By Emiliana Russo, Contributing Writer
I went to see the opera “La bohème” at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York on Nov. 17 on a day trip organized by the Department of Music.
I must admit that until last summer, in spite of my Italian origins, I had never been very fond of operatic music. I had only enjoyed famous “arie” such as “Nessuno Dorma” by Giacomo Puccini and “Largo Al Factotum” by Giacchino Rossini, which are part of my Italian cultural heritage. But as for seeing an opera and appreciating its majesty, I had been skeptical and preferred to go to a concert, if given by a film composer.
Going to the Verona Arena on a whim in August to see “L’Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi made me wake up from my operatic reluctance: I realized how much I had underestimated the sophisticated art of opere. To my own astonishment, I saw, or more precisely, managed to glance at, the great beauty that characterizes the genre.
For that reason, when a colleague of mine at Susquehanna told me about “La bohème,” I jumped at the chance to immerse myself in the world of operas and understand it better.
I immediately bought a ticket for what might be labeled as my personal “Destinazione Paradiso” (Destination Paradise).
Once in New York, I entered what looked like a rather posh theatre, the Metropolitan Opera House, ready to open my mind and soul to the operatic genre.
However, I ignored how much that experience would put me in motion. While sitting among the audience, I alternated between a deep Aristotelian involvement (identification with the characters) and a constructive Brechtian reflection on the power of music and its ability to capture the ineffable.
By the end of the performance, I had experienced some sort of peacefulness I had not felt in a long time, and developed a great desire to learn more about operatic music and its benefits.
When I came back to Selinsgrove, I started doing online research. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything on the benefits of operas but I came across texts that celebrated music as capable of healing.
“The role of music in healing and wellness has been known for a long time. That role, however, has kind of gotten lost in our culture, but we’re rediscovering it,” Manager of therapeutic arts and activity services at Concord Hospital, Alice Kinsler, said, as quoted in Cindy Kibbe’s article “The Healing Power of Music.”
I also found that music does not only heal the heart but also the body (maybe they are connected somehow).
“Scientific research and studies continue to prove and support the overall benefits of music – such as the Colorado State University researchers who showed that 30 minutes of rhythmic stimulation helped the movements of stroke victims,” Rand Otten said in the Poughkeepsie Journal article “Healing With Music.”
Consequently, music has therapeutic effects in general, but what about operas?
At this stage I cannot draw any conclusion on operatic music, but I would like to encourage those of you who are intrigued by the genre and those who are reluctant to approach it to go and see an opera.
Maybe after that experience, you will be tempted to learn about its benefits with some research more precise than mine. Most importantly, seeing an opera might enable you to feel peaceful and put an end to your restlessness, even if only temporarily.
