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Crowds Define Opera. They’re Also Keeping It From Returning. Crowds Define Opera. They’re Also Keeping It From Returning.
(32 minutes later)
Most of Verdi’s “Aida” is focused on intensely dramatic scenes for only one, two or three singers at a time. But it’s crowds that define the experience of this opera.Most of Verdi’s “Aida” is focused on intensely dramatic scenes for only one, two or three singers at a time. But it’s crowds that define the experience of this opera.
It’s not just the spectacular Triumphal Scene. In the first act, priests, ministers and military officers, summoned by the King of Egypt, assemble to learn who has been chosen to command their troops against advancing Ethiopian invaders. Full-throated choral outbursts shift from avenging threats against their enemies to stirring expressions of Egyptian resolve.It’s not just the spectacular Triumphal Scene. In the first act, priests, ministers and military officers, summoned by the King of Egypt, assemble to learn who has been chosen to command their troops against advancing Ethiopian invaders. Full-throated choral outbursts shift from avenging threats against their enemies to stirring expressions of Egyptian resolve.
Crowds are essential to this moment — and, really, to opera as an art form. Choruses fill the stage; musicians cram into the orchestra pit; thousands of people sit shoulder to shoulder in the theater. The Metropolitan Opera, one of the world’s largest houses, seats an audience of nearly 4,000. And it would probably have been packed for the season’s opening night on Sept. 21, the premiere of a new “Aida” production.Crowds are essential to this moment — and, really, to opera as an art form. Choruses fill the stage; musicians cram into the orchestra pit; thousands of people sit shoulder to shoulder in the theater. The Metropolitan Opera, one of the world’s largest houses, seats an audience of nearly 4,000. And it would probably have been packed for the season’s opening night on Sept. 21, the premiere of a new “Aida” production.
But it’s no longer certain when opening night will happen. The Met announced on Monday that its coming season’s performances would be canceled at least until New Year’s Eve, as social distancing measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic continue to keep theaters across the United States shuttered. Opera fans will have to endure once-unimaginable disappointment, though this loss is nothing compared with the devastating impact that the virus has had on countless lives, and that the shutdown has had on the livelihoods of artists and innumerable backstage staff.But it’s no longer certain when opening night will happen. The Met announced on Monday that its coming season’s performances would be canceled at least until New Year’s Eve, as social distancing measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic continue to keep theaters across the United States shuttered. Opera fans will have to endure once-unimaginable disappointment, though this loss is nothing compared with the devastating impact that the virus has had on countless lives, and that the shutdown has had on the livelihoods of artists and innumerable backstage staff.
Of course, opera revels in glorious solo voices; I’ll never forget my first “Aida,” starring a radiant Leontyne Price, when I was a teenager. Yet in this dismaying moment, as an opera lover, a Met regular and a New Yorker, it’s crowds that I miss the most. They add to the mystique of classical music in spaces of all sizes, from an intimate recital room to Carnegie Hall’s spacious auditorium. In opera, however, they are not only crucial but special: When a rousing chorus breaks out, the audience feels swept away, pulled right into the music and the drama.Of course, opera revels in glorious solo voices; I’ll never forget my first “Aida,” starring a radiant Leontyne Price, when I was a teenager. Yet in this dismaying moment, as an opera lover, a Met regular and a New Yorker, it’s crowds that I miss the most. They add to the mystique of classical music in spaces of all sizes, from an intimate recital room to Carnegie Hall’s spacious auditorium. In opera, however, they are not only crucial but special: When a rousing chorus breaks out, the audience feels swept away, pulled right into the music and the drama.
Every aspect of going to a Met performance involves mingling closely with others. You take the subway to Lincoln Center. If you’re grabbing dinner with a friend beforehand, you count yourself lucky to have a little table during the preperformance rush at a nearby restaurant. You walk across the plaza, which is usually bustling. Then you settle into your seat and wait for the crowds to assemble onstage.Every aspect of going to a Met performance involves mingling closely with others. You take the subway to Lincoln Center. If you’re grabbing dinner with a friend beforehand, you count yourself lucky to have a little table during the preperformance rush at a nearby restaurant. You walk across the plaza, which is usually bustling. Then you settle into your seat and wait for the crowds to assemble onstage.
If the opera happens to be Puccini’s “La Bohème,” in Franco Zeffirelli’s enduringly popular and extravagant 1981 production, the Café Momus scene offers a glorified — some would say prettified — representation of the buzzing streets we in the audience just left behind. The set depicts a small cafe opening into a large square in Paris teeming with nearly 240 revelers, street urchins, vendors, soldiers and a marching band. It’s shamelessly spectacular, musically infectious and utterly enjoyable.If the opera happens to be Puccini’s “La Bohème,” in Franco Zeffirelli’s enduringly popular and extravagant 1981 production, the Café Momus scene offers a glorified — some would say prettified — representation of the buzzing streets we in the audience just left behind. The set depicts a small cafe opening into a large square in Paris teeming with nearly 240 revelers, street urchins, vendors, soldiers and a marching band. It’s shamelessly spectacular, musically infectious and utterly enjoyable.
