One of the great personal discovers of mid-life has been opera.  I fell mysteriously in love with this art form in my late forties and can’t seem to get enough of it.  Last year I did some volunteer photography work for Tacoma Opera shooting rehearsals with the intent of giving a “behind the scenes” look at how an opera comes together start to finish.  What an eye-opening experience it has been to see what is involved with pulling together an opera production in a short five weeks or so!

The company’s second production of the 2009-10 season is Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”.  It is a marvelous “opera buffa” (comic opera)  with the unmistakable orchestration of Mozart instantly recognizable for the first bar of the Overture (YouTube).  Although I have photographed three previous operas for Tacoma Opera, this will be my first attempt to write a little about the experience.  My intent is to write a short commentary about things of interest to me (and perhaps the reader) I notice in each rehearsal (I don’t go to them all nor do I stay for the whole thing). As you will see below I have posted short video commentaries on each rehearsal.  These are obviously rough and unedited shot with a Flipcam.. a phone-size camera that is incredibly easy to use.  My intent is to share some of my “off-the-cuff” thoughts either before, during or after each rehearsal.  On occasion I get a few details wrong but I hope these give a sense of how much fun this process is for me as an opera fan.

Disclaimer: 
I am NO opera expert, nor am I versed in music.  I’m just a simple opera fan.  My approach will be one of interested observer, one with great admiration for the awesome talent and dedication of the artists and all those involved in the production who’s collective passion and dedication to this venerable art form keep opera alive and viable. 

All photos are here

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