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Vince Correale Response to blog 7:
ReplyDelete1. The 17th century Baroque era was the over the top type of theatre that led to Romanticism. Baroque Theatre is more elaborately done than theatre of the past because of the rise of the middle class and the great influx of money that was poured into the fine arts during this time. The major difference in theatre today from theatre of the 17th century is the costumes that the actors wore as well as the style of music. The costumes were elaborate and over done while the music was contemporary. This style of theatre is closely related to Masque in that they are both drawn out, over the top productions.
2. I believe that opera became so popular in the 17th and 18th century because it was centered around Romanticism. It employed drama and suspense which was a great part of theatre at the time. It was something different from the traditional tragic and comedic plays that people were used to attending. Romanticism was centered on change and Opera was a key asset to bringing about change in theatre.It is considered the grandest of all art forms because it takes true talent to be able to perform at that level of singing. Opera is peaceful in that one can sit through it and be entertained and taken away from reality rather easily. This work has the element of suspense that most people enjoy, yet, it also has the references to everyday life. People are entertained by things that they can relate to.
3.I believe that the change in theatrical styles in this time period is due to the influx of money into the fine arts. During this time period the middle class rose while the upper class deteriorated and lost its power. This was due in part to the switch from agriculture to trade. The upper class owned the land while the middle to lower classes worked, therefore, once the farm system collapsed, the middle class switched to trade. The affect that this style of theatre has on modern theatre is that the interaction between the actors is similar. This was the first type of theatre to allow women to perform, which is obviously prevalent today. The focus in Romanticism also switched from the talent of the playwright to the talent of the actor.
Paul Cianciolo response to Blog 7:
ReplyDeleteLE ROI DANSE
The Baroque Era was a time filled with excess art. It was based around looking the best in hopes of being the best. Most music was played on longer scales to make it sound more elaborate, but it was actually repetition of a simpler piece. Dancing was highly ornate and dancers dressed in the most elaborate clothing and/or paint. The entire Baroque Period basically just seemed to be based around hiding art with elaborate shades of meaningless material in hopes of making something great. The last dance scene in the video really sums up the Baroque Period as showing it to be too fancy. People in the Europe wanted something fancy and the Baroque Period supplied that. The notes we took don’t really relate with the dances in the video. The dances are more based around music and attempting to make the music come to life. The theatre in the video is similar today, because it allowed for shows to be based around dancing like it does today.
Queen of the Night
I think Opera became popular, because it could be compared to singing when praying. Many Christians of that time knew that singing while praying was one of the most sacred things to do. Opera allowed the act of singing to be incorporated right into the dialogue of drama. Singing in Opera allows characters to express feelings in such a form that simple speech can’t. Another big part to Opera’s popularity had to be its pure beauty. Many people today still watch Operas that they can’t understand. The beauty and passion of Opera is what brings people in and then they stay for the story. The Opera, Queen of the Night, is a great example of how Opera lets simple people express feelings and in ideas in magnificent ways. The sudden changes of tone and pure voices of the women allow viewers to experience drama on a whole different level.
The School for Scanal/She Stoops to Conquer
The rise of the middle class brought an influx of money into theater that allowed for more elaborate clothing, scenery, and special affects. The rise of the middle class also brought more actors to the theater and in turn the focus of the playwrights and was given to the actors and actresses. The deep dialogue of the following plays is still seen in theatre today. It is easy to see that the main focus of actors and actresses in our theatre obviously started in this time period. The following plays can also be seen as part of Comedy of Manners. The constant satire of the plays is still seen today when plays attempt to make fun of social customs.
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ReplyDeleteResponse to Vince Correale:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading how you described Opera. I overlooked the fact that singing Opera really takes true talent and that is what makes it the grandest form of art. I agree that people are more entertained by things they can relate to, like emotions in the Opera,The Queen of Night.
Chris Mathews response to blog 7:
ReplyDeleteThe Baroque Era was a time period in which the arts were a major part of life. Life was centered on elaborate plays, which were financed by a record amount of cash flow from the middle and upper classes. While costumes were, for the most part gaudy and expensive, the music was of a simpler essence that almost made it magical. Repetition was a key factor, employed by turning a small, brilliant piece of work into a larger one that lasted for the necessary time slot. The major differences between the theatre of this time period and modern theatre would have to be the costumes. Theatre today, at least the plays I have seen, focus on a simple rendition forcing the audience to use imagination to fill in the blanks. However, the theatre of this era was anything but simple.
The Queen of the Night
Opera most likely became famous due to the fact that singing allows for an entirely new range of feelings not encompassed under that of speech. It was often said that singing is praying twice. As Paul said in his comment above, Opera could also have been popular because it incorporated prayer, which was a major part of society. Opera is an art form that many people cannot understand, however, the art still retains its viewers. While direct reasons cannot be explained, I personally feel that the awe and wonder of sitting in a theatre just listening to the different ranges and pitches of the actors as well as the elegance provided by the elaborate songs is reason enough to watch the show. Opera is among one of the greatest art forms created and is a main reason in the continual momentum of theatre.
The School for Scandal/She Stoops to Conquer
It was during this time period that increases in technology and other aspects made life better for the rising middle classes. With the rise of the class came a newly found sponsorship of plays that entertained them. Comedy became important and playwrights began to focus some of the energy in the play on the Middle class. Dialogue, lines, and other comedic reliefs are still prevalent in even today’s plays. Even in professional works, such as “Wicked,”
there is a monumental amount of wry humor used to move the play along. Plays today are based off of the revolutionary plays that were first created in this time period.
