Le nozze di Figaro

The Marriage of Figaro was a stunning performance which included the entire opera in a condensed stage setting. The performers interacted with the orchestra and choir that was place in the center of the stage. Watching the comedic opera in the place where the sound of music was filmed was transformative. The lights shined on the back wall the same as in the movie. The visual seem so memorizing and enhanced the performance. The light that follows the Von Trapp family was used as a moon in the sky for the fourth act garden scenes. The opera itself on paper reads like a confusing soap opera, but when performed, Mozart created music that connected the story line and clearly divided the 7ish plots the opera presented. The singers were not miked, but their voices carried into the end of the hall. I did feel sorry for the conductor when his glasses fell on the floor. I was worried that he might step on them and not be able to play the continuo parts on the piano, but one of the singers and him were able to pick up his glasses.  He was amazing at interacting between the singers and the instrumental ensemble. The ques were precisely placed and he was able to continue conducting when interacting with the singers or picking up his glasses.

After the opera, something amazing happened. Jessica, Alyssa, and I went to a  Chinese restaurant to eat dinner and in the middle of our meal, Maurizio Muraro and Angelo Pollak from the opera showed up. They sat at our table and we all started a conversation about the opera and it's music. It was very interesting to talk with them about their music and how Mozart composed this very complicated opera. They also asked more about our trip and were very impressed that our professor arranged the whole thing.  We ended up talking at the restaurant for around two hours! At the end of our conversation, Maurizio Muraro gave us the flowers he got on stage and the box of macaron since he was flying the next morning and did not want to take them. Then we all gave each other goodbye hugs and went our separate ways. Talking with them was an amazing experience and it was very interesting to learn more about their experiences and personalities.

One of the artists that I researched more about during this trip was Anna Chromy. She is a Czech painter and sculptor and I located her pieces both in Prague and Salzburg. Chromy studies under Salvador Dali (super cool) and admired other surrealism artists. Her most famous sculpture is the Cloak of Conscience. This piece was created in 2008 to mark the creation of the Conscience Institute. The empty draping cloak is in remembrance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and hides it’s true essence. Other than outside the Salzburg Cathedral, the statue is located outside of the Estates theatre in Prague where Don Giovanni was premiered.