Published in "Mumbai Mirror" 6 February 2017
The high notes, the foreign languages and clans of
obsessed aficionados have endowed opera with a mystique, tinged with fear, in
the minds of many. Which is unwarranted because opera is, quite simply,
music-drama; the precursor of the Broadway musical. And today, with so much
opera available on video, subtitled in English, there is even less reason to be
intimidated by it.
What makes opera different? The style of singing. In
musicals, singers are (usually) supported by electronic amplification to fill
the theatre; in opera, the singer relies on his/her own body, fueled by immense
reserves of breath, to provide the necessary power and resonance to ride over a
100-piece orchestra and fill a 2000-seat opera-house! An operatic voice may thus,
at first, sound artificial but can be very thrilling, especially on those high
notes and in music which demands great vocal agility in executing tricky runs
and leaps, much like the taan-s of an Indian classical vocalist.
Indeed, older operas made great demands on a singer’s
vocal technique; and were somewhat stylised and predictable in their musical
language. Plots were initially drawn from Classical literature and mythology, eventually
giving way to more contemporary sources and melodic invention. Novels and plays
by authors as diverse as Beaumarchais, Sir Walter Scott, Schiller, Dumas and
Shakespeare were shaped into singing-texts; the characters became
flesh-and-blood, the music more “natural” and free-flowing.
Mozart was perhaps the first composer to attempt the
above; but the 19th Century saw the resurgence of florid style, which
came to be called bel canto (literally
“beautiful singing”) and in which the performer reigned supreme. These operas
served as showcases for the human voice; and singers often took liberties with
the music to interpolate ever more dazzling displays of vocal virtuosity.
Foremost among the composers in this genre were Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini.
Then came the Italian maestro Giuseppe Verdi, whose operas with their emphasis on melody
and humanity changed the course of opera forever. He is probably the most
influential operatic composer, along with his German contemporary, Richard
Wagner, whose later works are said to be the foundation of modern music; and
whose mantle was carried forward into the 20th century by his
compatriot, Richard Strauss.
Italian opera soon embraced an entirely Romantic
idiom. Here passions were palpable, inflected with poetry. The orchestral
palette became full-blooded and highly expressive of emotions; the vocal style
commensurately full-throttle, “beautiful singing” for its own sake being
replaced by an all-encompassing, musico-dramatic rendition of the words and
notes. The plots were earthy, the people generally drawn from everyday life;
and this was called Verismo (or
realism). Foremost among its practitioners was Giacomo Puccini, who became
(like Verdi before him) the most representative Italian operatic composer of his
time.
And in all this, the French weren’t far behind. They
had a rich tradition of opera through the centuries, culminating in the works
of Jules Massenet and Georges Bizet. His “Carmen” is perhaps the most popular
opera of all, even though it was a flop when it premièred.
Any exploration of opera should probably begin with
“Carmen”. This is because it is actually (in today’s parlance) musical-theatre,
the music being interspersed with spoken dialogue. The opera has been adapted
countless times into dance, film and drama; and various milieus, including a
Mumbai nightclub. Its title-character is well-known: a free-spirited gypsy who
believes “Love is a rebellious bird”. The setting is Spain (with a bullfight
happening offstage during the final scene) and the music is visceral yet
melodious. The ideal way to get to know the opera is through the stunning film
by Francesco Rosi, shot on location but faithful to the music, with an
amazingly vivid performance by the soprano Julia Migenes-Johnson who literally lives
the title-role (and sings quite well too!) partnered by a young Plácido
Domingo.
Next would be “La Bohème” by Puccini. Set in fin-de-siècle Paris, in a Bohemian
society of struggling writers, artists and musicians, this love-story is
poignant and true; and the music is sheer, unabashed lyricism. The performance
of choice would be from the Metropolitan Opera, in the production by Franco
Zeffirelli, recorded in 1982. Teresa Stratas and José Carreras are perfectly
cast as the lovers; and the staging is immensely atmospheric, virtually
recreating the Latin Quarter of Paris. An excellent alternative would be the
production from the Sydney Opera House, directed by Baz Luhrmann, which updates
the action to post-war Paris and is extremely moving.
Continuing in the Parisian locale, we come to Verdi’s
“La Traviata” based on Alexandre Dumas Jr’s novel “La Dame aux Camélias”. This
was also an initial flop, because it was considered too unconventional in its
contemporary (for its time) setting and its heroine Violetta, the “fallen
woman” of the title, who is a high-class courtesan. The opera is reborn in the
truly brilliant modern staging by Willy Decker at the Salzburg Festival,
stripping the drama down to its raw essentials, most chillingly. Anna Netrebko
is utterly riveting and vital as Violetta, both physically and vocally; so is
Rolando Villazón as her lover.
Then there is Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” (The
Barber of Seville) a comic opera in the bel
canto tradition. Apart from having some of the most charming, lilting music
ever written (with plenty of opportunities for gifted singers to strut their
vocal stuff) it can also be extremely funny…if done right. Which is certainly
the case in the production by Bartlett Sher at the Metropolitan Opera, with
incredible singing by Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez; and Peter Mattei’s
engaging performance in the title-role of Figaro. This is (as yet) only
available for streaming from metopera.org; but an excellent alternative would
be the lovely film by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, starring Hermann Prey as Figaro.
Having started with the operas listed above, there is
always the possibility of exploring more by the same or other composers. Whichever
you choose, if you love music and the theatre, you are in for a treat…and one
that is pleasantly addictive.
So take the
plunge…and enjoy!