Chris Mathews Response to paul cianciolo:
I agree with your point on opera acting as another form of prayer. This helped it to become popular and eventually the great art form it is today.
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ReplyDeleteIn response to blog number 7: Theater old and new models society as you have told us millions of times before. Theater to me during the 17th century was a mockery of talent. Maybe being from a modern American mind set I cannot truly appreciate what I am viewing. I think the dress is ridicules; it has nothing to do with guts, because back then it wasn’t “gutsy” to wear that type of clothing. Going back to the idea that theater “mirrors” society, so theater and society complement each other like a cold beer and cigar. So going off this logic theater had to have connected amazingly with the culture of 17th century Europe. I believe that opera bloomed because people were sick of the monotony of neoclassic plays. The people of Europe wanted something more than neoclassicism could offer, so they turned to the interludes. These interludes then transformed into different forms of opera. There was comedic opera and opera that taught a tragedy. I personally believe that opera is a great form of art for expressing one self. I believe opera is considered one of the greatest because of how eccentric it is to perform. I can only imagine how much time and dedication and opera our any singer for that matter puts into their performances. Honestly it is a blessing that theater changed, if the stages were still bland and everyone was dressed like a tranny, most people would not want to watch theater. Although it is impossible for theater to not “evolve” because it mirrors society which we know is always changing. I personally feel that theater changing from the 1700th century to know is a blessing from God.
ReplyDeletein response to paul cianciolo:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Baroque era was mainly sbout looks and not about the actual performane.
T.J. Scholl's response to blog 7:
ReplyDelete1) After watching the clip from Le Roi Danse, I have realized that theatre was clearly one of the largest factors in Baroque society. I think that theatre of that period was more about an outrageous spectacle over anything with actual real sucstance. The dress, dance and musical score was very lavish and outrageous and so were the people in general. With Charles 2 coming into power, theatre was, in a sense, reborn. With this rebirth came a whole new sense of freedom. This taking place during during the Renaissance, most of European society was alive with the feeling of ultimate freedom. During this time, expression was king, and this really showed through theatre. Comparing the Baroque style to modern theatre is difficult because so many types of theatre are being revisted this day in age. But comparing the people of the two periods is very easy, I believe. People today might think they know what is like to go crazy on stage, but the Baroque peiod took everything a little bit further. Even the nobility was included in the performance, as shown in Le Roi Danse. In the film, even a young King Louis XIV is the star in the performance.
2) Opera is considered by many to be the most beutiful artform ever. I may not completely agree with this but I still have a deep respect for it. Opera's highest point was in the 17th and 18th century, and at the time, opera was a fairly dramatic diversion from what was normal. This may have been a factor in it's overall popularity, because we as humans have a natural proclivity to new things. If this is true, it was only a minor factor. I think the main reasons for opera's popularity are fairly obvious. The beautiful sound of opera is, in itself, enough to hold an audience. But I think that the main factor is opera's ability to tell a stupid, ridiculous story and make it interesting. In regard to Queen of the Night, I believe that the opera is about 3 evil german wiches that kill a german girl's husband and attempt to take her to Hell for not supporting Hitler.
3) The massive influx of money that went into the theatre scene at this time clearly shows in plays. The Baroque period was in full swing and the powdered wigs were on tight. The theatre scene at this time was, in one word, ridiculous. That is not a bad thing though. Compared to modern, pretentious, self righteous theatre, the Baroque style is awesome. I love how theatre was just done for entertainment's sakeand not to prove some "point". That time was a simpler, better time for theatre. You could go to the show just have a good time. I personally think that theatre is losing the fun factor and becoming something it shouldnt. But, what do I know. I've only seen 2 plays in my life.
Responce to Vince Correale: I forgot about the fact that women were allowed on stage for the first time in this era. That was a good point.
ReplyDelete1) After watching the clip Le Roi Danse things i really noticed were the costumes, music, dance and large amounts of spectacle that was used. During this time period though theatre was a huge part of society. The costumes were very over the top and went to extensive lengths to portray the character who was wearing it. Dancing was a large part of theatre in this as well as the music that accompanied it. The dance that was done in this clip seemed very choriographed to the music that was played along with it.Since the Baroque era was a time of art it isn't suprising to see the elaborateness of the costumes, music and dance that is portrayed in the clip and in theatre of that time period.
ReplyDelete2)The Queen of The Night
I believe that this play was written with opera in mind. My reasoning for this is the fact that judging by the way the queen was singing it only seemed right that she express her emotions in opera singing. This element really made the play that much more entertaining and you could really see and tell from the way she sung that a lot of emotion was being expressed. I really think this is what made opera so popular in the 17th and 18th century. With romantiscism being heavily based on emotion I think that opera was perfect for being able to express it. Even though opera is an art form that few can understand it is still an art form that most will be able to notice the amount of emotion thats in the singers voice. It really takes good actors with talent to be able to project and echo their voices to be able to do something like that. I also think that opera was so popular back in the 17th and 18th century because it was something much different from the types of drama and comedies that were around at the time.
3) I think that theatre changed so drastically because in this time period the middle class began to rise and have an influx in money. This in turn led to much more money and brought about even more actors. At this time the shift from the playwright being the main focus and most popular now finally came to the actor. Actors were also more well respected in this time as well. These clips from School for Scandal and She Stoops to Conquer were actually very easy for me to understand. One thing that is very noticible is how the dialogue is presented in these plays. It is very easy to understand. This really made it that much easier to follow and understand. Also the satire used in these plays is still seen today and the way that actors back in their time period made fun of their social standings is still widely seen today. I also think that the plot from She Stoops to Conquer is in some way shape or form still used in todays modern society.
