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.

‘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