How To … Go to the Opera

I do not profess to know anything about the art form of opera, nor have I ever felt the need to change this, but having recently realised that I have now worked at an opera venue for over a year, I felt that the time had finally come to take the plunge and actually see an opera performance. It is one thing to enjoy both theatre and music, but opera is without a doubt a whole new world entirely. Opera companies are constantly working to engage with new audiences and make it a more accessible art form (a fantastic goal in any of the arts), so as a complete opera novice myself I decided to use my recent experience of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte to compile a ‘How To’ guide for anyone else who may potentially dip their toe in operatic waters.

1. Accept the questionable plotlines …

Love at first sight, sudden marriages, dubious characters, ridiculous bets, prolonged deaths and miraculous recoveries. Opera plots are often made up of the implausible and nonsensical, and it would be worth getting over this before even taking your seat. At the end of the day, a lot of theatrical works seem to follow this strain (after all, Shakespeare’s plots aren’t exactly known for their pragmatism), but if you acknowledge and concede to this early on you will save straining yourself from continual eye rolling.

2. Stick to your own style …

You don’t have to dress in black tie and ball-gowns to go to the opera if you don’t want to (unless you come across an actual dress code, of course). In this day and age we have the luxury of a reasonably laid-back approach when it comes to theatre attire, and opera doesn’t have to mean full-on evening wear. However, if you prefer to take a more casual approach you should also be prepared for the loyal traditionalists. Some people may prefer to dress up for the opera and this is equally acceptable. Go with the option that suits you.

3. Choose carefully …

With the amount of opera productions and companies on offer, it can be difficult to know which opera may best ease you in. There are lots of different opinions on the best opera for first timers, but perhaps help yourself a bit by selecting a production performed in English or with the inclusion of spoken dialogue. It may also help to choose an opera that relates to other works or stories that you already know, for example La Bohème (the inspiration for the musical Rent), Madama Butterfly (similar to Miss Saigon), or La Cenerentola (basically the story of Cinderella).

4. But try not to compare to musical theatre …

If you are a fan of musical theatre like myself, you must be prepared to leave all you know from this world behind when watching an opera. Everything is different, and as a separate art form, so it should be. You would not compare a ballet with a concert and be disappointed by the lack of pirouettes, so try and view opera in its own right, not as a comparison to what you already know.

5. If it’s still not for you …

At the end of the day opera is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is worth remembering that it is a remarkable musical style achieved by normal human voices. It may not be to your taste, but it is nevertheless an amazing talent and if nothing else about it works for you, maybe just appreciate that.

Magnificent Movie Music

I have not done one of these posts for a while, and wanting to turn my attention to the music world seemed like the opportune time to resurrect a Top 5 post (see previous Memorable Musical Moments and Best Ballet Bits). Conductor Leopold Stokowski once said “a painter paints pictures on canvas, but musicians paint their pictures on silence”, and I think movie music in particular exemplifies this idea. There are so many fantastic scores out there to choose from, and I am sure there are plenty that should be considered as the top few, but I have narrowed it down here to my personal favourites.

 

The Man in the Iron Mask – Surrounded (Nick Glennie-Smith)

The theme from The Man in the Iron Mask (it kicks in here at around 1:34) is just so wonderfully epic in its grandeur and heroic quality that I cannot help but love it. Combined with a tale of valiant musketeers and a corrupt king it is the perfect example of a soundtrack for a classic action-adventure film, and this excerpt from the climax of the story is the best in a wholly memorable score.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Song of the Lonely Mountain (Neil Finn/Janet Roddick/David Donaldson/Stephen Roche/David Long)

I am a fan of the credit music from all three of The Hobbit films (it was a tough call between this and ‘I See Fire’ from the second film), but I had to settle for ‘Song of the Lonely Mountain’ in the end. I chose this over the similar song that is actually used within the film, as I prefer this full and complete version. The strings that come in at 2:41 are a particularly beautiful addition, and the repetition of the main melody means it is an easy song to get stuck in your head (in a good way!).

The Other Boleyn Girl – The Execution (Paul Cantelon)

It was this piece of music that was the only thing I remembered vividly after seeing The Other Boleyn Girl for the first time. Whilst the film scene that accompanies this piece of music is rife with historical inaccuracies, the music itself is nevertheless incredibly haunting. The moment of sudden silence at 5:35 in the middle of a moving phrase creates a rather unsettling feeling, an appropriate sensation given the subject matter.

The Great Gatsby – Young and Beautiful (Lana Del Rey/Rick Nowels)

Prior to seeing Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby I was aware that the choice of contemporary music throughout the film could be a maker or breaker, but I have to say I believe it worked. This piece, which I suppose is the “love song” of the film, shares a morose yet entrancing quality with Gatsby and Daisy’s story, which helps to capture their relationship perfectly.

Pirates of the Caribbean – He’s a Pirate (Klaus Badelt)

I do not care if this is an obvious choice, the Pirates of the Caribbean theme is and always will be an all-time favourite for me. I have mentally choreographed many a dramatic dance number to this piece of music over the years, and so I heartily salute Mr Badelt for composing such an intense and exhilarating piece of music.