Response to T.J. Scholl: I agree with you on how theatre back in the Baroque era was the main focus of the society and on how much emphasis was placed on spectacle at the time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I could not understand what the people in the audience were saying, I bet they were comments of pure astonishment and admiration. It is very different than what I am used to, but I was still able to enjoy it. The costume that he was wearing (Fancy Hat) seemed to be a good indicator of his personality. With the combination of his dress and movements I can tell that the king is very confident and a good ruler. The scene where the man is dancing with the violin is especially impressive to me. He seemed to use the music he and the other musicians were playing to lay down a foundation for his display of delightful gambol. The final scene was tragic. But before his accident, his dance was remarkable he showed great poise in his performance.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these performances are extremely impressive. I had no idea the human voice could even do things like that. The women’s voice sounded like some sort of instrument because how skillful they could change their pitch. If all operas were this impressive, it is easy for me to see why they were so popular. Opera is considered the grandest form most likely because of the combination of acting and booming singing. Alone, each of these elements is impressive, but together they are magnificent.
The change in theatre styles is most likely a direct result of the growing middle class. Because the middle class was growing and having the ability to be entertained instead of barley surviving theatre flourished. When more money was spent on theatre performances by the middle class, the actors and playwrights wanted to focus on things they would better enjoy. Instead of only focusing on nobility, the middle class was included in theatre.
Response to Cody Robinson: I agree with your opinion on opera, it is amazing how much determination the actors have.
ReplyDeleteWill Grisanti's Respnse to Blog 7:
ReplyDeleteDuring the 17th century the Baroque era was the era that led to the Romanticism era. All the money that was put into the Baroque era was put in there by the middle class. The rise of the middle class was very influential in theatre because all the money that was brought in by the middle class helped to expand it and make it very elaborate and luxurious. During the Baroque era the costumes were very outgoing and very much loud. They were very expensive looking and very fancy. The music was very simple and too complex. The Baroque Era was very over the top and complex
I believe opera became so popular around the 17th and 18th century because it was like no other type of drama and singing ever before seen. Opera is a very beautiful type of drama and singing and is very tough to master, Im sure. Opera also brought along a change in the Drama. I think drama really helped Romanticism become very popular and vice versa. Opera, I think, is very soothing and exciting at the same time. Those two aspects of it, I think, is why it is very popular. Those aspects were very popular because they had never been seen before in Drama. Opera is just a beautiful performance.
Theatre changed around this time period no doubt because of the influence of the middle class and the money that they were bringing in and putting back into theatre. The middle class definetely controlled theatre because they were the controlling factors in the economy. No matter what it is, money will control it. In the two plays School for Scandal and She Stoops to Conquer were very easy to understand and follow along with. I believe that it was very easy to understand because it was centered to the everyday person and anybody could understand it. The way these plays were written are still like it today. They are very easy to understand.
Will Grisanti's Response to Xander Broughton:
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you how you said that the middle class was the reason that the theatre flourished. I also agree with you how you said that the theatre flourished because of the middle class's influence with their money.
In watching the Queen of the Night, it really showed me how people of the 18 and 19 century enjoyed this type of performance. People in this Baroque Era really enjoyed the opera style. In Queen of the Night there is a lot of high pitch opera that gets a hold of the crowds attention. In this German opera there is a lot of Baroque style refrences to go with the era of the 19 and 18 century.This is a very dark play, because in the play they are trying to kill someone, and take over the region. This is the first time in history where they actually use some advanced technology. In the time before they used very little types of tools to build the set.
ReplyDeleteResponse to T.J. Scholl:
ReplyDeleteI felt that your interpretation made sense to me the most, because you laid out the type of the play better. It also described how the play was contrary to the Baroque style
Justin Scheuner Response to Blog #7
ReplyDeleteThe first clip connects theatre to society in such a way that it is almost an exact replica of society at this time. The first thing that I noticed was the dress of the characters, which was quite vivid and flamboyant. This was especially true of European society in the 17th century. The other thing that immediately jumped out to me was the fervor with which they danced. They put all of their emotion into every single little step and motion. Also, it showed the movement of society to an approach towards theatre which moved from no emphasis on historical accuracy to a gradually increasing focus on the historical accuracy of the plays in theatre. In the second clip, the connection between theatre and society represented takes on a different tone. In this clip, there is more of an undertone focusing on the differences between classes, but that the choices you make still affect what happens to you, no matter if you are rich or poor. Also, as mentioned on the blog, it certainly features extremely over the top instances, which also reflect society, which was becoming more and more over the top in its own right. It is easy to tell from this piece why opera is considered the grandest of all art forms. Opera is the grandest of all art forms, because it requires a careful combination of all the arts—literature, music, dance, song, and art. For an opera to be good, it must be well-written (literature) and sound and look good (dance, music, song, art). This piece, from what I could pick out, was well-written, the music and the dancing to go along with it were both extraordinary, and the art of it all was subtle, but certainly fit well with the piece. In the third piece, the thing that stuck out to me the most that connected it with why theatre was changing was the difference in the interpretations between the modern and “period” clips. One could just look at the costumes to understand what I am saying. I think that theatre changed so drastically because of the shift in mentality of the population which thus affected their interpretations of the things going on in society. As the mindsets of people changed, there were certain groups that formed that had similar mindsets. Thus these people would see things one way and come up with something focusing on that, while another group could look at the same thing and focus on something completely different. It all relied on the change of mindsets, and thus theatre changed with the mindsets.
