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Post by sonata58 on Jan 23, 2010 4:55:15 GMT
I've been keeping up with this show via YouTube. It's rather interesting, but I don't think that the concept of the whole show is any good. First of all, all the contestants are "pop stars". So, the winner will not be the one who can sing opera the best, but the one who has the most established fanbase. In this case, I think it is Danny.
Also, in the panel, only Rolando knows opera. Katherine may have studied in the RCM and worked as a singing instructor, but she has never performed opera. The other two have no idea of what they are talking about.
I think it is a good experience for the contestants. I personally think that Darius and Marcella have the most potential.
A Classical reality show could be possible, if it was structured well. It would need highly-qualified judges as well as contestants who have been classically-trained for years but relatively unknown. But then you might as well watch the Cliburn or the Leeds.
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Post by nicola on Jan 23, 2010 6:49:20 GMT
Meat Loaf never gives any comments that relates to the performance, just the latest metaphor or similie he can come up with, but the other judge (I don't know his name) has apparently studied opera and is a Classic FM presenter, so I think he must have some idea what he is talking about. I also think that what Katherine knows and is able to teach is more than enough that is needed for the pop stars. They're not training to be the next Pavarotti, afterall.
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Post by Jeff on Jan 23, 2010 11:57:13 GMT
If it weren't for talent shows we wouldn't have Hayley or Faryl (but they'd have got a break somewhere else anyway) and although there's no-one of that calibre here, I agree with Marcella. She thinks she can win it and so do I. Danny is a threat to everyone, not because he's the best singer (he isn't) but because he is very popular due to his day job ! It wouldn't surprise me to see Danny and Kym in the final but on early form I hope it's Darius and Marcella. Bernie Nolan should have been red-carded for her expletive. She even had the cheek to say it wasn't that bad !! All the singers improved on their first performance (not difficult !) and I'm glad Vanessa is out. She never seemed that committed anyway. I still haven't worked out what "Meat" is doing on the panel but this show is clearly having an effect on the classical chart. Despite Camilla's less than perfect performance last week her album is back up 3 places into the Top 10 at No.8. At a quiet time of year with not much else happening I have to say I am starting to enjoy this show, now the no-hopers have gone !!
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Post by Richard on Jan 23, 2010 14:47:46 GMT
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Post by sonata58 on Jan 23, 2010 22:39:35 GMT
...but the other judge (I don't know his name) has apparently studied opera and is a Classic FM presenter, so I think he must have some idea what he is talking about. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is an interior designer and studied opera design at art college. What he knows about operatic singing is only from a third-person viewpoint, not like the first-person stance which Rolando has. Oh well, it's just a reality TV show.... |
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Post by larryhauck on Jan 26, 2010 2:28:01 GMT
Larry, I may be a member of a "niche segment," but as a US citizen I'm also a member of the masses! You cannot speak of The Masses as an over-riding generality because The Masses are composed of niche segments! I've done enough traveling in my short lifetime to know that what holds true as a stereotype for the midwest doesn't even apply in the east coast... and vice versa, and similarly all over the USA. Anyway. I just found this interview with Rolando Villazon and I think he gives some great insight into the "purpose" of the show. I really like his way of thinking-- and it's a good reminder that it's all just for fun! www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/6975619/Rolando-Villazon-interview.html(There's also an interview clip on YouTube where you can see that Rolando is in it just for the laughs and to have a good time, while KJ might be taking things a wee bit too seriously...! www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5rpf7_Ut6k ) Hi Chantelle A niche is a segment. When you target a segment of the market i.e.a niche your purpose is to sell music, tires, autos or anything to that specific group.The market as a whole would be the total of all tastes; but your purpose is to reach only a a part of them. Opera devotees would not likely be interested in rap music. I suppose in the broadest sense of the word you can say a niche segment is part of the whole population or as I referred to as the masses.But from a marketing point of view a niche segment is a specific group with specific tastes. This point could be argued ad infinitum from a hypothetical or a semantical point of view but the real world views a niche segment as a separate entity. Be Well Larry |
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Post by Jeff on Jan 26, 2010 15:14:13 GMT
You won't be saying that if they have Hayley as a special guest next month ! If they do, just tune in at 10.20pm to see how it should be done !  |
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Post by martindn on Jan 26, 2010 22:26:07 GMT
Well, if Hayley is ever on this show, I will enjoy it because it is Hayley, not because it is opera. After all, my wife Sue says her favourite aria is O Mio Babbino Caro, and her favoutite recording of it is Hayley's. But Hayley has never taken a significant role in a real opera either.
