The curtain opens. The music begins. The performers begin to sing, and for just a moment, it’s as if one is transported back in time.
The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Department of Music held the Opera Scenes show on Nov. 13 and 14 in the Moss Performing Arts Center. According to the CMU Director of Voice Studies Dr. Graham Anduri, this show was unique in the sense that each scene was collaboratively directed by all of the cast members involved. He also directed the show.
“For me, the significance of having opera at CMU is to instill a large number of positive personal qualities in my students. The importance of the arts in general is to make us more complete humans [and] to be able to connect with one another through our shared humanity,” Anduri said.
The show began with a scene from the Italian opera “La Boheme” called “O soave fanciulla,” and closed with the one-act Italian-American opera “The Old Maid and the Thief.” The entire show featured a total of seven pieces, ranging in language from Italian, French and English. Colorado Mesa student David Silvano, who performed in three of the pieces, said that working with different languages was difficult, but it was ultimately an opportunity for growth.
“One of the difficulties with this production (and many opera productions for that matter) is the fact that we are required to sing in foreign languages that we’re not fluent in ourselves. For me, French is particularly challenging and posed a welcome opportunity for me to be able to learn and grow in that area,” Silvano said.
The performance also featured a number from “La Cenerentola,” the operatic Cinderella story written by composer Giocchino Rossini. CMU student Mandolyn Raper, who played one of the step-sisters, said that the process of putting together the show was work intensive and at times stressful, especially when it came to putting together sets and other components. However, she said that the experience was ultimately successful and rewarding.
“I think my favorite part about singing opera would have to be the feeling of the performance. You have to be completely present for every moment of the show and it feels so good to be able to share the energy of the music with the audience and with your castmates,” Raper said.
CMU student Anna St Peter, who played Cinderella in the scene from “La Cenerentola,” said that one of her difficulties throughout the process of putting together the show was moving away from her usual focus of music education and learning how to sing as an actress.
“Opera taught me that I can find a connection between my character and the audience if I’m willing to set those insecurities aside,” St Peter said. “In a way, I became a teacher on stage. Perhaps, there would be someone in the audience that could relate to the characters I could play and find solace and purpose as those developing characters find their own solace and purpose within the production.”
Silvano said that though playing a role in an opera performance can be challenging, it’s important to expose members of society to the beautifully emotional art that is opera.
“The experience was challenging. Even though I have been doing opera for a few years now, this production featured music that was quite vocally demanding,” Silvano said. “But it’s also so incredibly fulfilling to be able to share such beautiful music with an audience. It brings us closer to our fellow singers as well as the audience. It’s a wonderful human connection.”
