I have been to MetOpera, and a quite number of audiences were young (20-30). I am also in this age range and love Opera. Really hope it is getting more and more popular.
I am a retired opera director and teacher (35 years head of opera at the Peabody Conservatory). I discovered that teaching was my real talent, though I kept wondering why the career never really took off, despite starting in good places (Edinburgh Festival, Glyndebourne, La Scala). Then I look at Lotte de Beer, and realize that she has a passion, intelligence, and extraordinary communication skills that will continue to open every door for her. I like to think that I eventually found those qualities in myself also, but not as such a package at that age. Right or wrong, the ability to put them all together with such conviction and poise is truly extraordinary-and, seen in my personal rear-view mirror, not a little humbling.
Excellent message. There must be a pinnacle in every field. Opera singers have more in common with Olympian athletes than other kinds of singers. Just like the very best scientific minds, top athletes, etc. In all cases, what they do seems impossible, but magically they pull it off and our own possibilities are revealed to us. There is no substitute for these kinds of sublime, transformative experiences,
great speech about what actually is an opera. Its importance as a complete and unique art which deserves respect expansion and youth, like this young scene productor who loves opera and understands its real place in our world . I am an opera singer and she left me without breath!!!!!
I love the idea of making Queen of the Night and Monostatos into the protagonists instead of being the antagonists. One of the beauties of long-ago written operas, performed today, is that the director (and to a degree, the conductor) have leeway in interpreting or even reimagining how the story goes. With modern musicals, everything is set by the composer: how it's staged, what are the wardrobes, what are the sets, etc. Stage directors can't deviate too much from those requirements if they want to present that musical. But with operas, the composer is long dead and any copyright is way long past (except for some modern operas). This allows the stage director to set the opera in its original time period. Or maybe set it to an even earlier time period. Or into some future time. Or in another city. Or sung in a different language. It can allow the director to choose who are the protagonists. A number of opera lovers hate to see, for example, the Ring Cycle staged in some modern or non-Germanic setting. But some of the most interesting ones are set in these different settings and makes the whole opera worth going to, just to see the story in a new light. Otherwise, I can always just go here on TH-cam and watch the nth production of the same-old, same-old.
@Nicholas Ennos no, that is not true. It was not for the very poorest, that is true, but Mozart's magic flute was seen by everybody living in Vienna, for example. Not only the rich. When opera got invented in Italy and played in Venice while the carneval, it was also open to everybody participating in the carneval.
@Nicholas Ennos Zauberstück describes the content, not the genre. The genre is still opera, but the contents is a "Zauberstück". You can call "Die Zauberflöte" "Zauberoper" but it is still an opera.
Wow, I'm astonished at how low her text comprehension skills are, from what she is saying it looks like she basically has no idea at all what Die Zaubeflöte is about. Wow. Just wow.
As a 30 something opera fan I disagree with most of what she is saying. I found old library dvds of Joan Sutherland and Pavoratti productions unwatchable. Mainly because their appearance did not fit the roles. I don’t care how good the singing is I can’t watch Operas like Turandot where the woman who is supposed to be so beautiful men are facing almost certain death just for the remote chance of marrying her is played by a 50yr old white woman who you wouldn’t even notice walking down the street. Oh and by the way the whole opera is set in China and no one in the cast is even Asian. I began to love opera when I found newer productions with people that looked the part for their characters. Opera is not just about singing it is about being immersed in a story.
Yes, but if the voice does not matter as you say it does, you end up casting people who look good with questionable technique at best, especially in this current "power battle" for the loudest voices at any cost in addition to looks. It gives young singers the impression that technique doesn't matter if they don't look the part or don't blow out their voice by the time they hit the middle of their career by over-singing appropriate roles or going beyond the repertoire that's appropriate for their voice. Being a "powerful," beautiful singer is what matters, and that will kill the desire (and voices) of so many aspiring singers.
2:20 And there my friends you have it! Opera is no longer about music. It is about directors casting the 'best-looking' singer (and about nepotism). Kaufmann, Netrebko, Eyvavo Florez, Fleming are all bad singers with little to no technique, but they sell tickets. The opera world is pandering to lowest common denominator, and, thus, it no longer produces singers such as Callas, Tebaldi, Milanov, Caballe, Freni, Bruna-Rasa, Ponselle, Simionato, Barbieri Dominguez, Verrett, Bumbry, Stignani, Nicolai, Caruso, Gigli, Bjorling, Lauri-Volpi, Rosewaenge, Del Monaco, Corelli, Di Stefano, Ruffo, Stracciari, Taddei, Bastianini, Gobbi, Herlea, Neri, Siepi, Ghiaurov and Nesterenko to name but a few.
Does not seem to know much about opera and she directed terrible productions of Aida in Paris and Vienna. The very idea of rejuvenating opera is arrogant. I suppose she would like to start from scratch as her knowledge in the field is next to nothing. Productions like hers might attract those who discover "opera" as a kind of circus....
I have been to MetOpera, and a quite number of audiences were young (20-30). I am also in this age range and love Opera. Really hope it is getting more and more popular.