I am still waiting to hear my first opera singer on this show, but I may get my wish next sunday, as I understand Rolando is singing.
Martin D
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Post by Richard on Jan 27, 2010 9:00:13 GMT
Hello folks!  I'll be very surprised if Hayley appears on this show. She has always said she is not an opera singer, and she hasn't had the necessary voice training either. Richard  |
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Post by nicola on Jan 27, 2010 9:25:18 GMT
Camilla went on and she hasn't a hint of opera in her voice. But Camilla is mentored by Gary Barlow, who always does the reality circuit.
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Martin
Global Moderator
HWI Management Team
Posts: 3,339
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Post by Martin on Jan 27, 2010 9:29:07 GMT
I believe there is going to be a sequel to this series entitled "Opera Stars to Popstars! I would love to hear Kiri Te Kanawa sing "We will rock you" Martin |
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Post by mihizawi on Jan 27, 2010 15:22:42 GMT
Well, XD, I posted somewhere here the video of Bryan Adams singing O Sole Mio with Pavarotti, now that you mention "Opera Stars to Popstars".. www.nokia.es/productos/moviles/5310xpressmusic One of the many times Pavarotti has done an incursion in Pop/Rock... XD. Really great mix of great singers there: never heard of Giorgia before, but love the solo thing she does.close to the beginning of the second half. There's also Nancy Gustafson, just amazing, and Andrea Bocelli, even though he somehow doesn't really shines in this song... Oh, well, for Opera singers it should be way easier to song pop than the opposite... But I admit Pavarotti isn't the best exemple, since even when singing pop or rock, he still used to sing in a Classical fashion and mode of voice... Our Hayley is truly between these two worlds, and can speak to both of them! Michal |
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Post by James on Jan 27, 2010 21:53:09 GMT
I think I'm speaking aganst the general consensus of this forum when I say that I'm quite enjoying this show.
We can't expect pop singers to perform full opera techniques with a few weeks training, but on the whole I have been pleasantly surprised by the standard of some of the performers. Generally the female contestants have been better than the men, but Marcella has great potential, both Kim and Bernie are far better than I expected and even Vanessa was far better than made out in this thread. Are we not showing teame level of judgmentalness that pure opera "snobs" have shown towards Hayley and other exponents o her genre over the years.
Surely it is good that a show such as this can help bring some operatic arias to a wider audience and get them interested in then listening to more operatic music and seeking out the "real" opera stars, unless there is elitism at play here?
Picking up on another point from earlier, has anyone heard bands like Nightwish that fuse operatic vocals with heavy rock music? What about the ultimate crossover artist who combined operatic influences with rock music on several occasions...if only Freddie Mercury was still with us I bet he would have made a great go at "popstar to operastar".
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Post by Natasha on Jan 27, 2010 22:34:40 GMT
This show is pure entertainment value. As previously mentioned by others you can see Ronaldo is taking this all as a good laugh. Personally I think it's not right to throw these huge arias at the contestants right away, they should give beginners songs like "Caro Mio Ben" which would prove difficult enough and would provide more time to focus on technique... but then again this show isn't really about training real opera singers so what does a silly thing like that matter? In regard to the "snob" element, if asking artists to sing well (and preferably in tune!) is snobby, then I suppose I am quite a snob indeed.  |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Jan 28, 2010 2:13:23 GMT
I believe there is going to be a sequel to this series entitled "Opera Stars to Popstars! ... Please don't give them any ideas! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifPop stars seem to acquit themselves well in their naive forays into opera. Opera stars, on the other hand, sound completely buffoonish when attempting pop. Remember when the three tenors sang that Sinatra signature as " I deed eet maahee way!" We seriously don't need any more of that! |
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