in class I thought that the scarfs and sheets used in the dances not only added literal color, but also made the performance more interesting the the eye. The dances held my attention and caused me to become more involved in the performance as a whole. Over all, this was my favorite performance to date.
Regan McComb p. 6
I really enjoyed the Pearl Fishers. As soon as the dancing began at the beginning of the play I knew it was going to be really easy to pay attention to. The set also added to the opera as a whole. Especially the scene with the water and the swimmer. It all looked so real. I think the scene where Leila was dancing in the background while one of her lovers was singing about her was one of my favorites, as well as the Friendship Duet. However, I wasn't very fond of Zurga's voice but Nadir's was especially intriguing. I think the dancing made the opera a lot more interesting because it's easier to pay attention to when there's action on the stage rather than just singing. Overall the Pearl Fishers is my favorite!
Sam Bellefeuille P-6
The Pearl Fishers was probably my favorite performance so far. I liked how it started out with a bang by having all the people on stage and all the dancing was a great choice by the director. I know that people have said that the storm was their favorite part, and i do agree. All the lights and dancing was phenominal! I will admit i fell asleep for a little bit, but not because it was boring, but it was so late, but as soon as that storm hit, I was wide awake and totally interested again. I really didnt like how Zurga was shot at the end, that was a downer. But overall it was a great experience.
Christin Thrane
Period 4
I really enjoyed the Pearl Fisher, and I would say it’s my personal favorite so far.
I loved how they mixed the singing up with dancing, making the performance more colorful and interesting to watch. I think they did a great job on making the sets look realistic, and how it was versatile so it fitted for all the scenes.
The music was also very beautiful and soothing to listen to, more so than the music of Electra.
My favorite scene was the opening one. I was impressed by how they had made the curtains look like they were under water. I liked this scene because there was a lot going on on stage. The dancers were good, and having them on stage gave the performance more variation. I liked the costumes a lot, but I found it hard to tell Nadir and Zurga apart. This could have been made easier by not having as similar costumes.
Sara McCallum
Period 6
I really liked this opera, even though the story line was slightly boring. The way the director chose to use the curtains that separated one scene to another was a great idea. Especially when behind the curtain there was a person diving for pearls. That was a very effective way in showing what was happening through the song. It also, helped turn such a large stage into two different scenes that were being viewed at the same moment in time. Like when they had the curtain up when Leila and Nadir were making out and the storm happened, giving the villagers reason to come check things out. Plus, the way the conductor had his musicians play a wild, angered story with their instruments to represent the storm was brilliant.
Sarah Elliott
Period 2
First, I would like to start by saying that I'm glad to know that operas are not long or boring. I really enjoyed sitting through this one and watching. At the beginning of the opera my attention was really caught by the dancers because of their leaps & lifts. You could tell these we're hired dancers because of their talent. An opera singer who does not have dance experience could not do those high jumps or morph their bodies into those positions. I also really became excited when one of the dancers did an Areal (basically a cartwheel without hands). Though I enjoyed the dance throughout most of the show, I really detested the interpretive "storm" dancing. I've seen other interpretive dances like that, but this one just DID NOT work. It really bugged me when they were huddled in to clusters and these people with blue pieces of cloth ran around them. It seemed sloppy and I couldn't focus on anything, maybe that was the point, but they could have dont it with the people moving around frantically instead. Another part of the opera I really enjoyed with Nadir and Zurga's interaction at the beginning. It was clear that they were best friends and they allowed that to really develop and grown, which it was it was absolutely heartbreaking when Nadir betrayed his best friend. Another aspected of the show I enjoy was the set & lighting, they did a great job using their scrim, especially when the swimmer came up behind it while Leila was singing. I liked how in each act they made some sort of new platform they became of use to the singers. Overall this opera made me more open minded to operas.
Bergen Anderson Per. 2
This was by far my favorite opera so far, even though the lovely music lulled me to sleep for part of it. The music was just so soft and really beautiful. This performance had alot of scenery changes which kept me interested. One of my favorites was the boat that came in on very real looking water. The way they used lights and shadows to make it move like water was amazing. I also loved that it was in french because I could understand some of it, especially during the reccesatif when the words were more spoken than sung. This performance also had wonderful choreography and many dancers so even from the opening scene I was captivated.
Dathan Bauman
period 2
I really enjoyed the opera. I thought that the opera was really easy to follow. Unless the director was trying to do this I thought Nadir's and Zurga's costume was too close to tell them apart. Another problem was how Zurga got shot in the end. The people didn't even ask any questions. Other than these part I liked the opera. My favorite part was the diver scene. The folding curtain hid the person and actually looked like water. I think that curtain helped a lot in the production.
Kayla Aldridge
Period 6
The dancing was my favorite part of Pearl fishers. It was very well choregraphed and I liked how all the characters would dance in unison with each other. You could really tell how much work and practice was put into it. I also thought the setting and all the different lighting that was used made the opera much more appealing to watch. There was never a dull moment and all the different voice tones made it easier to understand. I didn't really like how Zurga got shot in the end but other than that I thought it was a great performance!
