Word: operas
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Such was the case in Literature and Arts B-55: "Opera: Perspectives on Music and Drama," on the first Wednesday of shopping period...
...Granted, opera is one of, if not the, greatest musical forms in the world, and Professor Lewis Longwood is both humorous and entertaining; but at 11 a.m., even the eyes of the most dedicated opera buffs became glazed, straying to the list of musical virtuosos atop Paine Hall's decorative walls...
...Mozart Overture to "Le nozze di Figaro" fits right into the Valentine theme with the opera's classic comedic plot, replete with anticipated marriages, star-crossed crushes, and a character named Cherubino. Like the opera, the overture too is a classic. It is a sweeping, theatrical piece with sudden dynamic changes and deft technical work in the string section, all of which were handled perfectly by the orchestra. The effect produced by the period instruments on a piece normally performed by a much larger orchestra was interesting; the thin, pure sound of the violins juxtaposed with the raw yet perfectly...
Rossini's Overture to "L'italiana in Algeri," like most of Rossini's work, was composed in a hurry; opera companies often lost their commissions and (more often) composers procrastinated up to the last moment. Such haste, though, was not evident in the H&H's sparkling performance. The piece is highly whimsical and melodramatic in an almost burlesque manner, making it easy to see why Rossini overtures figure so prominently in cartoon soundtracks. Despite the overture's comic nature, the beautiful oboe solo at the beginning of the piece was highly expressive. A flute and oboe duet later...
...festival ends with a trio of shorts that both exalt and skewer classical music and opera. "Rhapsody Rabbit," "The Rabbit of Seville," and "What's Opera, Doc?" are wonderful, if skewed, introductions to music and theater...