Opera concert review - Essay Example

The Mikado The Mikado Opera concert was very exciting for me. It was a combination of humor, history, musical prowess and an expression of individual talents. Everyone who was involved in planning, organizing and making the concert happen did a very commendable job and it was a success. The Mikado was performed in a Japanese setting but only to satirize the British community. This was a great feature in the performance that stood out for me. Even in this time and date, the organizers of the Mikado concert still arranged everything to replicate the Japanese society.

The stage was set in a mixture of different bright colors and the lighting was good enough to bring out the mood and the sentiments. The actors adorned Japanese costumes and used some Japanese words to make the performance authentic. The Japanese tune, “Mi-Ya-Sa-Ma” was played in perfect Japanese style and helped in reinforcing the Japanese theme. These played out very well by giving me some insight into ancient Japanese society. The wordplay and the clarity in which the words were delivered kept me interested throughout the performance.

The manner in which the actors used language and rhyme brought out their professionalism in using such stylistic devices to entertaining the audience. The comedy in the performance came out effortlessly. The choice of the characters was an outstanding one, and amongst the major things that made the performance memorable. The chorus was excellently done. Each and every character involved in it gave it their best and it came out perfectly. The singing was well harmonized with the comedy and this was even clearly expressed by the items used by the ladies and gentlemen of Japan.

The opening line, “If You Want To Know Who We Are” (Sullivan, & Gilbert Act 1) was quite an exciting attention grabber. It created some curiosity in me that I was eager to know what would happen. The orchestra mostly on the overture was very satisfactory. There was exemplary harmony in the way the instruments were coordinated. The arrangement of the songs was such that they were expertly paced and created enough time for comic effect which was well expressed by the Japanese vase-full (Sullivan, & Gilbert Act 2).

The role of the Mikado was given the justice it deserved. The character used his skills to sing and act it out giving it all the dignity befitting a real Emperor. In addition, Pooh Bah’s state duties were well captured. The singing was done in a clear tone and amazing diction. The character of Nanki-Poo was also very admirably played. It involved using the characters fine tenor which ended up being very memorable. The most outstanding character was Ko-ko. He used his vocals to command respect and was very witty in his delivery.

He did exemplary well as an actor and singer. His stage presence kept me anticipating for his next moves. The Mikado was an excellent performance for me. It was entertaining and even though I don’t think it adequately represented the Japanese society in the 1900s, the well chosen characters made up for that. The music was well played and helped in reminding me of the amount of time and dedication it took the cast to make the performance a success. This particular performance opened the door for and roused my interests in operas.

It helped to eliminate the notion I had that operas are for the rich and the old people. I will definitely be attending more operas in the future. Works CitedSullivan, Arthur, and W S. Gilbert. The Mikado. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print.