Karina Gonzalez
For the second presentation of the Fall 2007 Professors’ Lecture series, presented by Encore adult education program, Maestro James Domine took to the stage and conducted an exciting lesson on the subject “The Development of Opera” to a capacity crowd Thursday.The two-hour lesson about operatic music covered the period spanning from the Renaissance. Domine came prepared, armed with a handful of compact discs and a sharp wit, to address the crowd of mostly older adults.Repeatedly, many in the room participated in the presentation by singing along to the familiar tunes, tapping their feet to the beat from the selected audio clips and laughing when jokes were told.The majority of people at the event are familiar with Domine and regularly show up when he’s scheduled to speak. Some are enrolled in his music classes at Pierce College. Others just go to hear what new things they might learn about music. Domine is very popular among the group, according to Encore Director Ida Blaine.”Domine is the pied piper of music,” said Blaine, beaming with a smile.Currently studying online for a doctorate degree in music education through Boston University, Domine clearly demonstrated his mastery of the subject by carefully orchestrating the details without losing the audience, all the while keeping his composure even under the duress of a microphone malfunction.People in the back of the room had difficulty hearing sometimes and, therefore, they missed some important information. But, overall, the presentation was a success and people appeared to want more when Domine is up for the challenge.Domine said that, during the Renaissance, opera was originally a rich society event for friends and neighbors. Because the sheer size of the orchestra and the production value was overwhelming, it was reserved only for those with money. But, as the music progressed, it demanded more sophistication. The inspiration for the developments were drawn from Greek myths and other stories. For the first 200 years, the Italians dominated the scene. When the French entered, the traditional opera rules receded, causing a new movement and style in the genre that is most famously drawn from the opera “Carmen” (circa 1875) by the French composer Georges Bizet.Traditionally, women in opera (if they were used at all) were demure and beautiful. “Carmen” broke all taboos and created a heroine who was not only a gypsy but immoral. Because of her, most of the main characters die, while she lives.Throughout the presentation, Domine played a clip or two from each opera, at the same time explaining the correlations of the play and music.Domine then covered perhaps the most famous composer in history, Richard Wagner, the radical 19th century German composer.Domine arrived with the intent to teach something vital about the musical form called opera.”Opera is one of the most important musical genres of the composition,” said Domine. “And for centuries, the most important kind of music.” His narrative of the opera covering the vast period of time resonated with the audience.For several Encore volunteers, it is always a joy when Domine speaks.”[Domine] explains so well,” said Sharon Lasman, 77, a volunteer. “His presentations are so human.”Domine is not only a music instructor at Pierce, but many other things as well. He is the conductor of the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, a musician and a novelist. A multi-talented artist, his education stretches beyond just music.For more information about the SFV Symphony and James Domine, go to http://www.sfvsymphony.com/ or call (818) 347-4807.