Written by Josephine Walbank
From one-man shows to performances in car parks - these may have been trying times, but it's clear that opera won't be beaten.
Europe's arts, culture and theatre industries have been presented with some huge challenges over the last few months. While it's devastating to see the struggles that they are facing, coronavirus has certainly given the world's audiences a first-hand insight into just how much the arts are able to innovate.
In celebration of all of the valiant efforts and the creative adaptability that has been demonstrated by theatres and opera companies, we wanted to spotlight some of the clever ways that the performing arts have been accommodating the difficulties posed by current climate.
Glyndebourne will be hosting a socially-distanced audience outdoors, in its first outdoor summer season of opera. Their summer line-up of concerts will take place in the gardens, where guests can picnic and listen to this re-imagined summer showcase. Big-name performers include the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
English Touring Opera have been planning opera performances in a car park, in what could well be the world's first drive-in opera. They've provided a few twists to their normal touring line-up, with one of their more unexpected choices being the performances planned for the grounds of north London's Alexandra Palace. Due to take place in September, these events will allow audiences to watch the show in their cars, in a style more closely affiliated with old-school retro America.
The Royal Opera House have been broadcasting their Live from Covent Garden shows, which take down the grandeur of their usual performances to the bare minimum, in order to meet the restrictions necessitated by COVID-19. This comes as part of their #OurHouseToYourHouse series of live-stream events. With just one dancer and two singers, the recent pared-back performance (which included Dance of the Blessed Spirits and Das Lied von der Erde) was still, nonetheless, an unforgettable one.
The Staatsoper Berlin has continued its world-class performances, even without an audience. A beautiful rendition of Bizet's Carmen was performed amidst empty stalls, then broadcast to the world via live-streaming and radio. The performers put on the show for free, then filled the silence after the finale with their own applause. But, there's no doubt that the 160,000 global viewers were applauding along with them.
The Rome Opera house is moving its outdoor summer schedule of performances from the Terme di Caracalla to the Circus Massimo, a grand ancient chariot-racing arena. With seats for 1000 and a 1500sqm stage, it's the perfect venue for social distancing. Take your seats in this stunning, dramatic venue for shows including Verdi's Rigoletto and Rossini's The Barber of Seville.
In a recent attention-grabbing headline, ArtsHub wrote about 'Reimagining the dinosaur', in a piece that discussed how COVID-19 has revealed the need for opera to dramatically modernise in order to reconnect with its audiences. But, opera has always been a dynamic art form, far more than people give it credit for. The world of opera, and the people that perform within it, are resilient, incredibly creative and make up the key players at the forefront of creative innovation, so we know that they are just the types to pull this off. We can't wait to see more of what's to come.
From one-man shows to performances in car parks - these may have been trying times, but it's clear that opera won't be beaten.
Europe's arts, culture and theatre industries have been presented with some huge challenges over the last few months. While it's devastating to see the struggles that they are facing, coronavirus has certainly given the world's audiences a first-hand insight into just how much the arts are able to innovate.
In celebration of all of the valiant efforts and the creative adaptability that has been demonstrated by theatres and opera companies, we wanted to spotlight some of the clever ways that the performing arts have been accommodating the difficulties posed by current climate.
Glyndebourne will be hosting a socially-distanced audience outdoors, in its first outdoor summer season of opera. Their summer line-up of concerts will take place in the gardens, where guests can picnic and listen to this re-imagined summer showcase. Big-name performers include the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
English Touring Opera have been planning opera performances in a car park, in what could well be the world's first drive-in opera. They've provided a few twists to their normal touring line-up, with one of their more unexpected choices being the performances planned for the grounds of north London's Alexandra Palace. Due to take place in September, these events will allow audiences to watch the show in their cars, in a style more closely affiliated with old-school retro America.
The Royal Opera House have been broadcasting their Live from Covent Garden shows, which take down the grandeur of their usual performances to the bare minimum, in order to meet the restrictions necessitated by COVID-19. This comes as part of their #OurHouseToYourHouse series of live-stream events. With just one dancer and two singers, the recent pared-back performance (which included Dance of the Blessed Spirits and Das Lied von der Erde) was still, nonetheless, an unforgettable one.
The Staatsoper Berlin has continued its world-class performances, even without an audience. A beautiful rendition of Bizet's Carmen was performed amidst empty stalls, then broadcast to the world via live-streaming and radio. The performers put on the show for free, then filled the silence after the finale with their own applause. But, there's no doubt that the 160,000 global viewers were applauding along with them.
The Rome Opera house is moving its outdoor summer schedule of performances from the Terme di Caracalla to the Circus Massimo, a grand ancient chariot-racing arena. With seats for 1000 and a 1500sqm stage, it's the perfect venue for social distancing. Take your seats in this stunning, dramatic venue for shows including Verdi's Rigoletto and Rossini's The Barber of Seville.
In a recent attention-grabbing headline, ArtsHub wrote about 'Reimagining the dinosaur', in a piece that discussed how COVID-19 has revealed the need for opera to dramatically modernise in order to reconnect with its audiences. But, opera has always been a dynamic art form, far more than people give it credit for. The world of opera, and the people that perform within it, are resilient, incredibly creative and make up the key players at the forefront of creative innovation, so we know that they are just the types to pull this off. We can't wait to see more of what's to come.
No comments
Post a Comment