Justin Scheuner Response to Will Grisanti
ReplyDeleteWill I definitely agree with your statement that Romanticism and Drama helped to influence each other and make each other popular. As drama became popular, more people saw plays, thus people needed to cater to the needs of the new viewers and this new style was developed. This attracted more viewers, which led to an increase in the popularity of drama.
1. When watching le roi danse I focused to the costumes and movement of the dancers. Also the dancing we very good. All of their dancing is over the top. During this time in history everything was way over the top. People wore wigs and whatnot and powdered their noses. In the video I can see that the stage is like some we have talked about in our notes. In theatre today there is more technology such as light and more advanced props. The similarities are costumes, makeup, singing, and dancing.
ReplyDelete2. The queen of the night, opera became so popular during this time because of the spectacle it gave people. People enjoyed going to these event because they were fun to them. After watching the videos I think the scene we are seeing is between a mother and a daughter. The daughter wants to kill the mother for some reason. This is over the top because it is an opera and opera were supposed to be like this that’s why people came to see them. Opera became popular because it was the most exciting for of entertainment. It’s the greatest because it is the combination of all forms of art. The singing, dancing, acting, and use of different types of art.
3. I think styles changed so fast because people started learning more and with the more people used railroads the more ideas got around. I see some modern dialogue and costumes. I see this style in many types of theatre today.
response to justin: thats really good justin i agree with most of the things you said.
ReplyDeleteThere are many similarities between this video and the notes that we have taken. The notes also tell about how big and larger than life everything was. The scenery and costumes in the videos are crazy over the top. I think that it was a good idea to tell the life of the king like they did. Of course, the story that they told was probably exaggerated and only partially true about the kings real past but it still made for a good story.
ReplyDeleteOpera became so famous because it was the only thing that a person could admire without any experience. For instance, someone who has never seen theatre before might not like it because they do not understand all of the broad gestures and emotions. Music, anyone can listen to and appreciate, especially music as talented as Mozart. It is very hard to make such a staccato chorus sound good but he pulled it off and as a result, the song has lived on until present time. It is also very relaxing to listen to. People would cram into a theatre and be very uncomfortable and then be very soothed by the rich sounds.
First of all I would like to point out that our notes told us that the plays were done in historically accurate clothes. The First School for Scanal video defiantly had historically accurate clothes. The Second School for Scanal was much more perverted and looked much more modern. All of the She Stoops to Conquer videos were filmed at the same time. They were also done in historically accurate clothing. They also began to use false emotion. The woman lied to the girl in the last video about the jewelry. Then the young man stole the jewelry back. Characters were very complex in She Stoops to Conquer.
My RESPONSE TO Cody Costa
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you pointed out that everything was way over the top. I'm glad people don't do things like that still today. I like your idea that the daughter wants to kill the mother but I feel more like the mother wants the daughter to kill herself. I don't know which one it is.
Theatre, and dance, during the 17th century is connected by European society by the elegance and sophistication that European society was trying to mirror and imitate. The elegance and grandeur of theatre at this time shows the need for the country to become a fine arts advocate and the importance of the country is show by the attention and importance placed and invested in that country’s theatre. The similarities in this time period and current times are that the playwrights still use a base line story to entertain the audience will incorporating the grandeur. The differences would have to be that the baroque style is over the top and its splendor is shown by the magnificent costumes.
ReplyDeleteOpera was extremely popular during this time period because singing was a whole new way to incorporate dialogue. While still keeping the theatrical elements of a storyline, costumes, and props, opera could also use dance and singing to portray the play’s message. Opera was simply a new and different way to spread to same point across to the audience. The beautiful singing of the female opera singer shows the importance singing is to opera.
The rise of the middle class brought about new patronage of theatre, which therefore brought about new styles of theatre. Since the middle class preferred Romanticism, theatre quickly followed because theatre was funded by these new investors. The centralization of the message of the play rather than spectacle is still shown in some plays today. The message outweighs the means of portraying it in some cases of the modern age.
My response to Brody Jameson: I agree, the Baroque style was too larger than life. The style of the performance was the key focus during this time period.
In the first one people were dressed so differently then before. The plays on stage were done so dramatically and people were focused on each aspect of the play. The second one was a little more different because of the style of it. It was more realistic as if dealing in real life emotions. It dealt with different groups of society and expressed real emotion. This too was done a litte over the to far as the acting. Opera to me is hard to understand because I can't understand what their saying, but it sounds so remarkable. Opera is like a powerful source of music that impacts the human brain. I think the orchestra plays an important role in setting the tone of the singers.
ReplyDeletethe connection between the videos is the older ones were more dark and dramatic and scarier. the newer ones were more comical happy and cartoon like. like on the Queen of the Night the first one was all like serious and scary and stuff like that and the second version all i wanted to do was laugh the whole entire time. all during this time there was a lot of opera in there plays which means there was a lot of song and dance in them.
ReplyDeleteCurrent days we have where actors act out everything they rarely sing it out anymore, we don’t have vary many operas as there was along time ago. we basically have plays like company, that kind of plays;not vary many musicals or operas are done today.
In my opinion todays theater is a-lot better than the old plays because they were annoying because they were trying to talk but they had to sing everything. now day plays make a-lot more sense to me anyway.
response to ryan: i agree that it was a-lot of opera and high pitch singing.
