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From:  "Caio Rossi" <caiorossi@t...>
Date:  Sun Jan 27, 2002  6:24 am
Subject:  WHAT'S NEXT?

Hi,

Yesterday, I sent a msg saying what I think about musical theater: it's an
attempt to please the petit bourgeoisie by creating a modern/contemporary
version of opera using some of its elements mixed with pop music. In my
opinion, the result is bad pop and bad opera. It's the counterpart of the
American and French Revolutions in the musical arena, and that may well
explain why opera has lost much of its relevance in the public's taste: it
represents the high culture sponsored by the aristocrats whose buttocks have
been kicked out of the castle and whose heads have been cut off. Trying to
promote it back to where it used to be in terms of relevance may be as
useless as trying to do the same with the Pope.

It seems to me "pop-opera" is the Italian petit-bourgeois attempt to do the
same, but instead of doing what Americans have done- bringing pop music into
the "opera house"- they did the opposite: the "opera singer" went to the
concert halls and sports events stadiums. The result again is bad pop and
bad opera. No contribution whatsoever.

Let me explain, before I proceed, what I'd consider a legitime contribution:
an adaption to the modern expectations of all the acquisition opera
represents in the history of Music, AND/OR its enhancement ( for example,
what Bach represented to music when compared to his predecessors ). I won't
discuss that concept, for I consider those conditions almost as self-evident
as A=A. Culture is the accumulation and improvement of what has been
acquired by a certain society or civilization. that's it.

Given that, let's compare opera to another kind of traditional art that's
under similar risks of extiction: the circus. I don't know many people who
would go to the circus anymore, and I can't imagine any child over 6 who
wouldn't consider a clown act in the circus something extremely dumb and
boring. What have the circus people come up with to update that traditional
art? Although there surely is more than one answer, the best answer I can
think of is "Cirque du Soleil", a legitimate adaption AND enhancement of the
same old concept to the present demands. None of the acquisitions
traditional circus meant were lost: they're the same abilities adapted to
the new demands and made better. Culture has been passed on and improved.

How about opera? Does anyone here know of any efforts to create its "Cirque
du Soleil"?

Hugs,

Caio








  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
16938 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?Greypins@a...   Sun  1/27/2002  
16978 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?John Link   Mon  1/28/2002  
16980 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?Greypins@a...   Mon  1/28/2002  
16981 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?John Link   Mon  1/28/2002  
17029 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?Caio Rossi   Tue  1/29/2002  
17036 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?Greypins@a...   Tue  1/29/2002  
17059 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?Caio Rossi   Tue  1/29/2002  
17086 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?sopran@a...   Wed  1/30/2002  
17104 Re: WHAT'S NEXT?Caio Rossi   Wed  1/30/2002  

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