I’ve always been most affected by the crowd scenes in which choristers, following a longstanding convention of the genre, face the audience and voice their phrases collectively. Take the final scene of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” when the beloved master singer Hans Sachs arrives to attend the annual song contest in Nuremberg. In the Met’s vividly old-fashioned Otto Schenk production, it seems like the entire town has assembled onstage. The choristers, facing Sachs and the audience, sing a stirring chorale in tribute to this decent, modest man, a cobbler, and hail him in full-voiced salutations. It’s a glorious, overwhelming sound.I’ve always been most affected by the crowd scenes in which choristers, following a longstanding convention of the genre, face the audience and voice their phrases collectively. Take the final scene of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” when the beloved master singer Hans Sachs arrives to attend the annual song contest in Nuremberg. In the Met’s vividly old-fashioned Otto Schenk production, it seems like the entire town has assembled onstage. The choristers, facing Sachs and the audience, sing a stirring chorale in tribute to this decent, modest man, a cobbler, and hail him in full-voiced salutations. It’s a glorious, overwhelming sound.
Another such moment comes at the end of Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” which was to have returned to the Met in November in Jürgen Flimm’s splendid production. Men who have been unjustly jailed by an autocratic governor are liberated and joined by their jubilant wives and children. Everyone sings a rousing chorus, celebrating freedom and hailing the heroism of Leonore, who has rescued her husband, a political prisoner. Beethoven’s ode to joy in this choral scene is just as thrilling as his setting of Schiller’s actual “Ode to Joy” in the finale of his Ninth Symphony.Another such moment comes at the end of Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” which was to have returned to the Met in November in Jürgen Flimm’s splendid production. Men who have been unjustly jailed by an autocratic governor are liberated and joined by their jubilant wives and children. Everyone sings a rousing chorus, celebrating freedom and hailing the heroism of Leonore, who has rescued her husband, a political prisoner. Beethoven’s ode to joy in this choral scene is just as thrilling as his setting of Schiller’s actual “Ode to Joy” in the finale of his Ninth Symphony.
Solemn crowd scenes can be soberly beautiful, like the chorus of priests at the temple of wisdom in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” which was to have been presented in a new production by Simon McBurney opening on New Year’s Eve. (Instead, Julie Taymor’s staging will be revived.) During the first act of this fairy-tale opera, the good and bad characters are deliberately ambiguous. But in Act II, the music for the priests — sonorous refrains, and a full-voiced, beautiful chorus — lends them depth and poignancy. For a moment the stage is filled with people who, however flawed, are striving after truth.Solemn crowd scenes can be soberly beautiful, like the chorus of priests at the temple of wisdom in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” which was to have been presented in a new production by Simon McBurney opening on New Year’s Eve. (Instead, Julie Taymor’s staging will be revived.) During the first act of this fairy-tale opera, the good and bad characters are deliberately ambiguous. But in Act II, the music for the priests — sonorous refrains, and a full-voiced, beautiful chorus — lends them depth and poignancy. For a moment the stage is filled with people who, however flawed, are striving after truth.
Then there’s the feisty crowd in Act I of Bizet’s “Carmen,” which was scheduled to return to the house in October. Workers on break from a Spanish tobacco factory, Carmen among them, are joined in a square by idle soldiers and townspeople. She sings the seductive “Habanera,” likening love to an untamed bird. The crowd echoes her words and cheers her on with collective choral refrains. Who could resist her?Then there’s the feisty crowd in Act I of Bizet’s “Carmen,” which was scheduled to return to the house in October. Workers on break from a Spanish tobacco factory, Carmen among them, are joined in a square by idle soldiers and townspeople. She sings the seductive “Habanera,” likening love to an untamed bird. The crowd echoes her words and cheers her on with collective choral refrains. Who could resist her?
Updated June 12, 2020Updated June 12, 2020
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
In April, the Met presented an inspiring, four-hour virtual gala with some 40 artists in quarantine performing live from their homes around the world. But there were a few prerecorded offerings, and the most moving one featured members of the chorus and orchestra in an elegant account of “Va, pensiero,” from Verdi’s “Nabucco.”In April, the Met presented an inspiring, four-hour virtual gala with some 40 artists in quarantine performing live from their homes around the world. But there were a few prerecorded offerings, and the most moving one featured members of the chorus and orchestra in an elegant account of “Va, pensiero,” from Verdi’s “Nabucco.”
This resplendent chorus, with a wistful melody that soars over a simple, steady orchestra accompaniment, is sung by exiled Hebrews who send their thoughts “on golden wings” to their distant homeland. In the Met’s production, the choristers just sit atop stone walls and steps, facing the audience, which makes the music all the more moving: Though far from home, they can at least rekindle sweet memories.This resplendent chorus, with a wistful melody that soars over a simple, steady orchestra accompaniment, is sung by exiled Hebrews who send their thoughts “on golden wings” to their distant homeland. In the Met’s production, the choristers just sit atop stone walls and steps, facing the audience, which makes the music all the more moving: Though far from home, they can at least rekindle sweet memories.
“Nabucco” is slated to return to the Met in March. We have to hope that New York performing arts institutions will be able to welcome exiled artists and audiences home by then.“Nabucco” is slated to return to the Met in March. We have to hope that New York performing arts institutions will be able to welcome exiled artists and audiences home by then.