Hello! I'm happy to know about this site and will check in frequently. I work for a regional opera company as educator/lecturer/community outreach director and have been passionate about opera since age 12 (a looooonnnggg time ago...).
To weigh in on your question, the value of the practice of updating/tweaking plots of standard operas varies, naturally, according to the standards and tastefulness of those in charge. Geez, there are some "traditional" period stagings that offend me because of their lack of committment, energy or imagination.
I tend to feel that, in general, setting Rigoletto in Las Vegas (or whichever similar example one might choose) will be of more value to those are already quite familiar with the original setting & characters. I am concerned with the attendee who is new to opera, doesn't "know from" Rigoletto, and is being introduced to the work in this way. What if that person *never* sees the work as Verdi envisioned it? This dinosaur thinks that would be a shame. It's likely very diverting for veteran aficionados, who may think: "Wow - I never thought of it this way! Very interesting! Not the 'same old same old!" But in the end, it's the ability of great vocal artists to use their vocal abilities to touch and move us that keep the art form alive, don't you think? All those terribly creative stage directors and set designers need to know that singing - and credible, committed acting - is what makes us love opera so; much more than all their tortured "creativity".
If interested, check out my weekly blog at http://dropera.blogspot.com. Thanks for "listening"! And thanks for the thrills you've provided this opera lover with over the years - brava!
Thoughtful answer. Lack of commitment and a routine reading of a major piece of music makes me frustrated. Films that are very successful today are those that are either ridden with special effects or the costumer, scenic designer and cinematographer are so wonderful that we actually believe we are actually in that time with them. Authentic. Lincoln, the film of Spielberg is amazing in how it is so natural and every detail is mostly correct, so we feel we are living it with the great man and his story means more. To update opera to current or render it a useless wall for some modern theater directors graffiti is so not going to win opera audiences. Controversy has its options, and gains in the short term. Jury still out about all of this.....thank you so much for your visiting with me....I will check out your blog as well. Lots of family in Virginia so we are "neighbors"..... God bless.....
Hello! I'm happy to know about this site and will check in frequently. I work for a regional opera company as educator/lecturer/community outreach director and have been passionate about opera since age 12 (a looooonnnggg time ago...).
ReplyDeleteTo weigh in on your question, the value of the practice of updating/tweaking plots of standard operas varies, naturally, according to the standards and tastefulness of those in charge. Geez, there are some "traditional" period stagings that offend me because of their lack of committment, energy or imagination.
I tend to feel that, in general, setting Rigoletto in Las Vegas (or whichever similar example one might choose) will be of more value to those are already quite familiar with the original setting & characters. I am concerned with the attendee who is new to opera, doesn't "know from" Rigoletto, and is being introduced to the work in this way. What if that person *never* sees the work as Verdi envisioned it? This dinosaur thinks that would be a shame. It's likely very diverting for veteran aficionados, who may think: "Wow - I never thought of it this way! Very interesting! Not the 'same old same old!" But in the end, it's the ability of great vocal artists to use their vocal abilities to touch and move us that keep the art form alive, don't you think? All those terribly creative stage directors and set designers need to know that singing - and credible, committed acting - is what makes us love opera so; much more than all their tortured "creativity".
If interested, check out my weekly blog at http://dropera.blogspot.com. Thanks for "listening"! And thanks for the thrills you've provided this opera lover with over the years - brava!
Thoughtful answer. Lack of commitment and a routine reading of a major piece of music makes me frustrated. Films that are very successful today are those that are either ridden with special effects or the costumer, scenic designer and cinematographer are so wonderful that we actually believe we are actually in that time with them. Authentic. Lincoln, the film of Spielberg is amazing in how it is so natural and every detail is mostly correct, so we feel we are living it with the great man and his story means more. To update opera to current or render it a useless wall for some modern theater directors graffiti is so not going to win opera audiences. Controversy has its options, and gains in the short term. Jury still out about all of this.....thank you so much for your visiting with me....I will check out your blog as well. Lots of family in Virginia so we are "neighbors"..... God bless.....
ReplyDelete