Keeping it real with St. Joan of Arc
One of my favorite parts of our homeschooling this year is "Composer Study." Due to Lucy's certifiable obsession with The Nutcracker, we began with Tchaikovsky.... The Nutcracker, naturally, then Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Last week I took a leap and introduced them to the idea of opera with Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans.I began by telling my girls the story of St. Joan of Arc, then explained how a story is told through singing, sort of combining the two types of theater they already knew (ballets and plays). I found a version of the opera on Youtube and sat them in front of it.
Now, I generally enjoy opera, but I was waiting for signs of restlessness. I mean, they're five and three. The opera is two and a half hours long. And in Russian. But they seemed absorbed. Occasionally Zoe's brow would furrow as she tried to figure out which character was which, who was good or bad and so on, but they barely wiggled.
I didn't want to press my luck, though, so after about 35 minutes, I told them we'd stop for the day and continue later. Together they yelled, "No! No! Please! We want to keep watching!"
Wow, I thought. I mean, opera. Russian opera. My kids really are cultured. I wonder how that happened...
Then Zoe brought me back to reality. "We want to see the end!" she said. "We want to see her get burned-ed!"
Sigh.....yep. So much for my genius children.
I guess I shouldn't be too disturbed by their macabre taste, right?? I mean, no wonder The Hunger Games was such a blockbuster.
LoL! Things like that fascinate children. I don't remember this, but apparently when I was a kid and my family and I would go to the video store to rent a movie, I'd always gravitate towards the movies with the bloodiest, most gruesome covers. I hate gore and horror movies. No idea why I was entranced by it when I was little!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be too worried--kids first become aware of the concept of death in the pre-kindergarten years and do have a morbid curiosity for a while. I remember my daughter worrying that her security blanket was dead. My philosopher hubby took the opportunity to talk about different kinds of being alive (via Aristotle) and about inanimate objects.
ReplyDeleteI guess the burning must not be as frightening in Russian opera. But I had to laugh at their reaction.
ReplyDeleteI did not let my kids watch the Joan of Arc movie a couple of years ago. But this year, I let my son (13) watch For Greater Glory. Not so my daughter. She has read about it, which is far different than a dramatization. I have a fabulous book of saints, and it is simply horrible to read about what they suffered for their faith.
Ha ha! That's hilarious! I would be wondering the same thing, but at least they are learning something of history :)
ReplyDeleteOh dear. XD Still an impressive attention span.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! Don't worry about the burneded part. We're studying Queen Elizabeth, and my kids are obsessed with the severed heads on the London Bridge!
ReplyDelete