V2025 The Opera

I took this class for fun because I love opera, and I was not disappointed. Prof. Boynton's dry and serious manner of speaking does not accurately reflect her personality or attitude towards the material. At first I thought she was boring and stolid, but as the course went on she relaxed and even showed a sense of humor (albeit not a good one). It was her first semester at the school so she may have been somewhat nervous. The class focused on four operas, only quickly filling in the gaps with basic information. The four operas were Monteverdi's Orfeo, Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, Verdi's Otello, and Carmen. I love these operas (except for Carmen), so I was happy with the course. Overall, Prof. Boynton was an adequate lecturer and a very approachable person who let the material speak for itself, and conducted a pretty good class discussion. So if you like opera or think you might like it, then you shouldn't be disappointed.