Austin Rudolph Response to Blog 7:
ReplyDeleteLE ROI DANSE
The Baroque Era was a time period where art was seen everywhere. This played a major role in the lives of the people. Money from the middle class also helped support the play productions. Along with the plays, ordinary music was rearranged to sound more elaborate. Even the costumes were made to be very flashy. This era seemed to take everything that was once seen as ordinary, and turned it into something extraordinary. The performance in the video was far from what we see today. This video was the perfect example of the flashiness of the Baroque Era.
Queen of the Night
I believe opera became so popular because unlike singing, opera allows one to express feelings that have never been seen before. Because opera is a very emotional form of singing, it was easy to incorporate it into drama. Operas can also add beauty to dramas. Most of the time we do not understand what is going on when we watch opera. Sometimes just watching someone gracefully hit the highest notes can add to the beauty of the experience. Queen of the Night is a great example of how Opera lets people express their ideas in great ways. The voices and tone of the women allow viewers to experience drama in such a way that has never been experienced before.
The School for Scanal/She Stoops to Conquer
During this time period, life became better for the middle class due to advances in technology. The money brought in by the middle class allowed for improvements such as costumes, lighting, and scenery. Also during this time, people did not rely as much on the talent of the playwright, but more on the talent of the actor. All of these changes helped bring theatre closer to what we are used to seeing today.
Response to Will Grisanti:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the two plays School for Scandal and She Stoops to Conquer. The fact that they were centered on the everyday person made this play relatable and easy to understand.
I thought the first clip, Le Roi Danse, was a great reflection of society at the time. First, they are all dressed very lively, which was common at the time. King Louis called himself the sun god, and was worshiped as such. Though he may not have walked around painted gold, he definitely believed that he was the sun god, and acted like it. Though there was still much dance and music, they also added quite a bit of dialogue, which is more similar to theatre as we, at least I, know it today. Their dances were very careful, similar to that of the ancient Indian theatrical style.
ReplyDeleteIn the second play, I felt like I could actually understand what was going on, even though they were both very short clips. I liked the first version better, mainly because I felt like the witch in the first played the part better. I understand why opera became popular during this time period, because it was something new to the people. It had been introduced before, but nothing as major as this play.
The third set of plays shows the importance of the rise of the middle class. When the middle class began to rise in society, it also began rising in theatre. It brought in more money and ideas, many of which had never been seen before. These plays had much more dialogue and less song and dance, which is the more modern perception of theatre. It also used comedy, which was thought of as being the lower class's type of theatre before this time, but because the lower classes were now rising up, it became much more popular.
Response to Brody Jameson:
ReplyDeleteI like your view of why opera appealed to most people. I never thought about how music today relates to everyone. You don't have to be a musician to appreciate music. Though you don't have to be an actor to appreciate theatre, it is easier to understand theatre when you know what it is like to live their everyday life, which most people cannot do.
Theatre today is similar to the 17th century fance in modern day ballets. They are ellegant and flashy just like the play shown in the video. There is much pride in the work of both modern day ballets and the 17th century french play.
ReplyDeleteOpera is considered to be the grandest of all art forms due to its beauty in the actors voices and the music over all. It is also very relaxing to the spirit to listin to and watch. The night lady's voice is very touching and sounds like an angel singing very high tones.
The effecct on modern theatre in these styles seems as though the dialect is the same and way the actors interact with each other is also similar. Today in theatre we still make fun of the diffrent classes of people and their misfortunes.
Response to Donnie Shea:
ReplyDeletei have to agree with your view on King louis. He had very much pride in himself and danced very gracefully in all of his flashy dress.
Le Roi Danse
ReplyDeleteThis Baroque style theatre is more elaborate and uses a more over-the-top wardrobe than in modern theatre today. This video also expresses the playwright's attempts to combine music with dancing and costuming. The extremely fancy style is due to the social and economical changes in seventeenth-century society, but mainly by the development of the middle class and influx of money in theatre. The main difference between this video and modern theatre is the difference of music, style of dancing, and the costumes wore by the actors. Out of these main differences, the biggest is the costuming. Most productions today would not even consider doing something so elaborate and over-the-top.
Queen of the Night
I think that this type of opera became popular because of it's form of expression through song. The renaissance and romanticism pushed for change, and lead to change through emotion on stage in theatre. Your tone of voice can create a specific emotion and gave playwrights and actors a way to further express themselves on stage. I believe that it was the most popular because of it's uniqueness and it's ability to attract the audience member with it's over-the-top solo and dress.
The School For Scandal and She Stoops to Scandal
I believe the prosperity of the middle class and the transformation of theatre into "actor's theatre" created such a big difference from the earlier versions of "proper" theatre, and the introduction to women on stage also influenced this shift. When I watched the She Stoops to Conquer videos, I saw the influence of drama in relationships and deceit.
Response to Brody Jameson:
I agree with you on the historically accurate style of clothing for the She Stoops to Scandal videos and the false emotion. I also believe that the emotion in the dance videos was too exaggerated, and the clothing style was way too fancy. The broad gestures and emotions were all easy to understand with what was being displayed on stage. Opera was easy to understand and important because of it's breakaway from the traditional styles of theatre.
