On Saturday night, we went to see the show at Music Hall featuring our opera, symphony, May Festival singers, and dancers from our ballet. This was an extra-big extravaganza -- the opera by Wagner, Die Meistersinger.
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There was a lot about the plot line that seemed like familiar conversation to those of us working hard on the transformation of the Fine Arts Fund. (Fondly dubbed the New-FAF initiative.)
Here’s what you need to know.
Meistersinger means mastersinger, a – you know – master at singing.
It’s a category rigidly defined by some secret clubs of amateur artists and middle class tradespeople in Germany a long time ago.
These clubs had categories of members and the masters were the ones able to both “write new verses to existing melodies and invent new melodies”.
Applying the rules of the club meant that the fitting of the words to the melody was often more important than the resulting message of the song.
The clubs hosted regular contests for their own pleasure and the entertainment of their neighbors. (So You Think You Can Sing?)
This opera includes a lot of singing about what happens when a contestant breaks the rules, but people like the resulting song. (With complicated love-interest story line too, of course.)
The six-hour show (including two intermissions) flew by on Saturday. It’s a comedy (yep) – and the audience did a lot of laughing. Opera audiences are so PASSIONATE! We loved the way people yelled and stomped their feet.
Here are some of the notes we took about messages in the opera – all still relevant centuries later, and some especially so for those of us focused on rethinking the role of arts in livable places today.
General Lessons about the Workplace
It never hurts to give the boss a little cake. (Shoemaker/singer’s assistant brings sweets to make up for lateness.)
Singing and music at work are good ideas because they improve the quality of the output and make the day more fun. (Shoemaker teaches his assistant to sing while he works.)
General Lesson about Love
You're likely to fall in love with the one who is all three: hero, poet, and friend. (From the love-interest story line.)
Something We've Never Thought about Before
Shoemakers resent that people walk on their art all day long.
Messages About Arts and Quality of Life
People are drawn to live in places with lots of music, dance, and song – arts! (The wanna-be mastersinger explains why he moved.)
It’s a good idea to have your art out in the public where everyone can enjoy it. (The singing club members talk about why they have contests.)
Important Lessons for Communicators, Arts Marketers, and Advocates
It's a different song when it’s sung right instead of wrong. (What the people say when they hear a song they understand.)
It helps to be a little delusional when you are working on policy for the greater good. (Liberal translation of what one club member says to another.)
Questions that Never Go Away and Need No Explanation
Who decides what is art - the critics/judges/masters or the public?
Why do we try to measure what cannot be measured? Or, What makes good art, anyway?
Bottom Line
Push the envelope, while also honoring tradition and heritage.
