Opera and the Bible

I have been observing my family and friends attending religious services every week.  It is an important ritual in their life.  Reading the weekly story from the bible, going over the various interpretations of biblical scholars year after year and delighting in the study is something important, they all cherish.  

In the same way I have many friends who are music lovers and they cherish their weekly visit to Disney Hall or Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to listen to LA Phil or watch a grand opera. It makes me wonder if this is the same need for continuity of the weekly ritual.  I stumbled upon a few “opera clubs” in out city.  It does seem like a ritual: You watch the Nutcracker before Christmas and other specific operas around the same time of year.  Opera lovers can watch the same operas again and again and delight on the voice of each new soprano or tenor.

It could be that sporting events are also filling the need for rituals.  Fans get to know the players and their life stories, they record all their great moves and get enchanted.

I just watched the opera “La Fanciulla Del West” by Puccini at the movies: Met Live in HD is showing Saturdays and Wednesdays at the AMC in the Century Mall.  It is a wonderful way to learn about the composer, the singers, the conductor and more.

Jiacomo Puccini was in NY 1907 and he watched the play “The Girl of The Golden West” by David Belasco on Broadway. He decided this story will be his next opera. It premiered at the Met in 1910.

The male role was played by Jonas Kaufman who revealed that he prepared for the poker scene by playing “Five Card Draw” and making whiskey sour. 

The dialogue that struck me was when Minnie says all three of them: bandit, sheriff and a saloon keeper are in the same business of gold and whiskey.

There was one scene that made the connection for me: The lady who keeps the saloon really likes the miners and cares for them.  She even runs an academy and serves as their teacher.  What is the lesson she teaches?  Nothing else but the biblical story of David and Goliath!  This young brave boy who kills the giant with a stone throw!  

Come to think of it, the previous opera I watched at the Met Live was: Samson and Dalila!

Additional notes from my friend Zvi:

As you probably know, the Bible together with the New Testament were, and still are, a major inspiration to infinite number of creations, musical, literature, painting, sculptures and any other art.

As to music, the basis were the monumental pieces written by the church and for the religious ceremonies.

Great works were composed by the Renaissance and Baroque composers - Bach, with hundreds of Oratories, Cantatas and Hymns. These referred mainly to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Immortal Oratories are the "Mateus Passion" the "Johannes passion" and more.

Another great contemporary composer was George Friedrich Handel, that focused on Biblical heroes and events. To mention that Handel wrote in English, tens of Oratories of his are pearls in the music crown.

These pieces I mentioned, and dozens more, consist of Vocal, Orchestra, Solo singing and even stage elements. Thus, these are close to the multi-elements of Operas, adding play to the dramatic content.