Le Roi Danse is a flamboyant dance scene from the moore by the same name. The story is about how King Louis XIV became known as The Sun King due to his extraordinary dancing. There is drama because his composer Jean Baptiste Lully is Italian. Some of the French nobility looks down on him.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to desipher everything going on in the scene because it is in French. The costumes and wigs are examples of the Baroque period. Baroque theatre has majestic costumes like the sun beams that the king wears. He is hoisted in the air for dramatic effect. At the same time sparklers surround him. Special effects were used during this period.
The wigs seem extremely outlandish today. French nobility spent incredible amounts of money on their clothes and wigs.The clothes are silk and hand embrordered. It is easy to see how this lavish lifestyle did not go over well with starring peasants. It is only a matter of time until Versailles is stormed and overthrown.
King Louis XIV is truly a gifted dancer. There is much anticipation as he dances the ballet. The women seem drawn to him. There is drama going on backstage with some women and Jean- Baptiste. King Louis XVI uses his strenght as a dancer to become the Sun King.
“Le Roi Danse” had a style that is very different from today’s theatre. It had very elaborate costumes used by all the actors and actresses. They had masks and fancy outfits that were colorful. They had distinct movements in their dance which made it seem very serious up on stage. The audience seems to watch with amazement at what is going on. The difference is the elaborate costumes and masks they wore back then, but the music and dance is somewhat like today’s theatre.
ReplyDeleteIn the “Queen of the Night,” it seems like the girl is asking for forgiveness but the queen will not accept it. The queen takes a knife to her throat and then gives it to her, what I believe in this is that she wanted her to kill herself. But I am probably wrong on that but it looks that way. The music in these videos is extravagant, and it makes people enjoy it because of how difficult the music actually is. The way they go up and down on notes is truly amazing. The costumes are still very fancy and nice and the scene behind them fits the dark, murky type of scene this video needs.
In “Sheridan’s School for Scandal,” the costumes are very fancy and elaborate which show off the rich culture of the people. Their hair being curled and their pants rolled up with the knee socks. The people give off a rich attitude, with the way they speak, and the words they use. They gossip about what people are doing to make fun of the people who do that, when they should look at themselves in the mirror.
response to andrew:
ReplyDeletewhen you talked about Le Roi Danse and said that king louis became the sun king and how he was a great dancer, it hit me that le roi danse means the king of dance.
The Romantic Period is a good aspect to compare with the Baroque Era. I must say that Baroque Era’s theatre is pretty intense. After watching the video, it seemed like the audience was overwhelmed with the performance. The costumes and language in this era differs from our time in theatre today BIG TIME!! The music in the video definitely isn’t like the music we listen to today, too.
ReplyDeleteOpera, Opera, and Opera!!! The woman’s singing in this film gives it away. That was the way she expressed her emotions. In the Romantic Period, expressing your emotions was the thing. After watching this video, the woman does just that. I believe this is how opera was born. The popularity of opera increased during this era. Opera separates itself from the other genres in theatre, such as action, horror, and comedy.
In this time period, theatre changed like crazy! The middle class and the money that they were bringing in and putting it into the theatre were major influences for the changes in theatre during this time period. The two plays were written like plays in our own time period. Because they were written and set like the plays today, I found these two plays easy to read and comprehend.
To Vince:
ReplyDeleteI really liked your blog it was very well done. And it was very noted and specific.
Response to Will Grisanti:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your description of opera. I have to agree with you that it was unlike anything ever seen before up until that time period and that it really takes a great deal of talent to master the singing.
1. The Baroque Style seems to be more elaborate in is schemes and costumes. In the video "Le Roi Danse", it seemed to me that traditional music and dancing was mixed with elaborate costumes. It also had pretty good acting, even though it was in French.
ReplyDelete2. This video too uses grand costumes and beautiful singing. Opera is considere the grandest of all art forms because of its beauty and the talent level it takes to be able to perform it. People admire opera very much so, and it is a beautiful form of music
3. Changes during this time were great. The middle class was on the rise and theatre began to get more money to put on their productions. These styles of plays had an influence on our modern theatre because it was beginning to be more focused around the actors and the content of the plays.
Response to Austin: Your descriptions were great, I related to them very well
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe first clip's dance choreography is much more subtle and mechanical than what we would see today in a modern style of dance. Every step made by the dancer is important to the aesthetic understanding of the routine, which is also strongly representative of the culture of France in the 17th century as social opinion and stature was largely based on interpretation of actions rather than blunt expressionism that we see in modern society.
ReplyDeleteFrom the second clip, I feel that opera became largely popular due to the spectacle and the diversity in the elements of the works. For example, the basic opera structure has elements of tragedy, comedy, and a prevalent musical theme, which serves to guide the pace of the piece. I believe it is considered to be the grandest of all art forms because it has such an epic feel that can draw audiences in to the plot, and it demonstrates such power and emotion in every aspect of the acting.
Regarding the third clip, I think theatrical styles have changed so much due to the evolving nature of Europe in that time period. There were so many events going on during the time to alter social structure and society in general that theatre had to change to match them. The characteristics of modern theatre I see in the works are dynamic plots which change progressively as the story goes on, humor that follows similar themes as modern western culture, and a more direct method of presenting dialogue and character development.
Response to Justin Scheuner:
I agree with your assessment of opera's literary roots being the source of its grand appeal to general audiences. I feel that it is important to point that out, since literature is often as evolving with society as theatre is.
1. The clothing in the first video shown is very unique and catchy for your eyes. The movements done by the actors are very intense and exaggerated in a sense. The theater still seems like a upper crust type of event, which started to stop and become more for the middle class during this time period. The special effects are noticeably more modern and similar to the one's we would see today.
