La mamma morta: Opera in film (part two)

We saw a number of different excerpts in the last post and I think there are some things in there that require further comment. So, rather than put them all in the comments, I thought I'd make a new post. Firstly, though, here are the answers:

1. Gianni Schicchi
2. La Traviata
3. La Rondine
4. The tales of Hoffmann
5. Lohengrin
6. La forza del destino
7. The marriage of Figaro
8. Tosca
9. Gounod's opera, Faust.


Let's look at some of the clips in a bit more detail and some of the questions each throws up.

What do you think the music adds to each scene? (Does it add anything?) Why do you think it was chosen?  After all, not each clip contains a scene at the opera: why use opera music as an underscore?

They do go to the opera in Pretty Woman and as Kath noted in the comments, the storyline of La Traviata (traviata literally means fallen woman) with its heroine, Violetta, is not too dissimilar from that of Pretty Woman and its heroine, Vivian. Both concern courtesans/ prostitutes who find love and redemption. 

They also go to the opera in The Age of Innocence to see Faust. This was an extremely popular opera in the 19th century (so much so that the Metropolitan Opera in New York was dubbed the Faustspielhaus, a pun on the German word festspielhaus or festival theatre, because of the number of times it was performed there). Although written in French, many operas (including Faust) were often translated into Italian for performance, and not only at the Met: perhaps the singers were more familiar with the Italian language and it made casting easier. Or perhaps opera seems more like "opera" in Italian? Whatever the reason, whether written in French, German or Italian, many operas were given in Italian. So it is quite correct and well observed of the film-makers to show an Italian Faust.


There is a scene at the opera in La vita e bella where they go to the opera to watch The tales of Hoffmann. This piece of music, the barcarolle or Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour, features in the opera scene. (A barcarolle is a style of music with a swaying, rocking rhythm, associated with the song of Venetian gondoliers: part of The tales of Hoffmann is set in Venice.) But why this choice? Well, it's a fantasy opera, and the story the film tells is one of a world that seems unreal. And the song itself speaks of a night when love smiles down and carries people off into abandon: not inappropriate for a concentration camp prisoner to play over the grounds to his lost wife.


Of the other prison film, The marriage of Figaro seems to have been chosen for other reasons. This is probably the first time in a long while that the prisoners have heard singing, beauty, and importantly, a female voice. The music floats and carries them away. And it is a duet, two singers, in a place where most prisoners would feel terribly alone.


So what of the others? Lohengrin tells of a mysterious knight of the Grail who comes to earth on a swan. The music has a heavenly, ethereal quality to it: it floats and beats like an angel's wing. The balloon globe floats too, as does Chaplin. And being a parody of Hitler, it was probably inevitable that Wagner would appear in there somewhere (but not a loud, aggressive Wagner; something more pure and simple). In Jean de Florette, one of the characters is a singer, and accompanied by her husband on the harmonica, sings a phrase from La forza del destino (a phrase sung by a tenor in the opera). The theme also appears in the overture to that opera (and we'll look more closely at overtures some other time). Destiny plays a large part in the film: the lack of rainfall leads to the misery of a family.


Like Gianni Schicchi, A room with a view is set in Florence. The opening and closing titles use O mio babbino caro, in which the heroine begs her father to let her marry the man she loves: she would like to go to the Ponte Vecchio to buy the ring, but if he forbids it, she will throw herself in the river Arno. In the film, Lucy also falls in love against her family's expectations. And in the aria from La Rondine, we are told the romantic story of Doretta's dream: here the high notes at the aria's climax brilliantly underscore the passion and surprise of George's kiss.


In Tosca, we find a man mourning life and happiness and remembering a lost lover. Mitchell finds himself in a similar position here in Being Human and he has much life and happiness to grieve for. "Never have I loved life so much" sings Cavaradossi, and there must have been times in Mitchell's life when he felt that life should be both fought for and bid farewell to.


And so, for your listening pleasure...


Here is the overture to La forza del destino:

and the tune in its context in the opera here (in a duet for tenor and baritone):

Here is the prelude to Lohengrin:

In recitals, Jonas Kaufmann has linked the aria In fernem land from the end of this opera to the close of the opening prelude. Here he is singing, In fernem land:

Finally, one piece of music that I couldn't post in context but that is extremely well known and was mentioned by J in the comments: an orchestral piece, the intermezzo (literally in the middle) from Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana (1890). Used in The Godfather, part III and countless others, it is one of the famous pieces of classical music and most often used to suggest "Italy":

Keen-eyed viewers will have spotted Riccardo Muti conducting both the Verdi and Mascagni excerpts: the Lohengrin prelude is conducted by his fellow Italian Claudio Abbado. Both conductors have been music directors at the La Scala opera house in Milan: Abbado is revered as one of the great conductors today, although illness has led to fewer engagements. 

Enjoy, and as always, thoughts and comments are much appreciated.