The Arts Desk – Most Recent Opera Reviews
Three greats in their art form come together for an extraordinary performance piece in this week’s opera coverage on The Arts Desk, as well as a visiting company travelling from north to south and Tosca weaving her magic.
Bringing two of their main productions to the Barbican, Opera North are currently treating Londoners with a visit, which includes Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Queen of Spades’ and Gilbert & Sullivan’s ‘Ruddigore’. Neil Bartlett’s take on Tchaikovsky was preferred by David Nice to the rather emotionally unconvincing grand opera ‘Eugene Onegin’ by Deborah Warner.
Opera North’s ‘The Queen of Spades’ on the contrary had plenty to say and said it far more convincingly. Their performance of ‘Ruddigore’ on the other hand had been bettered in Nice’s eyes by smaller fringe productions this year and could benefit from being freshened up and simplified.
‘Eugene Onegin’ is the ENO’s concurrent big hitter, but Nice preferred Tosca, which is a thriller by Puccini. It negotiates politics and lust, bolstered by three big voices – Gwyn Hughes Jones, Claire Rutter and Anthony Michaels-Moore – who provided big sounds and are well up to the demands of this exacting piece. It even beat the Royal Opera’s much-loved version, according to Nice, which starred Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann and Bryn Terfel.
Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, artist Mark Wallinger and choreographer Wayne McGregor collaborated to create ‘UnDance’, which is a mixture of music, art and dance. McGregor’s dancers were clad to look like Muybridge’s naked athletes, there was beautiful orchestral music by Turnage, and Wallinger was in charge of the visual stimuli and incorporated wordplay.
Judith Flanders admits that it all sounds terribly cerebral and arty, but on stage it is simpler than it sounds, wonderfully coherent and delightful to watch. The 3D designs superimposed over it by OpenEndedGroup let the staging down and although it was sometimes beautiful, it was often painfully literal and merely distracted from Connolly’s powerful performance.
Steve Alexander has a passion for the arts. For the latest opera reviews as well as more Royal Opera news, visit theartsdesk.com.
Opera Glasses, A Grand Way To Observe All The Action On Stage From Far Away
Opera Glasses are similar to binoculars but they are made for being able to see performances on stage. In old opera houses seats placed in balconies that were subsequently cheaper were very far away from the stage. In some they were so far away on the figures could be seen from that distance but seeing facial features, and thus part of the acting, was impossible to make out. Opera glasses would enable those people in the peanut gallery to see on stage much better to the point of seeing the facial expressions of the actors or singers. They have been popular since the 50\’s.
Opera glasses are different from binoculars as they are made to be smaller and some where made not so much to look utilitarian but to look stylish. Some pop up from a flat looking case and are easily carried in women\’s clutch bags or in suit coat pockets. Others fold so that they can easily be carried around without notice. There are some that mimic those of the past with a single rod attached called a lorgnette, so the glasses can be held to the eyes with only one hand. This folds up as well.
Opera glasses can be found for purchase today. There are inexpensive ones that cost about $50 to $100 but there are others that can be more expensive. These kind are equipped with better optics and larger magnifications and may be unique in the way they look. You can also get vintage opera glasses that may cost much more merely because they are antique. Always try them out to make sure they are still in working order.
Some theaters give you the opportunity to rent opera glasses for a small fee. If you are an opera or theater enthusiast that attends regularly you may want to have a pair of your own, but if you one go once in awhile renting them is a good option. If you want to buy your own it is a good idea to try out the rented ones to see what you prefer. You may like the ones you hold one handed with the rod or you might like the ones you use like binoculars. You might find out you don\’t even want to use them.
Binoculars differ from opera glasses in magnification. The system used in opera glasses is a simple system whereas that used in binoculars is quite extensive. The system used in opera glasses is based on the simple system invented by Galileo called the Galilean optical system. The images will not be as sharp with opera glasses but you can still see most of what you need to on the stage
China is the major producer of opera glasses today. They usually have a 3 X magnification that is good for a concert hall or big auditorium. Some go up to 5 X but they tend to cost more. Some come equipped with a center focus and others don\’t focus at all. The ones that do not focus usually have a small LED light that is placed between the barrels for the eyes. It helps you to read the program in dim lights without bothering the person in the seat next to you. People with good vision have no problem with these but if you do wear glasses or contacts you might want to look into the focusing type. There is a mechanism for the focus in the focusing opera glasses that takes the place of the light. You can use them with corrective lenses or without.
Most opera glasses come in a case and especially the antique variety. Some are soft cloth cases and some are hard lined with velvet. Vintage glasses are made of ivory, enamel that was heavily cloisonne?and they might have gems on them or be edged in gold. They were elegant yet supposed to be unobtrusive. Vintage and modern opera glasses make a wonderful gift for those that go to the theater, opera or ballet on a regular basis.
Before you attend any performance make sure that you have a good pair of opera glasses. Here you can check out Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!
Opera Glasses- A Closer Look
Have you been at a concert or in a theater and wished you could see the stage better? You should consider getting a pair of opera glasses. They are more than just beautiful and classic pieces of history. Modern opera glasses can help you see what is going on around you at any performance. This need has not changed since the 1800\’s when they became popular with people attending the Paris opera.
