Welcome to our Opera Month! Yes, that's right, we're dedicating a WHOLE MONTH to the classic art form. Some see opera as intimidating or inaccessible and we wanted to help change that opinion! From opera's history to some of our team member's first-hand accounts, we are diving into all things opera... come and join us!

To kick things off Nicola shares her first-ever Opera experience with you!

Full disclosure. Just a few years ago I knew nothing about opera. I knew singers were defined by their vocal range but I thought you only had sopranos and baritones. Turns out there are six voice classifications with several sub-types. That's mind-blowing! Opera literally expands your eardrums with sounds you rarely hear. I had heard music by Pavarotti, Bocelli and Groban before but had never sat through an entire opera although I was first introduced to grand operas by a little girl whom I took care of, named Penny. She would ask me to play La Traviata among several others, mostly starring the incomparable Renee Fleming. This precious little girl would be mesmerized and narrate the story to me. What a beautiful thing opera is, it can touch a child's curiosity to such lengths that she then inspires a grown-up from South Africa to finally get her toosh to the Opera!  

And so flash forward a few years later to December 2018, when I found myself racing out the office and into a world I had never known. I was off to see Giacomo Puccini's Il Trittico which had its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918. I took a moment to think that a hundred years ago, just after World War I, someone was living out my evening to follow. I met my husband and a friend who were both dressed to the nines and excited to see the show. The questions flying back and forth were quite comical, we were all nervous for our first opera. What if I hate it? Can I go to the restroom? What if I fall asleep? It's so long - will we need snacks?

At last, we made our way in! We found our seats which felt like sixty-two floors up but we could see the stage clearly. It took my husband about 20 minutes to realize that there were subtitles which lead to a giggle attack. Once we settled in, however, we were completely swept away! The sets, the sounds and the sensations are quite marvelous. Il Trittico is written as three separate one-act operas which was fitting for first-timers and an absolute delight. There was an intermission between each and we decided to indulge in overpriced Champagne to celebrate our new-found culture. What we didn't know was that you could not take drinks into the theatre and so we had to slug them down. Not so classy but lesson learnt for the next time. We had already decided that we could make an evening at the opera a new tradition. I have since learnt that this production is seldom performed in its entirety given the scale. The sets alone require 27 truck containers! Another reason to feel extremely grateful for this magical night. 

There is no doubt that opera is lavish entertainment with a hefty price tag and some argue that the funds could be better spent. I wonder if this is the price to keep history alive and can only hope that as the years go by the audiences diversify. When you go to the opera it is not just your eardrums expanding. Music is the leading role and each note is riddled with history and hope for prosperity. 

Written by Nicola Quinn about Il Trittico at the MET Opera.