On Fri, 29 Sep 2000, Ciro wrote: > Of the three, Bocelli has the best technique and of the three he is > the only one that can be evaluated as an opera singer... Brightman and > Church are not opera singers.
According to my definition: "opera singer = someone who sings opera", Brightman is the only actual opera singer. Say what you want about her technique, but she created the role of Christine in "Phantom of the Opera" which is formally an opera (sung recitatives, arias, staged drama).
One of the "aspects" of 20th/21st Century aesthetics is the notion of creating a role for a specific person with a characteristic voice. It is borrowed from the pop world. In this sense, Brightman (and Crawford, for that matter) fit the bill perfectly. It mirrors the celebration of individuality in contemporary Western society.
Perhaps "Phantom" appeals to the general public more than "Tristan" because people respond to characters with whom they identify. Some may call it "dumbing down" - I call it "serving the people" or "addressing contemporary issues and concerns". I doubt Germans of Wagner's time would have been so interested in medieval Japanese opera. Sure, there are universal messages in old operas, but contemporary opera can give you universal *and* timely messages.
I guess my rant wasn't really over! :) Tako
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