Opera was becoming an increasingly popular social event. But not everyone was able to afford the high prices for seats with a close view of the stage. To get a good view of what was happening on stage it became necessary to find a compact way of magnifying it. Scientists found a way to combine telescopic lenses with stereoscopic prisms and invented a method by which a clear three dimensional view of the stage was available.
Opera glasses quickly became more than just ways to see the stage. A night at the opera was simply more than just an evening out. People came to the opera to be seen, and to make important social connections. It was critical to be able to see who was sitting with whom and what people were doing during the performance. Many people spent more of the evening scanning the audience than they did watching the drama onstage.
Because they rapidly became status symbols and signs of wealth, opera glasses rapidly became very ornamented. They were often made of valuable materials and featured gold, painted enamel and expensive inlay work. There were different styles of opera glasses. They ranged from the familiar lorgnette version with one handle to a compact folding version that would fit will into a handbag or a pocket.
There are a number of places where you can find and purchase opera glasses. They still come in a range of different models and prices can range from the very reasonable to the extremely expensive. You may need to look a bit to find ones that fit your needs and your budget. Good starting places include camera stores and some Internet sites.
One thing to look at when selecting your opera glasses is what the level of magnification is. Unlike a telescope or high powered binoculars, you will want to make sure that there is a fairly low level of magnification. A 3x magnification factor is considered ideal. This allows you to get a large field of view and it will keep shaking from hand movement as low as possible.
Once you know what your options are you can decide what style you are interested in. They still come in folding and lorgnette styles. There are compact models which will fold down into plastic cases which can make them more durable for outside use. This could be handy at an outdoor concert or at a rock concert where you may accidentally drop them.
Opera glasses can be a useful and beautiful accessory. It is an item with a long history that can make your trip to the theater much more enjoyable.
Before you attend any performance make sure that you have a good pair of opera glasses. Here you can check out Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!
Madame Butterfly, the Betrayal: A Review of the Opera
Madame Butterfly is an opera written by Giacomo Puccini which is very popular. We strongly recommend opera glasses for this breathtaking opera. The reasons why are about to be shown to you.
Madame Butterfly is set in Nagasaki Japan, at the top of the hill one of our main characters, a United States Naval Officer named Pinkerton is inspecting a beautiful house with a wonderful view of the bay down below with a marriage broker by the name of Goro. Pinkerton is inspecting the home for him and his bride to be, Madame Butterfly. Upon finishing the inspection of the home, Pinkerton agrees to buy the home for 999 years, although he holds the right to cancel the agreement of the purchase during any month
As the Opera continues, we find that the wedding of Madame Butterfly and the Officer is soon to take place. Many of Butterfly\’s family will be flying in to attend the wedding, with one exception. Butterfly\’s uncle will not be attending as he is a priest.
Although Pinkerton is marrying Butterfly, his goal is to get the love of as many beautiful women as possible. This is the reason he wants to have the right to cancel the housing agreement each and every month. Soon you will want to put on your opera glasses to see the beautiful Butterfly.
Before the Japanese beauty, Butterfly, enters the opera, the American consul comes out and asks Pinkerton if he truly loves his soon-to-be bride. Pinkerton cannot commit with a yes. He only describes how mesmerized he is by Butterfly\’s personality which includes innocence, beauty and charm. One day Pinkerton speaks of having a real marriage to an American woman.
The Beautiful Butterfly graces the stage; Butterfly and Pinkerton are married with all of Butterfly\’s family in attendance. As the celebration of the wedding continues, Butterfly\’s uncle, the priest breaks in to the party and condemns Butterfly for renouncing her religion to marry Pinkerton. Butterfly\’s heart breaks and finds herself in the arms of Pinkerton being comforted.
Months and weeks pass Butterfly and Pinkerton stay happily married, Butterfly is beyond content, nearly exploding with joy with the marriage to the man that she loves so much. One day Pinkerton finds that he must leave to fulfill his service as a naval officer, and tells Butterfly that he will soon return.
Act three opens, to find that three years have passed. Butterfly continues to watch ships coming in hoping every day to see the ship of her beloved husband, in all this time her love for him has only increased. One day she sees the American consul who she has known from the beginning as Pinkerton\’s friend coming up the path to her home. Excitedly she greets him, hoping for news from her beloved. Unbeknownst to her, Pinkerton has asked him to go to Butterfly to tell her that he has wed another woman named Kate, and would not be coming back. Full of guilt the American gives the news.
Destroyed by the news left by Pinkerton\’s friend, Butterfly leaves the room weeping, only to return carrying Pinkerton\’s son that she has given birth to. Butterfly tells the American that Pinkerton could not leave his wife and son for another woman. After some convincing she succumbs to the fact that Pinkerton did not love her, and is not to return.
The story does not end here, but to find out the end of the story you will have to see Madame Butterfly for yourself. The costumes are sure to amaze, the music cannot be forgotten, and the story riveting. Make sure you don\’t forget to bring your opera glasses so that you can fully enjoy every moment.
Jeff B. has always loved the theater and opera, he currently helps run an opera glasses retail site where they sell opera glasses. Including Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!