2014.08.25 You Tube Video: In Cerca Di Amore

You Tube Video: In Cerca di Amore - Prospect Philharmonic Orchestra (Final performance, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Rome Italy)
This uniquely presented opera tells the story of a woman, who is always searching for love, finding it, and then is hurt, left alone. This happens over and over, and she finally professes giving up.
Uploaded	August 25, 2014
Artist	Prospect Philharmonic Orchestra
Category	Music
License	Standard You Tube License

As the video starts, it is clear what "uniquely presented" means: The entire orchestra is seated upon the stage, as though for a concert. The conductor stands at a podium, and directs. By all rights, you would think it would fail. The composer cut several different pieces about love and loss out of different operas and combined them into one long, flowing new story about missing love. Parts were changed so that there was no confusion, no abrupt changes. Without knowing the actual specific operas, it would have seemed brand new and perfectly completed. The Grand Homage.

The story is simple enough. A woman goes through several different loves, searching for the one. She's hurt, then in love, then hurt again. She sings songs about falling easily in love, falling quickly. How she longs for that one true love, yet all these men keep letting her down. This is where the homage really takes off, as they move through different stories and settings, the one girl stays consistant, while various men from these other stories weave through her life. Bursts of romance and courtship, betrayal and loss. Parts where only the orchestra plays, and parts where performers weave about the stage. A very unique blend of concert and opera.

The songs get progressively more desperate for this woman to find her one true love, more sad. Songs about how the right man was out there. She could feel it, feel him watching her, as if his eyes were following her through her life. In the final act the woman professes giving up. Resigning herself to be a maiden forever, to never find the one she seeks, she flows off the stage. A rather long piece starts, the mournful conclusion.

There is a little commotion in the audience, nothing really disruptive, but a woman is being escorted from her seat by an usher, his manner solicitous. All the while the music plays, weaving the mournful conclusion that rises into a crescendo. And then, it is over. Once the crescendo has played out and the musicians stopped, the conductor turns. Almost every musician stands up as the audience starts to rise and applaud. People loved it. Absolutely loved it. A raving success as almost everyone within the theater rises to their feet to applaud. The musicians smile and many hold out their instruments, indicating the performance is over, the conductor bowing.

Suddenly, music.

It's confusing at first. Once everyone starts applauding and standing, the opera is over, right? Yet sure enough, the loud sounds of a violin fill the air. The camera focuses on a violinist, in the second chair seat, now playing, still sitting. It's a song very similar to the crescendo in its mournful tone. The applause tapers within the audience, confusion in many eyes. What's going on? This isn't usual. It's over, right? Yet still, the music plays. Even the conductor is confused, turning around with a look of utter shock and surprise on his face.

Still, he plays. Finally the applause has died down enough that suddenly, three women all raise their violins and join him at various intervals. A solo turning into a duet, turning into a trio, turning into a quartet as the audience is confused into silence. What's going on? Many start to sit back down, some even blushing, like it's their fault that they started applauding too early. All the signs that it's over are still there, however, as the four continue to play. Only their music fills the hall.

Suddenly, the three women all cease. In one fluid motion the entire orchestra sits, while simultaneously the male violinist stands. Obviously choreographed. He is playing alone now, every note is flawless, hanging on the air for just the right amount of time.

Like answering a siren's call, the woman returns to stage. Though, something seems different. She's dancing her way out, slow movements, but the point is clear. The music is a siren's call, and the woman is being guided by it. As she moves across the stage, the camera focuses on her, and the differences become clear. It is not the same woman from before the supposed finale. She looks incredibly close, but there are differences. This woman moves with a sinuous grace that the previous woman lacked, and her gaze on the soloist seems a little more intense. He's staring back at her as he plays, drawing that bow over the strings like a master as he reels her in towards him. He steps out towards the center of the stage, helping close the distance as the dancer goes through the moves.

All at once, all the music stops. The entire house goes quiet enough that a pin can be dropped as the violin is lowered.

"Liesl..." He says, his voice radiating out throughout the house. "Ever since I've met you, you've been the light of my life. I feel like I was always meant to find you and be with you. You've made me happier than I ever have been, but..." The violin is lowered more, and one of the other violinists runs up, taking the violin away from him as his hand goes down into his pocket. He starts to kneel down, pulling out a small box from his pocket as he goes down to one knee. "I was just wondering if you would be willing to make me the happiest man in the universe."

Liesl's hands come up to cover her mouth as he starts to speak, she looks shocked, she looks surprised. And, the camera also catches that her eyes are starting to tear up.

The box opens, and there it is. An engagement ring. As he looks up towards her, in front of thousands of people, a of couple gasps can be heard amongst the crowd. Liesl's eyes are only on that man leaning down on one knee before her, holding the ring up as he stares into her eyes.

"Liesl Anne Miller. Will you marry me?"

She lowers her hands from her mouth, and into the hushed silence of the audience, all hanging to hear her answer, she answers quite clearly.

"Yes."

He takes the ring out of the box as her hand falls down. A mouse squeak could possibly be heard by how quiet everything is. He takes that ring and slides it onto Liesl's finger, perfectly sized and everything just for her, glittering under the lights. Finally it fits into place and he stands quickly.

His strong hands pull her fully against his body as his lips eagerly find those of his fiancee. He's holding her carefully in the protective grip, refusing to let her go now that she's here. Suddenly, the crowd ROARS with applause, everyone cheering louder than any other ovation for this performance. The orchestra starts playing loud, that dramatic finale as the girl finds the one she loves after searching for so long.

"I love you." The words, whispered, are nevertheless picked up by the microphone, and broadcast through the auditorium, just as the orchestra's final notes die away.

It's a hold that very well might never end as he continues kissing her all throughout the ovation. He pulls away finally, one arm firmly held around her waist so she can't fall over or anything. He turns the pair, facing them towards the audience as he responds. "I love you too," he says, looking deep into her blue eyes, then returning his gaze to the crowd. "Now we need to bow." He grins, just in case she might have forgotten, and he helps them bow to the audience, whose cheers are loudest of all. Cheering, all for the new couple. The trio of women violinists come up, one at a time, leaning in and whispering congratulations as the pair face the crowd, then resume going back to the rest of the orchestra so that everyone can bow.

The sounds of applause and the picture all fade out as the video ends.