The Third Man

As a Fourth Man, I thoroughly enjoyed the Third Man, captivated from the start of the gypsy jazz like intro credits until I was left watching Anna walking away from Holly. I thought it was a fantastic film. The plot itself was very unique. Building on the post-war lifestyle in Vienna, traumatized especially severe by the war, the plot follows most films in its genre of dark suspense.

One aspect I feel this movie diverged from the typical Film Noir framework is the same upbeat music played every scene. Though primed to do so in certain scenes, the music failed to build the suspense the way I thought they would have wanted to. This upbeat music as well as some of the witty commentary - especially between Holly and Major Calloway - suggested the movie leaned more toward the genre of a comedy if not for all the film noir effects used (lighting, shot angles, overall commentary).

Overall, I loved it.

How Carmen seductively changed my opinion of Operas

When I think of an opera, I think of a fat man wearing ruffles, singing unintelligible syllables. I don't think of a sexy woman singing and seducing man over man over man, so when I saw Carmen, saying I was surprised would be an understatement.

I have never been to an Opera, so I was completely unprepared. I didn't realize that people actually did dress up for it, so I looked like a newb in my baggy sweatshirt and leggings, standing next to fully prepared and dressed up Mac and Ryan. I felt self-conscious, as  I could feel eyes from every direction staring at me, but once the music started and the Opera began, none of the mattered. Every person in the audience, old, young, dressed up or not, was treated the same way the opera. The music was overwhelming, and I fully enjoyed myself, even though I didn't understand every thing.

The Carmen that we saw was different than I expected. It was definitely a modern adaptation. Prior to watching it, the only thing I knew of Carmen was the main song that I learnt to play on the piano when I was 10. I knew that it was written and Spanish, and was about a seductive woman, but I was expecting it to be more dramatic.

All in all, I did enjoy my Opera experience, and I definitely want to go to another. I no longer think of fat people singing, but of an artistic and musical way to tell a story. Thank you Carmen!

Don Carlos - A Night to Remember or Forget?

A short three weeks after arriving in Vienna, I was itching to finally experience one of the city's most famed arts, opera.  Hastily, I decided on Don Carlos without any prior knowledge as to the plot or music.  Essentially, it is a story of two lovers that can never be (duh).  Elisabeth and Don Carlos meet and instantly fall in love, but to uphold a peace treaty between France and Spain, Elisabeth is forced to wed Don Carlos' father, the king of Spain (bummer!).  Unfortunately, I didn't brush up on my French beforehand and this is about all I got out of it.  I can tell you this, though: it doesn't end happily.  Fortunately, there is a lot of lovely, dramatic, and often angry music to keep you entertained even without a proper understanding of the plot.

Although I had never previously seen an opera, I had two main preconceptions: everyone would be garbed in evening gowns and suits, and only the creme de la creme are allowed a box seat.  When a man in a red velvet cape outside the state opera house convinced me to buy a thirty dollar box seat ticket instead of my previous plan of buying a four or five Euro standing ticket, I thought I was entering some alternate universe in which I, too, could be one of Vienna's finest--at least for the evening.

But I was tricked!

The box seat ticket I received was in the third box up, the second box from stage right, and the second row within that box.  A massive flaw in the architecture of the Staatsoper is that the boxes are arranged in a kind of horseshoe shape, so the closest boxes to the stage face inward towards the house.  Thus, it became almost impossible for me to see the stage at all.  I was forced to stand and awkwardly hover above the old crones who sat (or slept) in the row in front of me.  It was not glamorous and not fun.

I was, however, able to listen to the beautiful music and read translations of the lyrics on a little screen that unfolded from the wall.  The Staatsoper is magnificent inside and out, and the performances are breathtaking, but I definitely will be going for the standing tickets in the future.

xoxo,

Conor

Carmen - A Magical Night with Carmen.

Though missing out on the experience of the Staatsoper, I was still able to enjoy one of Vienna's other famous Opera houses - The Volksoper. Tash, Mac and I went to see an interpretation of the Opera, Carmen, a french opera based in Spain of a Spanish officer who falls for a young gypsy woman (though we didn't know it before we arrived). The surprising twists in the plot we originally thought we knew may have skewed our opinion of the opera slightly. Firstly, the entire opera was sung in German, which strays from the original language. This has implications - the opera was written in French, and thus the notes and the melodies that move with the lyrics have a musical synchronization. The language, in my mind, acts as its own instrument. The German translation did not sound as smooth as I know the original sounds. The opera disappointed further when we were brought to an abrupt end of the opera. We were still waiting for the original opera's ending to play out! Still, the music was great.

