On Monday, October 1, the fifth graders attended a matinee performance of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West.

As we entered the lobby of the opera house the first thing students saw were the beautiful Swarovski crystal chandeliers, a long-standing gift from the Austrian government.  The excitement increased as we entered the house, where students saw the beautiful theater, the stage, the gold leaf ceiling and all the grandeur that makes the experience so special.

We were very fortunate this year to once again to have seats in the orchestra level. This level is generally reserved for college students. Usually, young students are only permitted to sit in the balcony or family circle.  It was mentioned to me by the director of education that because our school has a reputation for being so well prepared and appreciative of what goes into creating an opera, we were once again granted this privilege.

Students spent several classes preparing for the opera by engaging in activities such as listening to the arias, acting out parts of the story, and talking about the connections between the 5th grade opera jobs and the jobs in the professional opera world.

At the intermission, concertmaster for the Metropolitan Opera orchestra and D-E parent David Chan and Catherine Ro who play in the orchestra, came to the lobby to speak to us about the production and to answer any questions.  We learned a lot and really appreciated the fact that they took the time to speak with us.

Here are some reflections from students in 5th grade:

  •  “The scenery was amazing!”
  •  “The orchestra was really good!”
  •  “ I liked how each character had a detailed costume!”
  •  “I noticed that parts of the music that Puccini composed sounded a little like the Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera, so I guess Puccini had an influence on Andrew Lloyd Webber!”

It was a wonderful day at the opera.  The opera house, the music, the scenery, the costumes, the singing, and all of the elements that go into making an opera is an experience one is likely to remember for a lifetime.