Response to "Film + Opera = Happiness"

I too have realized that film has had a surprising degree of importance to both my own views of the operas which we have discussed this semester, as well as the discussion of these operas in class. This semester has really provided me with the two ends of the realm of opera history, with this course providing the most recent additions to the subject. In contrast, Opera Literature 1 has started at the earliest operas (arguably 1597, 1600, or 1607 depending on your view of which show is the first opera) and worked up until just prior to Mozart at this point. One thing that Professor Cusack has made clear is that she is not a particular fan of operas actually made as movies (as opposed to simply recording a stage production). Given the repertoire we have seen, I would be lead to agree that earlier opera, in particular, should be observed as a stage production. If that happens to be recorded, that is alright; the production aesthetics remain the same.

However, I cannot find the same convictions when I look at the operas which we have discussed in this class this semester. Many of the operas, I feel, would make wonderful movies. Take A View from the Bridge: I believe it has the essential elements to be very popular in today's cinematic realm. One point that Jen made really stands out to me. She wrote, "Although the subject matter is controversial, there is something extremely charming in the way the music was composed and the text was set." I would argue that the controversial nature of the subject material, if anything, makes it even MORE appropriate to today's cinema. Look at movies like The Hurt Locker and Stop Loss. The material presented in these movies, about the war on terror, can be considered very controversial. However, both are very successful films. I believe this edginess of content that we have found in many of the operas composed in the United States since 1950 makes them ideal material for movies.