 What I thought more fascinating was the opera house itself. Though it does not harbor the same history that the Staatsoper does, it still has maintained its original inner architecture. Though VOLKSOPER is painted around half of the opera house, the inside is extremely vintage and beautiful. From the chairs we sat in to the side boxes to the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, everything felt very Victorian.
 Overall it was a great experience.

Carman

Ryan, Tosh, and I went to see Carmen at the Volksoper. Carmen was written in French and tells the story of a Spanish army officer who falls in love with a young gypsy woman - Carmon. The production we saw was in German - not the original French - and was a modern interpretation. The costumes were also modern, and very minimalistic, not at all like the elaborate costumes of the French original. The plot was changed and the role of Escamillo, the matador was significantly downplayed. I am not sure how I felt about the opera. The music and orchestra, were excellent, but the profirhmance was lacking. Carmon was portrayed much more lascivious than in the original. The actress who portrayed Carmon had a very narrow range and while she hit the high notes with expertise, she sang all of her parts more than one octave too high for my ears. Don José was ok, but at points was a little flat. Escamillo was the best and the Bass who played him had an excellent voice and a full range. He was dressed in an all free suit and looked much more like a leprechaun than a matador. He was however the most amicable and enjoyable, character. Overall I really enjoyed the experience of going to an opera in Vienna, even if the interpretation was not my favorite. From the diversity in the crowed I learned that cultural events - like the opera - are much more universally popular than they are in the states.

An evening with Die Zauberflöte

After hearing so much about the Wiener Staatsoper and walking past it on my way to my german classes at IKI, I was intrigued to get the chance to take a look inside and experience the music and art. Mozart's "Die Zauberfloete" proved to be a compelling choice, as I have always loved his compositions.

The opera house certainly stands among Vienna's most ornate and beautiful buildings. The marble staircases, statues, and fountains outside certainly display the regal attitude that Vienna embodies. From out nose-bleeder balcony seats, we had a great view of about half of the stage and the orchestra pit.


The first act was very engaging and pleasant. I really enjoyed how happy and jovial the music was, and  in particular when the Tamino and Papageno would play their flutes. The music had a great melody, and I really enjoyed the comical dialogue between Tamino and Papageno. Although not all of the jokes translated well to english, there was a screen that translated the lyrics to english which made following the plot very easy.

I think that the second act dragged a little bit, with themes of silence and unrequited love. I felt bad for the man in the orchestra who played (I think) the Celesta, as he only played 2-3 times in the entire opera when Papageno would ring his bells. I often found myself thinking that the dialogue was written with the same over the top drama that is seen in action movies today. Pamina and Papageno in particular would go from overtly amorphous to suicidal at the flip of a coin. I really liked the resolution at the end with the triumph of light over darkness and Papageno finally finding his wife.

Overall I had a great time and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Vienna with a free evening.

The Ladies of the Opera

Standing in the nosebleeds of the opera house made me realize two things:
One-- When they say heat rises, they mean it. Especially in a giant room full of people.
Two-- Not all opera houses are made so everyone gets a great view of the stage, no matter how ornate that said opera house is.

When I got to my stehplatz, I contented myself to listening to music rather than seeing a play. Music, after all, is the primary thing I think of when I hear the word "Opera." The lady in front of me, however, was not so content. For most of the "Zauberflöte" I watched this elegant lady in pearls lean precariously over the railing, trying to gain a better view of the stage. With every transition, she would go through a dance of sorts, bending along with the music. As the music gained momentum, she would leap back up to the railing while the orchestra played frantically below.

The music was wonderful, even though I couldn't see every action being done on stage I heard everything perfectly clear. The acoustics of the Staatsoper made me feel as if I was in the front row, and when I closed my eyes, I could almost believe it. But these acoustics provided other unintentional entertainment for the evening. Occasionally from the dark seating areas of the opera house came the near deafening cough of a woman in her 80's. Towards the end of the opera, I began to feel worried that the excitement would be too much for her. Especially with the loud whooping of the man to our left. They seemed to be in a contest for who could be loudest.

Those things aside, I found it a very enjoyable evening. I found the underlying tones of the freemasons to be clever, although not entirely hidden. Particularly when they pulled out their triangles for a good 10 minutes in case anyone had missed it. I liked that the majority of people dressed up for the occasion in long flowing dresses as well as suits with ties. I would definitely go again, if only to vie for a better spot.

Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" - The Magic Flute

Because Vienna is known for its musical history, going to the opera is an absolute must. The Staatsoper, or the Vienna State Opera is located in the ‘Innenstadt’ or the center of the City. The building is as much of the experience as the opera itself. Like many of the other historic structures in Vienna, the opera house has a way of taking you back in time. When approaching the arcaded entrance it is easy to imaging back in the day when the prominent guests would arrive in their elegant gowns and tuxedos to be let out at the door from their horse drawn carriages.

            As students however, today we arrive and make our way to the side entrance to find a line that seems to stretch half way around the building. The line went reasonably fast however and was not a trouble at all. We were sure to arrive at least an hour before the show in order to obtain standing tickets which cost a mere 3 euro- that works out to be only a euro per hour! Although I wanted to wear my heels I knew we would be standing for three hours so I opted for more practical shoes. Other woman standing in the line seemed to not have thought so far ahead and stood in 4 inch stiletto heels- they surely could not have lasted long.

           Once we got into the opera house the entrance hall left me speechless. Climbing the marble staircases that surround the central opening lit by globed lights again reminds me of what it might have been like to climb the stairs back when the opera would have been full of no one but the most important figures of Viennese high society. It is simple wonderful.

            We ended up standing on the highest level where we could see about half the stage- for 3 euros it wasn’t half bad. The opening orchestra melody was lovely. Watching the orchestra conductor was my favorite part, he was so animated and intense- I now realize that conductors stereotypically have long hair because it makes their head motions even more dramatic as their whole body seems to be attacked by the excitement of the music.

            I plan to definitely return to the Opera. Next time I think I’ll arrive two hours early however so that maybe a spot will be open where the entire stage is visible. For my first opera though, the experience was one to remember!

Die Sauberflöte

Last Friday I went to the opera Die Sauberflöte. It was not the best experience, but ill get to that later. There were not too many positives in my experience, but to start, the music was beautiful.

Every song was wonderful and angelic in my ears and I even recognized a few of the tracks since I downloaded the Top 100 Classical songs of all time recently. The play also had a few funny moments amid the action, like poking fun at women at some parts (obviously not men because that may have been frowned upon when the play was first written). Luckily there were also small translators so I was able to follow the story plot quite well, especially when they were singing because that didn't sound anything like German.

The tickets we bought were 3 Euro, and the placement of our seats (especially mine) reflected the cost. were were up on the 5th level and I was on the far stage-left side, so I could only see 20% of the actual stage, and that was only when the woman infront of me wasn't standing up to see. Although the play was translated, my translator was on the side opposite from the stage, so when there was action on that side, I would have to look back and forth to first read what was going on, then hope to look over in time to see what was happening.

If I were to see it again, I would definitely try to get better seats, but this time all in all I guess it was worth only paying 3 Euro

Opera Puccini's LA BOHEME

This is my first time to go to the opera, and I was so excited and looked forward to it before I came. Stacie and I planned to go to the Staphansplatz opera one and a half hour earlier before the opera began, but when we arrived, there were already nearly 30 or more people waiting outside of the opera. It was Monday, and I thought that there would not have many people to come to the opera. The passions -- Viennese to the opera are really out of my expectation. The tickets go on sale 80mins before the opera starts, and there are three section for standing tickets: Partere, Balkon and Galerie. We bought the Partere tickets. It is 4 euro, only one euro expensive than the other two sections, but the position is the best. It is at the second floor, and directly faces the stage, and the other two sections are at the side of the stage.

The most important thing: Please remember to bring an extra scarf with you! Because it is standing ticket, so you need to tie your scarf at the railing in front of you to occupy your position. I forgot to bring my scarf, so I cannot leave my position just standing there. It is very crowed, and five or more people stand at each line. When the opera begin, the light turns down, and the music goes up.  I could not even feel any crowed, but just focused on the stage. The atmosphere was wonderful; I felt that myself was personally on the stage, and speed of my heart beating up and down with the music. There is a small screen in front of each person with the English subtitles. It is useful to me to understand the opera better than just watch.

Being honest, the standing position is a little bit uncomfortable.  We need to arrive at the opera two hours earlier, and watch the opera for two more hours keeping standing for four hours. Next time I think I will buy a seat ticket to enjoy the opera better.    

Die Zauberflöte

Experiencing the grand Staatsoper in Vienna was definitely unforgettable.  This was my first time going to an opera, and what better place to do so than in the heart of a city with such a rich musical history.  On Friday, I went with six other people from our group to see Mozart's famous "Zauberflöte."  We bought Stehplatze, standing room tickets (only three Euro)  for the Galerie section, at the very top of the opera house.  Despite the fact that we arrived about an hour before the show began, there were barely any spaces to stand, which left us with a poor view of the stage.  Even though I could only see about half of what happened on stage, the overall experience was great.  I had a fine view of the impressive orchestra, and we had translator screens to better understand what they were saying/singing throughout the performance.  The music, the costumes, the stage sets, and the performance, were all so colorful, elaborate, and entertaining- leading me to believe that the grandeur of the opera is just as alive today as when the Staatsoper first opened in 1869.