I am a retired opera director and teacher (35 years head of opera at the Peabody Conservatory). I discovered that teaching was my real talent, though I kept wondering why the career never really took off, despite starting in good places (Edinburgh Festival, Glyndebourne, La Scala). Then I look at Lotte de Beer, and realize that she has a passion, intelligence, and extraordinary communication skills that will continue to open every door for her. I like to think that I eventually found those qualities in myself also, but not as such a package at that age. Right or wrong, the ability to put them all together with such conviction and poise is truly extraordinary-and, seen in my personal rear-view mirror, not a little humbling.
Excellent message. There must be a pinnacle in every field. Opera singers have more in common with Olympian athletes than other kinds of singers.
Just like the very best scientific minds, top athletes, etc. In all cases, what they do seems impossible, but magically they pull it off and our own possibilities are revealed to us. There is no substitute for these kinds of sublime, transformative experiences,
great speech about what actually is an opera. Its importance as a complete and unique art which deserves respect expansion and youth, like this young scene productor who loves opera and understands its real place in our world . I am an opera singer and she left me without breath!!!!!
I love the idea of making Queen of the Night and Monostatos into the protagonists instead of being the antagonists.
One of the beauties of long-ago written operas, performed today, is that the director (and to a degree, the conductor) have leeway in interpreting or even reimagining how the story goes. With modern musicals, everything is set by the composer: how it's staged, what are the wardrobes, what are the sets, etc. Stage directors can't deviate too much from those requirements if they want to present that musical. But with operas, the composer is long dead and any copyright is way long past (except for some modern operas). This allows the stage director to set the opera in its original time period. Or maybe set it to an even earlier time period. Or into some future time. Or in another city. Or sung in a different language. It can allow the director to choose who are the protagonists.
A number of opera lovers hate to see, for example, the Ring Cycle staged in some modern or non-Germanic setting. But some of the most interesting ones are set in these different settings and makes the whole opera worth going to, just to see the story in a new light.
Otherwise, I can always just go here on TH-cam and watch the nth production of the same-old, same-old.
I have never thought of Opera as being Elitist, boring, or dusty. In the 18th century It was a show for everyone.
But it's not the 18th century anymore and classism has take over the scene.
@Nicholas Ennos no, that is not true. It was not for the very poorest, that is true, but Mozart's magic flute was seen by everybody living in Vienna, for example. Not only the rich. When opera got invented in Italy and played in Venice while the carneval, it was also open to everybody participating in the carneval.
@Nicholas Ennos Zauberstück describes the content, not the genre. The genre is still opera, but the contents is a "Zauberstück". You can call "Die Zauberflöte" "Zauberoper" but it is still an opera.
Yes
YAS
Wow, I'm astonished at how low her text comprehension skills are, from what she is saying it looks like she basically has no idea at all what Die Zaubeflöte is about. Wow.
Just wow.
As a 30 something opera fan I disagree with most of what she is saying. I found old library dvds of Joan Sutherland and Pavoratti productions unwatchable. Mainly because their appearance did not fit the roles. I don’t care how good the singing is I can’t watch Operas like Turandot where the woman who is supposed to be so beautiful men are facing almost certain death just for the remote chance of marrying her is played by a 50yr old white woman who you wouldn’t even notice walking down the street. Oh and by the way the whole opera is set in China and no one in the cast is even Asian. I began to love opera when I found newer productions with people that looked the part for their characters. Opera is not just about singing it is about being immersed in a story.
Yes, but if the voice does not matter as you say it does, you end up casting people who look good with questionable technique at best, especially in this current "power battle" for the loudest voices at any cost in addition to looks. It gives young singers the impression that technique doesn't matter if they don't look the part or don't blow out their voice by the time they hit the middle of their career by over-singing appropriate roles or going beyond the repertoire that's appropriate for their voice. Being a "powerful," beautiful singer is what matters, and that will kill the desire (and voices) of so many aspiring singers.
2:20 And there my friends you have it! Opera is no longer about music. It is about directors casting the 'best-looking' singer (and about nepotism). Kaufmann, Netrebko, Eyvavo Florez, Fleming are all bad singers with little to no technique, but they sell tickets. The opera world is pandering to lowest common denominator, and, thus, it no longer produces singers such as Callas, Tebaldi, Milanov, Caballe, Freni, Bruna-Rasa, Ponselle, Simionato, Barbieri Dominguez, Verrett, Bumbry, Stignani, Nicolai, Caruso, Gigli, Bjorling, Lauri-Volpi, Rosewaenge, Del Monaco, Corelli, Di Stefano, Ruffo, Stracciari, Taddei, Bastianini, Gobbi, Herlea, Neri, Siepi, Ghiaurov and Nesterenko to name but a few.
I wouldn't say singers like Kaufmann and Netrebko are bad by any means but they're just...fine.
@@atlroxmysox98 Netrebko has her place; her acting skills are up to par, however I think her technique is atrocious.
@@lemonarizonatea Yes I def agree
That’s exactly right!!
Gosh , Lotte is so woke .
Does not seem to know much about opera and she directed terrible productions of Aida in Paris and Vienna. The very idea of rejuvenating opera is arrogant. I suppose she would like to start from scratch as her knowledge in the field is next to nothing. Productions like hers might attract those who discover "opera" as a kind of circus....
These directors are parasites and vandals. Regietheater is the cancer killing opera.
Yeah… probably the only way to make opera less popular is to make it woke. Opera doesn’t need to be “fixed” by woke people.
3:08
7:31