Tia Bailey
Period 4.
My favorite part about the Pearl Fishers was the scene between Nadir and Leila. I really liked how in the background, you could see the village becoming worried.
I remember you saying to the class that you always need to give an opera a second chance, the first may be the worst you've ever seen. I totally agree with this statement. The Pearl Fisher was by far the best opera. I thought everything about it was amazing. The stage effects with the multiple curtains to set a completly different scene like water really intrigued me. Also just like Mackenzie said, being a gymnast you really saw a different side of the dancing. But more importantly i loved how the dancing told a story and really exagerated the emotions so the audiance could feel it as well. I enjoyed this opera and i hope there will be more like this one.
^ Karin Ochsner Period 4
Jessica Taylor per 2
At the performance on Wednesday I really enjoyed the storm scene but I don't think that is was the best part of the opera like a lot of other people. I quite liked the final scene with Zurga and Leila in the tent; although it was almost like he was raping her when he got mad. Then When Zurga found out the Leila was the young girl that had saved him and decided to then save Nadir and Leila. I was not expecting Zurga to get shot at the end. I didnt even realize there were guns in the performance.
Another thing that I liked was how when they would be talking about the past they would have a scene in the background going through what the character was remembering.
One of the things that I didn't care for was during the storm scene there were people dancing around with those blue scarfs. It was kind of distracting.
Overall I think that The Pearl Fishers was the best performance we have been to so far this year.
Trisha Hancock
Period 2
The opening scene of the dancing was a good start, and got me really interested. I loved the different curtains that were used. One that stands out to me is when Leila is singing her first solo and behind the curtain she was standing infront of a pearl fisher came down, and swam back up, which I thought was a really good choice to do, and it caught me so off gaurd and kept me interested to see what else the directed would do throughout the opera. In the end when Zurga got shot that was surprising to me. Overall I found Pearl Fishers to be much better than Elektra, and I really enjoyed it.
Stuart Dransfield
Period 4
The peral fishers was not one of my favorite operas at all. The stage seemed really "busy" because a lot of people were doing different things on stage which made it hard to keep track of what was going on. Also the little ticker/translator at the top of the stage was annoying because I cant watch the stage and the translation at the same time, they could have just sung the opera in english and not have to deal with the tranlations. One cool thing that I did observe was in the begining how they made the peral fisher dive was very creative. Also I really liked how the stage was set up with the statue right in the center really caught my eye.
Evan Norris Per. 6
My favorite part of the play was the music and the water effects. I liked how they made the water look somewhat realistic as well as have the diver. I thought that the music was good there were definite motifs throughout the Pearl Fishers.
Rosie Polaschek, Period 4
I really really enjoyed Pearl Fishers. I thought that the storyline and the easier subject matter made it a lot more relatable and the light, smooth music made it easy to listen to.
I thought that the reasons I liked it were definitely more linked to Bizet's writing, music and storyline than to any of the choices the director made. I didn't like the gunshot at the end, it seemed jarring compared to the rest of the opera, kind of out of place, and I thought the director could have approached it in different ways. Also, 50 minutes of intermission?! Really?!
I loved the use of coloured screens and the scarves by the dancers, and I also really enjoyed the pearl fisher who swam past in the background. They helped to catch my attention and keep drawing it back in.
michael haines
period 4
the pearl fishers was my favorite preformance we have gone to so far. i really liked the technical theater it displayed with the diver in the background with the screen that was in front and looked liked water. also i really liked how you could tell the difference between nadir and the other guy just by the attitudes they displayed and by the music that went along with the two different characters.
Megan Housekeeper Period 6
I think that my favorite part of The Pearl Fishers was the sensuality of the opera. Many operas i've seen in the past don't allow the characters to show as much affection as the lead characters did, especially in the scene right before they were discovered. I think this made the story more believable and real, and created a deeper connection with the characters instead of just implying love through the music which is often lost. and who doesn't love a little skin?
Spencer asavadejkajorn. Period 4
The pearl fishers was a very good opera. I really like the efcets they used. The way the used the transparent curtains with a lighting effect really amazed me. Before the opera I was wondering how they would portray the underwater part and that was a great idea. The one thing I did not lien about it was the amount of performers on stage. I felt it was too cluttered to pay attention. Overall it was a good performance besides the fact of how late it was.
Mike smolkowski Period 4
Personally I thouht that the opera was not that good. Everyone else seemed to like it but to me, it was just so boring, it was almost impossible to stay awake for the whole thing. there were some things that were somewhat interesting such as all of the dancing and the curtains. The dancing kept me a little entertained while they were but, while they weren't, I was almost out cold. For the curtains, those were actually pretty cool because for example the beginning, where the curtain was out and it looked like it was under water. But when there was justa acouple people singing on teh stage, I was bored out of my mind. There sould of been something else going on or at least a little more movement to keep some people like me awake for more of the opera.
