Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
"Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Wed May 16, 2001  1:16 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] repertory system and local opera


Isabella and Vocalisters:

Repertory opera can exist and has been successful in The USA. Center
Opera in the Twin Cities, later renamed Minnesota Opera operated on
this principle for many years, especially while they were yet an
avant garde company that specialized in organic stagings of works in
the common repertoire and the commissioning of new works. A cast of
singers was selected, usually at the Opera American auditions in New
York and those selected were paid a monthly salary which include
housing or housing allowances for a period of 7-9 months. During
that time 4-6 operas were performed but not on a revolving basis
(that is, each opera was given a series of performances than closed
and another was opened).

The casting was based on the operas chosen for the season. This
required some careful planning to select a season of shows that could
be done with the same basic singers. But, and this is a big but,
local singers were also included in these casts and often had leading
roles. This greatly expanded the available cast and was a major boon
to local singers.

For the first 5 or 6 years all performances were given in the Guthrie
Theatre in Minneapolis (seating about 2200) which has a thrust stage
and no orchestra pit. The orchestra was positioned back stage,
behind the scenery but not amplified. Scenery was specially built to
allow the orchestra sound to be projected acoustically but the
orchestra could not be seen. Three large monitors were placed such
that the singer-actors could seem them from any position on the 180
thrust stage but they were not visible to the audience. The singers
saw only the conductor in the monitors. It was an easy stage to act
upon because there was no need to "fake out" and one could move
through a 180 degree angle while singing. Needless to say,
interaction between singers was automatic and natural.

The company during this time was managed by John Ludwig with Wesley
Balk as the Artistic Director and Philip Brunelle as Conductor and
Music Director. It was opera that was amazingly alive and
theatrically oriented without a diminishing of the singing
performance. Many of todays successful singer-actors had their
beginnings in this company. But it was not star opera. One did not
go to the performances to see famous singers. The audience enjoyed
the promise of a well rehearsed (usually 6 weeks), collaborative art
that is the promise of opera as it was originally intended.

The fact that opera is now longer very interested in this approach is
not a denigration of the approach but rather a kind of dumbing down
of the potential of the art form. Minnesota Opera has changed its
format. It now is little different that many regional companies who
aspire to a B level of the star opera approach as is found in many
European secondary houses and is a system that has even been exported
to South Korea.

There are many ways an opera company can be organized. I do not
think the time honored, short rehearsal, imported singer approach is
the only method that can work. I know from personal experience that
theatre and music theatre and opera can be amazing performing mediums
that can become a source of performance energy for everyone in the
community.



  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
11941 Re: repertory system and local opera Karen Mercedes   Wed  5/16/2001   4 KB
11951 Re: repertory system and local opera thomas mark montgomery   Wed  5/16/2001   2 KB

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