‘Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working’ – Pablo Picasso

Despite loving both theatre and music, opera is an art form that has never particularly appealed to me. Nevertheless, in the struggle to leap onto the first rung of that sometimes elusive-seeming career ladder, the opportunity of work experience at Clonter Opera Theatre in my own home county of Cheshire could not have been more welcome.

Naturally it is unpaid – in this day and age even entry-level positions require you to have previously worked in that exact job role, forcing you into that rather horrifying existence of unpaid work (which, of course, has to be part-time around your actual paid work so you can still afford things like food and rent). However, if you are lucky, the lack of pay won’t matter in the face of finally being in the realms of working on what you love.

Artistic and theatrical environments almost certainly promise some more unusual aspects to working life, however it’s certainly a rare and odd morning at the office when your work suddenly becomes accompanied by the operatic warbling of an unknown singer. In a venue where the offices are in a collection of attic rooms and the auditorium used to be a barn, it shouldn’t really be a surprise to come across an opera singer warming up with some scales in the tea and coffee room. Nevertheless, it is definitely a surprise bumping into one of the singers wearing a dressing gown and doing breathing exercises in the corridor – especially when said singer happens to be playing the devilish Mephistopheles from Faust!

All in all, whilst working in an arts organisation such as Clonter may come with its quirks and eccentricities, the work experience that I have gained over the last four weeks alone has been more valuable than the entirety of the past year. Indeed, a local newspaper just published a press release I wrote for the company’s summer production, aimed at secondary school children to try and promote the opera to another generation. True, the piece was printed out of context and with only my initials to indicate to identity of the writer, but having published work in the field of arts marketing couldn’t feel better for pushing my career in the right direction.

It is famously said that “opera is where a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings”. This bizarre take on the art form not only sums up the curious world of opera, but also evokes a sense of perseverance in the face of the formidable and challenging. For me, this is what is needed in the endeavour to reach my dream job within the arts industry. Lesson learnt from my time so far at Clonter: just keep working hard on what you love to do – unpaid or otherwise – and the motivation and rewards (however small) will follow.

Clonter Opera Theatre website: www.clonteropera.com

West End Musicals | The Hallé

West End Musicals (The Hallé)

Conducted by Stephen Bell

The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – 31 May 14

Victor Hugo once declared that “music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent”. Whilst this is undeniably true (hence the continual and arguably essential existence of the music industry), without the presence of a visual performance a musical concert risks not fully engaging with the audience. This, however, was not the case with the Hallé Orchestra’s West End Musicals, one of the Pops Concerts of the company’s 156^th season.

Consisting of a diverse amalgamation of musical numbers from the West End, Broadway and several films, this concert shrewdly avoided the potential pitfall of producing only the obvious numbers from musical theatre. Whilst popular choices such as Les Misérables, Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story and The Phantom of the Opera made up the body of the concert, it was the less well-known shows that really enriched the overall experience. The combination of some unexpected songs (from shows including Hello Dolly!, Aladdin, Chess, Carousel and Love Never Dies) and conductor Stephen Bell’s humorous anecdotes between numbers helped to retain a feeling of novelty throughout the concert, and the vocal prowess of singers Killian Donnelly and Louise Dearman added the final touch to the Hallé’s version of a night at the musicals.

Donnelly and Dearman created a strong vocal duo throughout the programme that really complimented the orchestra’s excellence. However it was the versatility of Donnelly’s voice that particularly stood out, especially in his performances of ‘Stars’ from Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s Les Misérables and ‘Music of the Night’ from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. The ability of any singer to credibly create both the characters of Javert and the Phantom is a rather remarkable feat. Although these two figures are arguably similar in their tortured and obsessive quests, Donnelly’s switch from Javert’s unwavering belief in justice to the Phantom’s beautifully hypnotic yet slightly sinister attraction was surprisingly convincing.

An unexpectedly exceptional piece was ‘I Only Want To Say’ from Lloyd Webber’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, one of the few numbers performed without the vocalists. Instead, a single alto saxophone took the limelight in what became a “bluesy”, slow jazz version that was perfect for emphasising the anguish of the song. Indeed, the saxophone suited this piece so well it was no wonder that the vocalists were not included – words were just not necessary next to the emotion that the saxophonist conveyed.

The second half of the concert was opened with (and dominated by) the ‘Jellicle Ball’ from Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which was a dramatic shift in style from the majority of the other numbers. If anyone walked in accidently during this performance they could not have guessed that they were hearing a live classical orchestra. The upbeat and “rock” style of the number not only veered the concert away from the more classical options, but also demonstrated Lloyd Webber’s eclectic quality of composition and the highly skilled adaptability of the musicians.

In the end, the ultimate stand out number of the whole concert was the intensely stirring and powerful performance of ‘Anthem’ from Björn Andersson and Benny Ulvaeus’s Chess. Less well-known than many of the others, this song ranged from ardent patriotism to heart-breaking passion in an emotional swell that developed in a manner that truly grabbed and maintained attention. It would have served as a more than fitting finale to the whole concert!

On the whole, though it was slightly disappointing that some musicals – e.g. Chicago, The Sound of Music, Wicked – were not included in the programme whilst Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera were used multiple times, the quality of music and the orchestra’s proficiency more than made up for any missing numbers. Even the lack of the full theatrical affair did not reduce the overall experience; it instead created a chance to fully appreciate such a crucial aspect of the world of musicals.