The opera was too long for me to stay awake for the whole thing and i actually found some parts boring, only because i was tired in the first place and the music just put me in a trance because it was so soft and easy to listen to. there were parts i enjoyed and that kept me entertained. In the beginning the dancers and all the people laughing and having a good time set a good mood. The dancers made the music interesting because it was pretty slow and dull for the most part, the dancers gave it some life and kept some action going.
Joel Maltos
Period 4
As most people my favorite part has to be when the storm appeared. I enjoyed the lighting and music they picked to depict that certain scene in the opera. Not many scenes in opera's come alive but the storm scene really came alive for me. I also liked the dancing scenes, i thought they did a beautiful job with all the dancing scenes. Other than that, all i really liked was the transparent curtains that made it look more water like and the musical motifs, as a whole i thought it was kind of boring....Not the best opera we have scene all year.
Erika Hodges per.2
This was so far my favorite opera. What I really enjoyed was the subtle scene changes. I also enjoyed when the time would change because the lights would go from light and bright to dark and gloomyish. The most effective thing for me to see when they were really on the beach was when they turned a black stage to look like it was sandy and also the way they did the water. The red ribbons they used when they talked about killing Leila and Zurga was also effective because you saw what they were doing. I think the gunshot at the end should have been done differently and also should have been more eye catching because it caught a lot of people off guard and it wasnt really something I would have pictured because even though guns were present I pictured they would have been killed with knives or swords because those were more pronounced throughout the whole opera.
The main parts of the opera that I loved were the music and the sets. I liked the colors throughout each of the sets, the way the water actually looked real, and the one scene where the person was swimming. My favorite scene was the storm. The flashing, and the lighting of the different blues and purples made the storm scene most enjoyable. Also the music for the scene was very storm-like, with the crashing of the cymbals and the thudding from the tympani. More over, the music was beautiful. It was like a lullaby throughout the whole opera, well excluding the storm and the unhappy parts. All the love songs were like lullabies (Nadir and Zurga’s Friendship Duet, Leila’s aria, Nadir’s aria, etc.). My favorite songs were sung by Leila. She has an amazing voice, which is saying something because I don’t generally complement opera singers.
The Pear Fishers is so far my favorite opera.
Brendan Connor Per.4
One of the best choices made by the director was to not actually show the village burning on stage. We were told that in some productions they had actual pyrotechnics on stage to represent the burning village. This must have dwarfed the performance of the actors on stage considerably. Without the village burning, it gives the audience more incentive to pay attention to the actors rather than the blazing buildings.
I thought the Pearl Fishers was a great opera. In class when we would talk about the opera and read I thought it would be very boring to see in real life. I was wrong, the lighting and the different background textures kept my eyes peeled the entire time. And then when I was starting to get tired....THE STORM HIT, and put new energy in to the play. I also liked how during most scenes there was a diver in the background and they always used to catch you eye for a little while and then they would wonder off stage. Overall I thought the opera was my second favorite performance, after Elektra.
Alyssa De Hoop Period 4
I thought it was interesting how they did the man fishing for the pearl, it looked very realistic. The motif of the duet that the two men sang together in the beginning was very effective. When it played you knew a new twist or turn involving the love triangle was coming your way. It was play quite a few times. The use of lighting was very clever. The lights were able to create the illusion of being under water, flashing lightning in a storm, and many other things. Also the set up of the stage was very convenient for all of the different settings for the scenes. They used the curtains well. The dance choices were also very effective. In the beginning the ensemble were leaping with joy and singing to keep the gods and towards the end when the show became more dark and about death the people were lying on the ground as if they were in pain or hiding for the gods. The choreagrapher used levels to their advantage. It made it more interesting and fun to watch. I did not, however think that gun was the right way to do the suicide in the end. It didn't seem to fit, perhaps a knife would have worked better.
Alex Garcia Period 6
I found "The Pearl Fishers" to be a very entertaining opera and although it had both positive and negative traits it still had something for everyone. During the performance it was difficult to determine what time period this opera was set in and can be accredited to the director and his interpretation of the opera. In the beginning of the opera most of the men only carried knives and reminded me of a relatively uncivilized culture. During the middle of the opera and again near the end we saw guns fired which didnt seem to fit into the surrounding setting and time period. I believe the director's decision to use guns in the opera was a poor choice and took away from the experience by making you wonder about the time period. One thing I truly enjoyed with regards to the opera was the amount of dancing integrated into the show. I found it interesting to be able to visually see the mood and current feel of the play through the way the dancers performed and at the same time hear similar moods and feelings through the singers and orchestra. For example when the dancers first appeared on stage the music was exciting and loud which could be seen through the dancers and their frequent leaps and quick movements across the stage. I also liked the technique they used to create an underwater effect. The light with the water gobo displayed upon the curtain helped me visualize an underwater scene and was a resourceful way for the director to create the undersea oasis.
Pearl Fishers I thought was done very well and it was one opera that was easy for me to stay awake for. I really liked when the guy was swimming in the background but i dont think i liked the blue veil the whole time because i didnt think it matched the idea at the time. At the end when the man was shot, i think the director could have picked a better choice of weapon like a sword or something.
Post a Comment