Flashmob Opera!

[Dave]

Until last evening, I'd never heard of a Flashmob Opera, then, accidentally I tuned into BBC3 TV in the UK to find: a full-scale Opera - set in a large shopping centre, open to the public and broadcast live! I nearly fell off my seat.

When I'd recovered, I soon realised this was an Opera full of established and excellent opera singers - as well as a young girl singing solo, who was surprisingly good... and in which many dancers from the town (Sheffield) and the actual shoppers were allowed to participate.

The Opera was based on the story of Faust (in English) and set to well-known arias and preludes from several famous Operas. In the words of the BBC, it: "has all the ingredients to stir the emotions - a beautiful doctor, a devious devil and the struggle of life versus career and good versus evil.

I've never seen anything like it, although it has apparently been done once before. And if THIS is an example of what the reorganised BBC is going to serve up for us in the future, well done to them. Wow! from me, a non-Opera fan... it was unbelieveable but the best thing is that one of my my sceptical and complaining teenage daughters was completely won over by the end and wanted to watch it all over again! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

You can read all about it - and get some mp3 downloads from it! - at www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/flashmob/flashmob.shtml and it will be repeated at 1 am on Saturday morning on BBC3 digital TV, for anyone lucky enough to be able to record or watch it.

[Richard]

Hello again Dave!

I've just had a listen to the audio clips, and found them to be quite interesting. I've never been able to follow the stories in operas, so I prefer to hear them sung in the original language. For me a lot of the magic goes when the lyrics are translated into English. The only operas where I really enjoy listening to the words are by Gilbert and Sullivan, because the lyrics are witty and written in English. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

As for Rebecca von Lipinski's aria from "Madama Butterfly", I can hardly make out a word she's singing. I think Hayley is much easier on the ear, and I can hear all her words.

I wouldn't mind seeing "The Barber of Seville", but I can't afford the search fee! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Bye for now,

Richard

[Dave]

Hi Richard, Greetings from Hampshire i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

You had to *see* the Opera on TV to be impressed with the whole thing - listening to the audio clips (probably prerecorded at rehearsals) doesn't anywhere near do it justice. Every time the lyrics were at all unclear, they put up subtitles and it was very easy to follow the storyline, which made it a real experience. It would have been completely pointless (in this performance) to sing either the original lyrics, or in a foreign language!

The apparent spontaneity was marvellous, as was the setting - done on two levels at the shopping mall, involving several shops and escalators, too - and shoppers mingling with the cast and production crew! How they pulled it off, live, I will never know. Add to that the updating of the original story to modern times, and it fitted perfectly, really! If the classical world want to get young people interested in their music, this is definitely one way to do it. As I said, I am not usually an Opera fan but this time, I make an exception!

[stephch]

I like some opera but I have never seen an opera other then on tv ,I some cd's of opera singer's as I really like opera aria's but it is true they are sung where you can not understand a word .I can listen to quite a few opera singer's .

[Joe]

This isn't really a "flashmob" opera...more like a hip-hopera!

Glyndebourne, which has staged operas for more than 70 years on a country estate in East Sussex, aims to shed its exclusive image with a modern twist on Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, reworking the melodies with sampled drum beats and pulsing bass lines.

Read the story from Canada's CBC... here

Incidentally, The CBC is undergoing a labour dispute and has set a lock-out on its employees. Someone, has this affected Canada's television and radio programming?