ReplyDelete2. People of this time enjoyed song and dance a lot, and Opera, almost more than any other form of theater incorporates the two attributes of song and dance. Opera can also be considered a very grand art form because of all the talent it requires to be successful. Not only do opera singers have to sing well, but they act just as well as any other type of actor, especially in plays like the one shown, where the actors are constantly moving.
3. The industrial revolution, and the rise of the middle class during this time period lead to the expansion of theater all around the western world. The modern plays also seem to be more inferentially humorous as well. The speaking style from the old performances are also transfered to the new ones.
Response to Xander: I did not realize the man's hat as an indicator of his personality until now. That is very much true.
LE ROI DANSE
ReplyDeleteThe spectacle in this video is very elaborate. The costuming and music seem to have a very dramatic effect on the work. The Baroque style reflected the ideals and high values of this rich European society. Like today audiences enjoy spectacle although the style now is much different than from this time period.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
Opera became popular because of the unique style it performed for the audience. This is considered to be the grandest form because of the many different aspects it combines in to one work. It has the story, meaning, and spectacle of a play combined with the talent of over the top singing.
THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL and SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
Theatre underwent exponential change in the 17th and 18th centuries. Shows began to be aimed more towards the middle class and many involved very bawdy scenarios. Today many risque and deceitful actions are still used to reflect the way society acts.
RESPONSE TO STEPHEN KELLY: I agree with you that the rise of the middle class did influence the way theatre developed greatly.
1: Theatre in the 17th century was very dramatic and drawn out. The Baroque theatree of this time was much more flamboyant and elaborate in its entirety which is much different from the theatre today. The costumes as well as the make up and dancing were much different and way more elaborate than any of the styles of theatre today. The theatre of this time also represented the style of life back in the 17th century, people tried to look their best because they felt that this had an affect on them being thier best, so their carried over their ways of living intot their acting and dancing. The music of this time period was very contemporary and repeting.
ReplyDelete2: In my opinion opera was a big success because is was something new and different and was a new outlet to people besides the dramas tragedies and comedies. The whole time period was mainly focused on change and opera was another example of how they were trying to come up with new ideas and change the way they act and carry themselves. The talent that people must have in order to perform in an opera is unbelievable. They must not only be able to capture the peoples attention with their acting abilities and theeir abilities to perfom with suspense and drama, but they must also be able to sing at a level that not many people in the world could think of. This is why i think that opera became so popular becasue people enjoyed seeing these talented actores and singers get on stage and perform at such a high level and they also included everyday settings so people were able to relate to operas in that case too.
3. The rising of the middle class allowed for the theatrical aspects to flourish and the money brought in during this time allowed for many advancements in theatre which brought great change to the arts. They were able to advance in technology which completely changed the aspect of theatre and gave the audience a new outlook on how a play was. There was also a shift in the talent going from the playwright to the actor, and the success of a play now depended much more on the talents of the actor and this was able to bring us closer to the theatre that takes place today
Response to Michael Steepleton: i agree with you that in the first one the dancing was very elaborate and that the music was dramatic
ReplyDeleteResponse to Blog 7
ReplyDelete1. Theatre during the Baroque era was very over the top in most regards most notably in the costumes and makeup that the characters wore. It was concerned with spectacle and art. Because of this theatre very much mirrored society itself at the time because society was also very expressive and lively. During the Baroque era, theatre was less concerned with dialogue and character issues, and more concerned with spectacle and art. Today we find that we place a much greater emphasis on dialogue. People today might get bored with the form of theatre that was presented in the 17th and 18th centuries.
2. In watching this piece, I believe that opera very much connected to society outside of the theatre. In this time, merchants were becoming more and more wealthier and class lines were starting to become less and less defined. This allowed people to begin to understand that a common ground was a place where people were judged for their actions and received the same punishments regardless of the class they were in. I think opera became so popular at this time because it was very effective in combining many different forms of theatre that in the past were completely independent of one another. It was also popular because it was such a huge turn around from the rather dull and boring theatrical works that were being performed in the previous centuries and people were excited for a change. Opera was very unique in itself and it presented a new fun and dazzling spectacle to the audience that they very welcomingly accepted.
3. Like I said earlier, because of the wealth flowing into the middle class, plays became more and more elaborate because of the funding now available to the theatre. Theatre also changed because as the population began to think differently, modern day affairs were interpreted differently and theatre had to change to match this. These plays began the trend towards greater comedy and toward the idea that humans are very flawed and oftentimes exposing these flaws can be very comedic. Today we see many plays where the plot is made what it is because of mistakes that the main character has made and the effects that it has on his/her life. In these clips, one can see that there is now much less importance placed on what characters should morally do and much more importance placed on what characters will probably do because of flaws in the human mindset.
My response to B. Haynes
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in your view that opera was simply a new and different way to spread the same belief to the audience even though I had not thought of it this way myself. Opera was actually much more successful at capturing the interest of the audience and getting its point across than were the older theatrical styles of the previous centuries.
in the first video what interested me most was how dramatic the dancing was. another thing that interested me was the clothes the person was wearing with the head dress thing that looked like a son and the outhfit with the suns on the persons knee. it is amazing that they weere able to achieve this without the use of electricty or power. it must have taken hours to memeroize those dance moves.
