29.4 F
Naperville
Thursday, March 28, 2024

View of Opera – Technology in Opera

-

Ried_emInnovation is not a concept typically associated with opera. Major companies routinely perform long-time classics using sets, costumes, and blockings created over thirty years ago (such as Franco Zeffirelli’s La Boheme staging which the Met has used since 1981.) However, Chicago opera companies are incorporating technology into their theatrical experience.

In four performances of Richard Strauss’ Capriccio last month, the Lyric Opera of Chicago placed live high-definition video screens in the balconies. They hoped to help distant audience members catch the nuanced interactions between performers. Like a live television broadcast, shots were not entirely planned ahead but relied on the artistic discretion of the production team. This performance follows the lead of Chicago Opera Theatre’s Macbeth which, as described last month, used on-stage screens to project live video close-ups of actors’ faces.

Live video feeds may help engage audiences used to the close-up views of movies and television. The move might backfire if singing actors must choose between nuanced expressions that will appear most genuine up-close and the traditionally exaggerated gestures that communicate to large houses. Changes in acting techniques for The Met: Live in HD have been noted by audience members.

Tracking audience reaction to this growing phenomenon will be interesting. Some may enjoy the added cinematic dimension, but others may oppose change. Lyric only tested the introduction of subtitles during the 1986-1987 season; the Metropolitan Opera held out longer due to pushback by James Levine and purist fans who believed one should study the libretto before attending.

For those interested in a cinematic opera experience, Fathom Events is generously giving away tickets to upcoming performances. Please see my column on the PN website for details.

Thanks to Fathom Events, PN is giving away pairs of tickets to live and encore presentations of Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

Please email emilyriederer@gmail.com if interested. For dates, times, and a complete schedule of the Met: Live in HD season and to find a theater near you, visit www.FathomEvents.com.)

 

Stay Connected!

Get the latest local headlines delivered to your inbox each morning.
SUBSCRIBE
- Advertisement -
Emily Riederer
Emily Riederer
Emily Riederer is a 2012 graduate of Naperville North High School.

LATEST NEWS

DON’T MISS OUT!
GET THE DAILY
SQUARE-SCOOP
The latest local headlines delivered
to your inbox each morning.
SUBSCRIBE
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime.
close-link

Stay Connected!

Get the latest local headlines delivered to your inbox each morning.
SUBSCRIBE
close-link