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
|