ReplyDeletein the second video i can tell that opera played an important role in society. it shows that song is a major part of theatre instead of just acting it out and talking. singing is amjor component and it was used very widly around the world during this time. the singing of opera was very imoportnat to theatre at this time opera reached oput to people on differnet levels.
the third play is has very elaborate clothing and is a very wealthy type of play. the funds that were now coming into theatre made it possible for those play wright to make plays more elaborate and more advance. it also show the advancement of the actor who is doing everything that the playwright is telling him to do
Response to tyler wingfield: lovely blog tyler it was very intersting can'ty wait to see you tomorrw;)
Le Roi Danse
ReplyDeleteIn this Baroque style play the costumes were very flambouyant, elaborate and over the top. Theatre in the 17th century reflected the way of life as does this play. Theatre of this time period is much different than theatere of today
Queen of The Night
Opera was sonething new to the people, somethinig different. It was not the same old acting but a new style, very elaborate singing.It can be considered the grandest form because of how elaborate it is and how much work gets put into the development of an opera.
The School for Scoundrel and She Stoops to Conquer
As time went on theatre began to change. The middle class became more wealthy and shows were now developed towards them. Comedies started to stand out more and be the more popular type of play. The comedies now focused on the flaws of regular everday people instead of the law or church.
Response to Hunter:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the singing during opera reaches to people.
My Response to Zach:
ReplyDeleteI agree, this play was the norm for that time period. It really makes you think how the norm can shift so dramatically.
Wow! This was some of the biggest forms of spectacle I have ever seen. This period, to me, is nothing but grandeur and spectacle, which is what I noticed within the first 7 seconds of the play. I also noticed that candles were everywhere! Also the gold character had more power than I had ever seen before because she was able to instantaneously make the two guys bringing her a gold object kneel to the floor. To me, something this over the top would be done once in a millennium, but apparently this was the common everyday way of life back in that European time!
ReplyDeleteFirst, the clothes were very overdone. Although, I think the clothes cannot give evidence to why Opera was the most used form of grandeur because they were used in every form of play. The singing however, was the reason for the popularity of Opera. The singing was very loud with very long notes. Even the argument between the mother and daughter was very dramatic at times.
Theatre was changing dramatically in the 17th and 18th century. More discoveries were being made as how lighting would be done and plays were changing in meaning. Some plays were based on the actors instead of the playwright as well. This play shows that the meaning of the play went from a story to everyday life. It shows how it started becoming what we know plays to be about today.
LE ROI DANSE
ReplyDeleteSeventeenth century European society was the epitome of opulence and excess. They were constantly looking for new and creative ideas. This play reflects society perfectly with its grand costumes and innovative performances. The use of special effects (cutting-edge by the standards of the time) and powerful music helped give the play a very modern feel. While these are all characteristics of today’s plays, modern theater allows the character performers to tell the story rather than relying on a narrator.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
Opera style theatre was new to the world in the 17th century. Like anything new, it is bound to get a lot of attention. Opera, however, is more than a performance fad. It combines two of the most demanding performance skills: a powerful, yet controlled, voice and superb acting. There is nothing else in the theatre that is so demanding as an opera performance. Very few people possess the talent to even attempt opera, much less pull it off. That is one reason it is so admired and appreciated.
THE SCHOOL FOR SCANAL, SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
Prior to the 17th century, most plays were dark tragedies. The world was ready of a lighter mood. Comedies entertained their audiences without the emphasis on an underlying meaning. Audiences today generally feel the same way. These plays rely heavily on costumes and stage sets, much like today’s plays, to help set the tone of the story. Much of the comedy in these plays is satire, which is still widely used in the theatre.
The baroque clip was very much like what we have studied. THe costumes that the actors were wearing were all very flamboyant. The performance was over the top, and truly reflected the upper class dress at the time.The background music was very powerful as well.
ReplyDeleteThe second clip showed German opera. The works were by Mozart as you know, and Mozart himself was a genius. His genius is displayed in these works. The costumes are once again over the top except this time not so focused on the frills of France and more on the beauty of the loudness shown in the effect. The music complimented and accompanied the singing quite well. It acted as thought it were another voice that was singing in unison as a duet with the actual person singing at the time on stage. The entire work is more breathtaking than that of the Renaissance based on forcefulness of the work. A much more lively and enthused style as well.
The clothes the actors&actresses wore in the third set of clips was more intricate than I would have expected. The witty remarks and small bits of banter found in the first clip are displayed in today's theatre as well. The language as you said is definitely more accessible/understandable. The bits of verbal irony used are also really effective as well.
@Zac, I also noticed the candles everywhere. It took me off gaurd actually because I was not really understanding their actual importance to the stage until seeing this.
Le Roi Danse, in my opinion, reflected the modern day society. First, the dress was very festive and royal like King Louis. King Louis called himself the sun god, and believed and acted as such. There was still much dance and music, but I believe that more dialogue was added in. This is more similar to theatre as we know it today. Their dances portrayed the style of the ancient Indian theatrical style.
ReplyDeleteIn the second play, I understood more of what was going on, even with the short time frame I was given to comprehend them. I liked the first version better, mostly because the witch seemed more enthusastic and understanding of her role. I understand why opera became popular during this time period. It is because it was new and exciting to the people of olden times. Eventhough it had been introduced before, it was turning into something bigger than it was before.
The third set of plays shows the importance of the rise of the middle class. As we know, theatre portrays society, and when the middle class began to rise, this effected theatre. It brought in more money and new ideas. These plays had much more dialogue and less song and dance. It also used more comedy, which was becoming more popular with its extravagent dress which attracted the higher societies and made it more popular.