On the precipice and other pivotal emotions

Hello Simply Fans! I am very excited for this week’s concert theme. It is an idea I have been thinking about for awhile. To me, the power of any music is how it captures those complex human emotions that we have a hard time finding the words for. There is something about how the lyrics, melody, harmony, etc. that tap into something primal within us and allow us to really feel our feelings. Think of all the uses of music. It helps pump up the energy for a night out. We listen to sad songs to grieve. We listen to fast, upbeat music to inspire a hard workout. It's the backdrop to a poignant scene in a movie. And of course, how can we forget the classic love song. 

I find that music is at its peak at the precipice of a life change. Some of the most powerful music in the repertoire, both opera and music theater, comes at that moment when the character’s life changes forever. That is the feeling we have chosen to focus on. That feeling of exhilaration, grief, fear, heartbreak, anticipation, any of the emotions that come with change. In order to keep this blog from turning into a novel, I will organize it by situation instead of by song. This is definitely more of a thought flow blog than and informative one, but music is emotion so come with me on this winding journey!

Dreaming of more

The Dreams of Youth/Wanting More.

Chil bel sogno - La Rondine

Ain’t it a Pretty Night - Susannah

How Far I’ll Go - Moana

Je veux vivre - Romeo et Juliette 

If you are over the age of 15, you have probably experienced this feeling. There is a universal truth in being young and wanting to launch yourself into the world. To grow, and stretch, and leave the comfort of your home to embark on your own grand adventure. Even though it is a universal feeling, each character we chose for this show, experiences this feeling in a nuanced way. Doretta dreams of meeting a handsome man at school and falling in love. Susannah dreams of leaving her small town, even just for a bit, so she can experience more of the world. Moana too wants to leave, but her spirit is more adventurous that Susannah’s. Moana’s desire is more of a burning fire, where Susannah talks more like a pleasant day dream of what life could be. Juliette almost wants to resist change. Meeting Paris and getting married is of no interest to her. She wants to retain the freedom she has found in her youth and carry it into adulthood. What they have in common is that each character has a dream for the future that they want to pursue. They are on the precipice of the rest of their lives and they have a mission and a purpose to follow. These songs are filled with energy, dreams, wonder, and a feeling that anything is possible. Such is the energy of youth.

Finding her power

The Catalyst to Finding Purpose

Defying Gravity - Wicked

Astonishing - Little Women

Don’t Rain on My Parade - Funny Girl

But just growing up isn’t the only catalyst of change. At any point in life, something can happen and you stumble into your purpose. Songs like this are determined, inspiring, and involve coming into yourself in a deeper way. In Defying Gravity, we see Elphaba find her purpose in finding a cause to fight for. She has always had her magic but now she has found a place to channel those talents. There is anger in her song as well, as she learned that her idol was not the man she thought he was. This disappointment is what fuels her to work to change the status quo. She doesn’t know how to make the changes she wants but that will not stop her from trying. 

Jo in Astonishing also has a cataclysmic moment that changes her. Her best friend goes in for a kiss and she is shocked. They were just friends and this shift is intolerable to her. Being married and settling down feels like it would kill Jo’s dream to make a difference in the world. She fights the change, but also embraces this new opportunity to spread her wings.

This change can happen at any stage of life. To me, Don’t Rain on My Parade fits in this category as well. After facing various hardships in the show, Fanny decides that she will get what she wants, regardless of the adversity she will face along the way. Don’t Rain on My Parade is an in your face inspirational ballad about taking what you want from this life.

Disguised as a blessing

Passive/Thwarted Change

Oh mio babbino - Gianni Schicchi

Jewel Song - Faust

Not every pivotal moment is realized at the moment it happens. Sometimes the wanting leads to nothing or you run up against a barrier. For Lauretta, her dream of marrying her neighbor is thwarted by her father’s No. She begs and begs to no avail. Her song is filled with teenage dramatics, but it's about wanting something unattainable. Her father sends her packing while he scams the neighbors out of all their money. 

Marguerite on the other hand, wants nothing, but receives a chest of jewelry from a secret admirer. It is a happy surprise, but little does she know that her suitor sold his soul to the devil. This will have dire consequences later on in the show for all characters involved. But for now, she enjoys her new found riches.

Looking back with wisdom

Reflecting on how we got here

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina - Evita

So big, So small - Dear Evan Hanson

Later in life, we have the chance to look back and reflect on the decisions we made along the way that got us to where we are. These songs are much more complex than our songs by the young dreamers. Hindsight is 20/20 and with this ability to look back, these songs contain a mix of grief of what could have been, dreams of what is yet to come, justification of prior decisions, and other more complex emotions. These songs usually come near a pivotal moment in a character’s life that spurs them to reflect. In So Big, So Small, Evan’s mother remembers the tough decision to divorce Evan’s father and how she had to hold it together for her child. It's complicated and she is spurred to reflect on this after hearing her own son’s series of mistakes. In striving to be a good mother, she admits her own to him and insists that she will continue to try her best to support him, even though she doesn't always know how. 

In Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Eva Peron addresses the crowd and expresses her love and gratitude to the Argentinian people through her very public and controversial life. Eva is near the end of her life and is reflecting on the decisions made along the way.

The unwilling goodbye

Saying Goodbye

Adieu, notre petite table - Manon

Still hurting - The Last 5 Years

Some of the hardest changes in life are when we have to say goodbye. Life comes in many chapters and sometimes, we have to finish ones that we would rather stay in forever. The character Manon, is a flighty girl who loves life. Is being sent to a convent by her family to curtail her behavior. Des Grieux sees the young woman and instantly falls in love with her. But her wealthy family finds her and lures her away from her lover with the promise of wealth and riches. The opera is a story about the destructive nature of ambition and wealth, but as she says goodbye, she shows real humanity for the first time in the show. Her goodbye is interesting. She sings to their little kitchen table, saying goodbye to the small space where she shared many intimate, quiet moments with her lover. Things as simple as brushing hands when reaching for a coffee cup. It is a heart breaking song that shows how difficult it is for Manon to turn away from this chapter, even if her main ambition has always been wealth, comfort, and social status.

Saying goodbye is messy. In Still Hurting, Cathy muses how her heart can be so broken from someone who treated her so poorly. Relationships that go sour still typically start pretty great. It's hard to pick up the pieces and wonder where things went so wrong. Or, in the case of a particularly bad relationship, how it felt right at the beginning! The hurt doesn’t end the moment the breakup is over. It lingers. You question yourself and your perception of the world. While being alone after a rough relationship might feel like a relief, a break up is still often an unwelcome and unwanted change. It can be tempting to turn the pages back and reread that chapter of life, but oftentimes, when we try, we find the book isn’t as we remembered. 

These are all major points of transition in life. Music helps us process the emotions that come with these transitions. From inspiration to grief, music is always with us. This isn’t news to anyone, but it is still fun to think about. I like musing on why it is that music touches us so much and why we turn to it in times of heightened emotion. The big surprise here is that I don't have an answer! Music is a little bit magic. I invite you to go on this magical journey with us this week.

Best,

Carole