The Little Opera Singer

Before I talk about myself I would like to saypeople were looking at me because I was
something about my parents, starting with myprobably the youngest person in the audience.
mother whom I would describe as a very niceAll this excitement was making me anxious for
looking lady and supper mom who is never toothe opera to start which fortunately we did not
tired to play with me. My mother like I, was bornhave to wait long for as it started on time with
in Warsaw, Poland where she works in athe overture. An overture is a musical piece with
company that does market research.no singing in which we hear the main themes or
As for my father, what I will say about him ismotives that will be played during the opera.
that he is an elegant man who was born in NewDuring the opera my father kept telling me things
York City (which is in the USA) and who enjoysabout the opera, just like he promised to. He told
sharing his love of the arts with me. My father'sme what the performers were doing as well as
mother was born in Buenos Aires which is insinging, which was of particular importance to me,
Argentina and his father was born in Genoa whichbecause I did not understand Italian nor could I
is in Italy. My father speaks Polish, French,read in Polish, or at least not as fast as my
Spanish, Italian and English and writes books aboutmother who I could see was reading the
his hobbies which include listening to classical musictranslations that were being shown on the board
as well as going to the opera.above the stage in order to keep up with the
Now that I have described my parents I will nowstory.
say something about myself which is that I likeAnother thing my father did during the opera was
most children my age, go to school and enjoypoint out to me which arias were his favorite, an
watching cartoons, playing video games on myaria being a song in an opera, something that a
computer, and going places with my mom andweek before going to the opera I did not even
dad. The 3 of us often go to restaurants and toknow. It was in a way funny how I had learned
department stores where we do a lot ofto recognize every aria my father liked with the
shopping not only for the toys I play with but forhelp of the CD of "La Traviata" which my father
my clothes which my parents love buying mehad bought and played for me at least 10 times
almost as much as I love getting.during the course of the previous week.
My parents are very different from each otherOut of the whole evening one of the things that
but they also have many things in common, onepleased me the most apart from the music was
of them is that they both love me very muchthe stage which was decorated with splendor not
and only want the best for me. My parents and Ionly by ornate scenes but by performers who
live in a 2 bedroom apartment in downtownwere so colorful in their costumes.
Warsaw which is on the same block as the schoolI can honestly say that I was enjoying this opera,
I go to.a lot more then I thought I would and my parents
Now that I have introduced you to both mycould see that I was and I could tell by the way in
parents as well as myself, I would like to tell youwhich they looked at me then grinned at each
about the first time my parents and I went toother that this made them both very happy.
the opera which was 3 years ago and as you willThe 4th act of "La Traviata takes place in a
see for yourselves by the end of this story ithospital, where Alfredo goes to visit Violeta who
changed my life forever. I must confess thoughis dying of some illness. It is in this scene were
that before going to the opera I was a little afraidVioleta and Alfredo tell each other how much
I would have trouble sitting through an entirethey love one another, and just as they are doing
opera thinking it would be boring but however itthis Alfredo's father enters Violeta's hospital room
was my father who made me feel more at easeto apologize to her for having asked him to break
by telling me if I did not like the opera I would notoff her relationship with her sonbecause he did
have to go back, and that he would help menot consider her to be worthy of him, seeing now
enjoy the opera by explaining it to me as I wasthat he had misjudged her by thinking her not to
watching it.be a woman of class who truly loved his son.
The first opera my parents took me to see wasAfter Alfredo's father finishes his apology Violeta
"La Traviata" by Verdi, which my father chosetells Alfredo just before expiring how happy she is
because it only lasts 2 hours (includingto be back with him.
intermissions, making it not long for an opera) andAt the end of the opera I could not help but cry
the music is easy to listen to as I found out afterat such a sad ending which is something shared
my father went out and got me the highlights ofby most operas. In all truthfulness what made
the music on CD. My father explained to me thattears come to my eyes was my conviction that
it is always more interesting to see an opera atVioleta had actually died. It was the sight of my
the theatre after having become familiar with thetears which indicated to my mother who figured
music.out right away what it was that was troubling me
My father also told me the synopsis of "Laas she told me not to worry because the lady
Traviata", which is the story of Violeta, awho was playing Violeta had not really died but
dressmaker who falls in love with Alfredo, a manwas only pretending. My father also seeing my
whose rich respected Parisian family can notdistress added something which helped make my
accept her.tears stop flowing which was that we would be
The day we had been waiting on for two weeksseeing Violeta in a few minutes when she was
as my father got the tickets in advance finallydue to come out to take her vows along with the
arrived and my mother, as is her habit on daysrest of the cast, which is precisely what happened
which I would have to stay up late, made meafter the curtain went up again.