Figuring Out the Staatsoper

I actually have ended up going to two operas so far at the Stattsoper in Vienna. Two weeks ago I went with Yuki to see "La Bohème" and on Friday I went with a larger group to see Mozart's famous "Die Zauberflöte." Each performance offered a different experience but not really because of the actual show. Instead the location of my seats made a major difference of my opera experience.

Both times I opted for the Stehplatz option, standing tickets. When I went to "La Bohème" I was in the ground floor standing section. I got my tickets for a whopping 4 Euro and they were supposed to be the best among the Stehplatz. Yuki and I got to the opera an hour and a half early, but still by the time we got to our section there were practically no spots. I ended up in the back corner smooshed between two women I did not know. The show began and immediately I was impressed by the musicians, costumes, sets, and singers. However the level of uncomfortableness that came from a woman leaning on me, the booth being a million degrees, and the fact that I couldn't see the translator made for a not so enjoyable experience. 

Round II of the opera with "Die Zauberflöte" was a much better experience. This time we opted for the Gallery seats located at the very top of the opera house. While technically my viewing angle was not as prime, I had a translator and did not have a woman leaning on me for hours. The singing was great, but the orchestra was phenomenal! I was quite impressed. I was also impressed by the costumes. They were extravagant, ornate, and beautiful. Everything I expected of an opera costume. Once again it was rough standing for 3 hours, but overall it was a much better experience.

I am glad I gave the Staatsoper a second chance after seeing "La Bohème." In general going to the opera is a regal experience that is quite enjoyable. I think it is great that the opera house offers cheap tickets so that any person has a chance to soak in the art. I am though excited to go back and have real seats and take in the regality even more so. 

LA BOHÈME

Since all of us are opera beginners, Fan, Cindy and I decided to choose La Boheme as our first opera in Vienna. All the information that Gloria sent us through the email was really helpful. Like what Gloria said in the email, “Space is limited and therefore arriving early is the key to success”. Although we arrived there one hour early, there were full of people in the waiting line. Unfortunately, the first Stehplätze has already sold out when we bought the tickets. As a result, we bought the second ones and didn’t see the whole stage during the performance. Thus, for the people who wanted to buy Stehplätze that has a great point of view the entire stage, we suggest you can arrive to the box office one and a half hours early.

La Boheme mainly tells the love story about Rodolfo and Mimi.  The story begins in a cold winter in Rodolfo’s apartment. Rodolfo and his friends want to burn Rodolfo’s work to warm themselves.  They decide to go and get a drink after they tricked their landlord to avoid the rent. Rodolfo want to finish his paragraph, so they are waiting for him down stair. At that time Mimi, Rodolfo’s neighbor, come with a candle to ask for the fire. She is so weak that fall into Rodolfo’s arm. Their story begins. Rodolfo brings Mimi with him to the café and introduces her to his friend. However Rodolfo feels unsafe with Mimi, since there are other guys around her. He also wants Mimi to date with some rich guy who can help with her illness. Mimi cried in Rodolfo’s arm and said goodbye to him. In coming spring, Mimi comes to the apartment to see Rodolfo for her last time. Rodolfo and his friends sold all their valuable things to buy medicines for Mimi. However Mimi still died at the end. Rodolfo holds Mimi in his arm. The story ended with Mimi’s death.

I really enjoyed the music presented by the musicians. The emotions of the actors and actresses were perfectly expressed by the tones of the music. My favorite part of the opera was the scene when Mimi is so weak and dying. As Mimi says, “I feel safe now”, because she gets back to Rodolfo and dies in his arms, the music started to become so sad and touching that I couldn’t help to control myself but cried. I enjoyed the whole show, even though I couldn’t see the whole stage from where I stand, but fortunately there are screens that show the subtitles in both German and English so that I could catch up what the actors and actresses were talking about. One line from Rodolfo moved me the most, “Mimi is a hothouse flower, blighted by poverty. Love alone could not restore her health.” I felt so sorry for this poor couple. Because of poverty, they couldn’t do anything for each other even though they love each other to death. Even though Mimi goes out with the rich guy, she feels unsafe and unhappy. I guess I could never forget how happy she looks when she returns to her true love, Rodolfo.