The Tales of Hoffman
Last night was the latest Opera, "The tales of Hoffman".
Hoffman is a drunken writer/poet who is unlucky in Love.
But not for his own faults.
What we know, but Hoffman does not, is his life is pushed and pulled buy the forces of the Universe.
His Muse is in love with him, and wants him for herself.
To this end, the Devil is allowed to torture Hoffman. And torture him he does.
Hoffman contributes to this by falling 'madly in love' with every pretty face and leg with musical talent to walk by. (We, the audience, come to learn at the end of the show that this is understandable, because all these women he falls for are performed by the same actress!)
This is a happy ending.
Yes, he loses his many loves, one was actually a mechanical singing doll, another, a puppet of the Devil (the Devil had marionettes of Hoffman and his love in the back ground) who steals his soul and leaves him, and finally his true love, who must give up her life (literally) of singing or die, which she does (both). But Hoffman's muse wins out in the end.
The Devil was persistant. Why some evil force would dedicate so much of its immortal focus and energy towards one living soul doesn't seem to make sence to me. But in the last act, the Devil seemed to be "killing" two birds with one stone. Causing missery to Hoffman, but also to his lover's father buy killing not only the daughter, but also her mother years before...
The Devil was an equal opportunity nasty guy.
And with all this sadness, it is still quite humorous. From his muse mimicing the running down of the doll as her creator frantically scrambled to hook her feet up to the electricity, causing the lights to flicker! to the deaf servant who seems to only be able to hear the muse. (He also played mulitple parts but was incredible as he sung about his past life as a singer and dancer)
*******
Zelda was out of town this weekend visiting mom and dad.
I had a "date" to the show.
(Someone Zelda was concerned was "cuter" than she, which is NOT possible.)
Date was freaked out by the marionettes.
An avertion to dolls, like those folks freaked out by clowns.
She didn't like seeing the strings. I suggested it was the lack of natural movement, the akwardness of it, that disturbed her.
This brought up the notion of not being in control of our lives.
That something BIGGER is out there "pulling the strings".
Which suggests that we all do have strings.
Only we can't always see our own.
But doesn't mean others can't see our strings. (I'd say some of her strings are the need to find acceptance in the world through work).
And we ended with this must be the reason they admonish us to "never run with scissors"!
**********
In the end, it was a nice show,
lacked the color of the first performance.
And I can only attribute that to not being there
with Zelda.
Hoffman is a drunken writer/poet who is unlucky in Love.
But not for his own faults.
What we know, but Hoffman does not, is his life is pushed and pulled buy the forces of the Universe.
His Muse is in love with him, and wants him for herself.
To this end, the Devil is allowed to torture Hoffman. And torture him he does.
Hoffman contributes to this by falling 'madly in love' with every pretty face and leg with musical talent to walk by. (We, the audience, come to learn at the end of the show that this is understandable, because all these women he falls for are performed by the same actress!)
This is a happy ending.
Yes, he loses his many loves, one was actually a mechanical singing doll, another, a puppet of the Devil (the Devil had marionettes of Hoffman and his love in the back ground) who steals his soul and leaves him, and finally his true love, who must give up her life (literally) of singing or die, which she does (both). But Hoffman's muse wins out in the end.
The Devil was persistant. Why some evil force would dedicate so much of its immortal focus and energy towards one living soul doesn't seem to make sence to me. But in the last act, the Devil seemed to be "killing" two birds with one stone. Causing missery to Hoffman, but also to his lover's father buy killing not only the daughter, but also her mother years before...
The Devil was an equal opportunity nasty guy.
And with all this sadness, it is still quite humorous. From his muse mimicing the running down of the doll as her creator frantically scrambled to hook her feet up to the electricity, causing the lights to flicker! to the deaf servant who seems to only be able to hear the muse. (He also played mulitple parts but was incredible as he sung about his past life as a singer and dancer)
*******
Zelda was out of town this weekend visiting mom and dad.
I had a "date" to the show.
(Someone Zelda was concerned was "cuter" than she, which is NOT possible.)
Date was freaked out by the marionettes.
An avertion to dolls, like those folks freaked out by clowns.
She didn't like seeing the strings. I suggested it was the lack of natural movement, the akwardness of it, that disturbed her.
This brought up the notion of not being in control of our lives.
That something BIGGER is out there "pulling the strings".
Which suggests that we all do have strings.
Only we can't always see our own.
But doesn't mean others can't see our strings. (I'd say some of her strings are the need to find acceptance in the world through work).
And we ended with this must be the reason they admonish us to "never run with scissors"!
**********
In the end, it was a nice show,
lacked the color of the first performance.
And I can only attribute that to not being there
with Zelda.
posted by karlthebunny at 9:43 AM
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