All You Need To Know About Rock Opera | Arts & Entertainment

Note: This is the first in the new version The series will introduce readers of the Denver Gazette to a variety of cultural forms with the help of experts from local arts organizations. First up: Opera 101.

Before he died, my father gave me a list of 10 operas he must see in his life. But unless therent” 147 times (or so it seems) counts as “substitute”bohemian“I also have, um, 10 operas I must see in my lifetime.

After 20 years of live broadcasting, I am now “Art” columnist for the Denver Gazette, which means I have to catch up with other art forms. It’s not for lack of enthusiasm. This is the result of watching 150 plays or musicals every year for the past two decades.

I am interested.or, as Colorado Opera General and Art Director Greg Carpenter Call me, “Curious Opera.” Maybe you too.we’ll stick our nose in Denver Art Museum on a free day.We’ll tiptoe into the Boettcher concert hall Gregory Allen Isakov Depend on Colorado Symphony Orchestra. We would go into the daily ‘Hamilton’ lottery naively believing that we have more chances to win in Hudderstown. Wonderbound’s Vampire Ballet Halloween? Go all out. But opera?

“These people have opera in them, but they’re not totally taking the risk because they’re a little bit scared about it, or they’re going to events in groups — and they want to do other things,” Carpenter said.

As it turns out, we have a lot of them. Crowd of ‘curious operas’ come to Colorado Opera to adapt Stephen King’s ‘shining“Earlier this year.

“We brought 2,000 new ticket buyers from 34 states to the show,” Carpenter said. “197 of them came back to watch Carmen.

The Colorado Opera will open this week with “jester,” I asked Carpenter to be mine Obi WanMore. Give me a crash course in Opera 101. He’s fine with it. So why not? After all, we are low-hanging fruit. Here are some of the contents of this tutorial – feel free.

First, I learned that opera originated in Italy more than 400 years ago, with the aim of reviving the classical theatre of the ancient Greeks. It’s called “opera” because that’s the plural form of the word “work,” meaning “work.” So “opera” literally means “work” – which makes sense, because opera throws everything at you. Alright, the history lesson is over. let’s start.

John Moore: What is the first thing I need to know about opera?

Greg Carpenter: Sometimes people who have never seen an opera think that’s everything Wagner and Norse mythology and horned womanIn fact, the stories told by the tried and true grand operas we present are still very relevant today. Romantic triangle. Political conspiracy. Revenge and deceit. You can sit down and binge-watch any Netflix series and basically get the exact same story as an opera written 150 years ago.

Jamie: What is an example?

GC: look”Tosca. You have a police chief who is using his power and authority to force a woman to have sex with him. She was forced to do it to save the man she loves from being executed. That’s #MeToo. This is the police In 2022, these stories still resonate in the contemporary world we live in.

Jamie: So which three groundbreaking titles do I need to start with?

GC: “bohemian“Definitely at the top of the list. In terms of comedy, I would say”Barbers in Seville,” is “iconified”Bugs Bunny. “Next”Carmen. “Those are the ones we see a lot of new guys leaning towards.

Jamie: What is a seminal opera written over the past 25 years?

GC: The one with the most works is “walking dead“Jack Hedge and Terence McNally. Recently,”Christmas Eve“Kevin Poots and Mark Campbell. It is based on the 2005 film “Joyeux Noël”.

Jamie: Every genre of music has its superstars, but when I think about the people I know in opera, they’re all dead or dying.everyone has heard Placido Domingo or Luciano Pavarotti. who is yours Billie Eilish – or Josh Groban?

GC: This is actually a difficult question to answer right now. As you say, the golden age of the iconic opera singer is over. Pavarotti, Beverly Sears, Mary Callas – The list goes on. From the mid-1950s to at least the 1980s, there were a number of incredible singers who had high-profile roles outside of the opera world. Some of this is due to TV shows like “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Tonight Show,” which often feature opera singers and make their way into regular Joe’s living room. We don’t have that right now.but i want to say Jonas Kaufman, he was a German opera tenor and an excellent actor. He is 53 years old.certainly Renee Fleming Has characters far beyond the general opera world.I would also like to mention Anna Nerebkowho is a Russian soprano. Joyce DiDonatoThe American mezzo-soprano will join us in the spring for our 40th anniversary celebration. She must be in that world of star power.

Jamie: Who are the young rising stars?

GC: angel blue 38 years old. She’s a soprano who won a 2021 Grammy for “Porgy and Bess” produced by the Metropolitan Opera. There are a few other great African American singers who are emerging from the ranks with great personalities that match the great talent they have. This is encouraging.

Jamie: Let’s bust the myth: I’ve always been led to believe that opera is just “stand and sing” without putting too much emphasis on performance. That’s not the case with The Shining. Is that era over?

GC: It’s important for this company to have singers who can move, perform, convey characters and tell stories. That means these people have to move. So to me, yes, the era of what you call “stand and sing” — we call it “parks and barks” — is over. Opera audiences want more than just standing and delivering. To me, if you’re not telling a great story, why are you doing it?

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Jamie: What would you say to people who are uncomfortable listening to non-English music?

GC: First, depending on your choice, your seat has subtitles with English or Spanish translation. So it’s no different from watching foreign movies with subtitles. I actually keep the subtitles turned on on the TV because I just love being there. We also put a lot of information on our website that you can check out ahead of time, such as plot summaries and character descriptions. We also offer a pre-show talk that you can attend an hour before the show to get more in-depth information about what you will experience.

Jamie: Do I need to dress up?

GC: We recently did a focus group with people “interested in opera” who could choose the setting in which they would like to see their first opera – from dive bars to gritty warehouses to lawns Have a picnic – they both chose a gorgeous opera house. This surprised me because the industry has been telling us the exact opposite for years. For a long time, the industry has been saying, “Stop talking and… let them wear jeans.” But now a lot of people are working from home and they don’t take off their pajamas all day. So when they went out to entertain, they told us they wanted to dress up. They want the full opera experience. My personal feeling is: come on, be comfortable.

Jamie: Settling Bet: Yes”Phantom of the Opera“opera?

GC: The only “opera” in The Phantom of the Opera is the location where the story takes place, which is the Paris Opera. No, it’s not an opera, it doesn’t need an operatic singing, it’s an Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway musical.

Jamie: So this is where I landed on my sword of ignorance. There is no dialogue. The entire score is sung. This is of course a difficult vocal score. To me it sounds like opera. What did I miss?

GC: I didn’t hear anything from the opera in terms of vocals or music. I really don’t.

Jamie: So why should anyone interested in opera come to your 40th season opener,”jester“?

GC: This is one of the most timeless Verdi operas in the canon. It’s about intrigue and passion, and wrongful revenge.

Jamie: What’s your best advice for enjoying your first opera?

GC: Have a full night. Come downtown early for a little dinner, whether it’s a sandwich at the small shop or a full three-course dinner. There are many options near Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Or come early, have a cocktail in the lobby, and watch the people. People like to do it. One of my favorite things about going to a movie with friends is going out and sitting down afterward and talking about it and sharing the experience.

Jamie: Last words?

GC: For everything you get from a Broadway musical or ballet — to me, opera is on steroids.