Metropolitan Opera House Essay Example for Free

Metropolitan opera House EssayMaria Callas gives an heavy(p) movement at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. This is unsurprising as Callas was one of the most famous sopranos of her time and a accepted diva. The Newspaper review is gushing in praise of Callas who gives a powerful and convincing performance.It is noted that the reviewer had some reservations on a previous performance but the performance of Violetta in La Traviata left the reviewer in no doubt that Callas gave a performance that was the best interpretation he had al focuss witnessed in all his time attending and reviewing operas. The performance as Viloletta is a more congenial part than previously seen by the reviewer and it has so a great deal passion and personal interpretation that it is difficult to distinguish between the dramatic and vocal performances. The whole performance seems real and the acting and singing become one, the gross(a) operatic qualities. The words in an opera can seem disjoin ted and difficult to express when read without music and it is Callas who brings the script and plot alive by sewing all the parts together to make an outstanding dramatic performance in conjunction with the musical performance by the orchestra..She still had the excellent wobble in her voice which is evident on the CD in some places, for example at 119 and 0200 when the singing becomes fortissimo. However her repute as a performer was so great that her fans and the reviewer where able to forgive this perceived fault and even claim that it added to the intensity of her performance. It shows emotion in the voice and this adds to the tragic quality of the roles often played by female opera singers.The CD shows a wide range of singing from the initial pianissimo start and the pizzicato accompaniment from the string section building up to 113 when Callas builds to an ornament at 119. The whole performance is actually smooth and displays and you can hear the passion in Callas voice whe n she expresses her feelings.The reviewer mentions her striking presence which is an important part of opera throughout the world. Callas presence was strengthen by her status as a Diva and her reputation was worldwide. She had performed for the previous 7 years at La Scala in Milan to triumphant reviews and had gained publicity 4 years earlier when her appearance changed dramatically having lost 30 kilos in weight. She was married to a prominent businessman and Opera lover and was on the term of starting a relationship with a world famous shipping magnate. Callas was portrayed as a Diva in much the same way as someone like Madonna is today and the public interest in her life only served to fuel her presence and reputation on the stage.Opera is performance on a grand scale so much so that opera venues are some of the grandest, most iconic and well appreciate places in the world, for example the Sydney Opera House. Those who succeed in such an environment must be larger than life personalities.Maria Callas was certainly a Diva and her life was followed and reported by fans and the press alike. Her life was lived in the glare of publicity and even though she led a private life side by side(p) her retirement in 1965 she still attracted great interest when she made public appearances. It is easy to see the appeal of her character and that many people liked to conjecture of her as a tragic heroine due to difficult events in her life. In many ways this mirrored the Operatic roles she played with so much condemnation it sometimes blurred the boundaries between reality and performance.