take a nap from which she woke me at 17:30 soAll the performers started coming out on stage,
I could take a bath and get dressed in one of myone at a time, beginning with the singers who had
favorite dresses which my father had bought meplayed the smaller parts working up to those
for such special occasions.whose parts had been bigger. Alfredo was second
I can still see myself and the way I looked soto last followed by Violeta whose return to the
grownup when standing in front of our full-lengthstage brought relief to my heart which had sunk
mirror all dressed up in my red dress, black shoes,after seeing her die.
and in my first long coat which was brown likeWith the reappearance of the Violeta the cast
the one my mother wore that evening. Thewas complete and standing on stage making it a
feeling I got at the sight that I was growing upgrand display made more so by the audience
and ready to go out for the evening for the firstwhich was giving them a standing ovation while
time was a stupendous one of almost being atossing roses on stage. At that point I remember
young adult.asking my father if this is what happened after
In order to get to the opera on time which wasevery opera to which he replied "yes, this is what
scheduled to start at 19:00, we left ouralways happens".
apartment at 18:30 and with the evening beingIt was then that I saw the conductor get up on
such as it was we decided to walk to the operastage and point to the members of the orchestra
house which is very close to our apartment.all of whom stood up while everybody in the
Our walk took us through "Saski Park" which Iaudience continued cheering and throwing roses
had never been fortunate enough till then to seeon to the stage. The elation this majestic
at night with all its lights on which on thatspectacle was providing was tremendous and I
particular evening were shinning on the whiteknew even then that this was going to be an
snow which had blanketed the park making itevening which I would never forget.
resemble a live fairy land from one of my manyAfter exiting the opera we went to a near by
films for children. My father even commentedrestaurant where I had a small desert and apple
that the view reminded him of Central Park injuice as well as a chance to tell my parents who
New York leaving me, who had never been towere eager to know what I thought of the whole
New York to only imagine how beautiful Centralevening. I told them how much the show had
Park must be if it was anything like this.delighted me. My father asked me what I had
It was on our way to the opera that I noticedthought of the Theater to which I replied that I
my mother, who was wearing a long purple dresswas really impressed by the whole place and not
and my father who was wearing a black Tuxedoonly by its size but by how it was all so nice.
with a white shirt and bow tie. Both my parentsThen my mother asked me what I thought of
were elegantly dressed and were equally proud tothe performance to which I replied that I had
be taking me to the opera for what would be thereally liked the costumes specially Violeta's.
first of many similar outings.Now it was my father's turn to ask me if I had
I will never forget how impressed I was uponliked the singing, which I told him had been the
entering Poland's largest opera house, Teatrbest part of the evening made even better by all
Narodowy (which in Polish means Nationalthat surrounded it.
Theatre) for the first time, the National TheatreAfter having finished what we ordered we simply
left me at awe by how truly grand it was with itshailed a cab home, were upon arrival I went
gigantic columns, large halls and red carpets. Mystraight to bed but not before hearing both my
impression was such that it could not go unnoticedparents tell me how honored they had felt by
by my father who before the start of the operahaving taken me to the opera and how they
took me for a brief stroll through the theatre, towere hoping I would want to go back to the
show me the restaurants and the customs thatopera with them at a later date something I also
had been worn in past operas which were nowhoped to do.
being shown in display windows much like aI was so excited after the opera that I found it
museum.hard to fall asleep, it was the music in my head
It was while my father and I were on our way towhich by bringing back so many images to my
our seats to join my mother that I looked allmind was keeping me awake. Many impressions,
around me and saw how people were so cheerymaybe too many for one single evening to allow
and stylishly attired that I got the feeling that theme to concentrate on any one in particular. There
opera might not be as boring as I had originallywas the image of the opera house, the stage and
thought.the performers, the costumes, the way the
Once my father and I were sitting with myaudience was dressed, the applauding and roses
mother in our respective seats, waiting for thebeing tossed on stage after the performance and
opera to begin I started observing how peopleabove all the opera itself which helped me decide
were looking at me with smiles of wonder onthat I wanted to become an opera singer.
their faces, my mother told me that so many