Bringing Sexy Back to Opera

-
It seems opera is sexy again. OK, from where I stand opera was always sexy, but what do I know.

The Independent just ran this article on how svelte singers are the new shape of opera. It is an interesting read and one worth checking out.

One of the reasons I'm amazed at Ian Campbell's casting abilities is he has the ability to cast the right singer for the right part -- and not just vocally. His Leila in The Pearl Fishers had an air of chaste innocence while at the same time being totally seductive (I mean she does come between two lifelong friends), his Elizabeth in Maria Stuarda had the vocal prowess of cougar and the stance of a dominatrix.

There's something to be said for looking the part as it lends to the credibility of what one sees on the stage. Besides, in this age of high-def closeup movies, it pays to be easy on the eyes as well as having the vocal mettle needed for the role.

I'm not alone. Seems Playboy Magazine just learned what we knew all along with their new "Too Hot To Handel" (ouch) poll which has readers voting on the sexiest opera singers and musicians. (Please don't circumvent office firewalls to vote -- my IT department threatened to replace my computer with a homing pigeon if I didn't say that).

And for the women (and men) who are feeling left out, here's Barihunk and Hunkentenors for your viewing pleasure. The name says it all.

You can thank me later and please, try to get some work done today.

- Edward


Comments

Anonymous said…
They were showing a Pavarotti special on PBS the other day and an interesting point came up. They said (and I don't know enough about Pavarotti to know if this is true) that when he was young, he was more athletic and moved around the stage quite a bit, but that he realized being heavy was a way of being instantly recognizable by audiences--in other words, it was sort of a marketing gimmick.

It is sort of convincing because before him, a lot of opera singers were fairly slim or of average build and yet they still had great voices. Of course, maybe the ones I'm thinking of didn't sing much Wagner... ;)

Anyway, I hope singers don't suffer discrimination b/c of their weight or feel they have to spend all their time at the gym. Also, I hope they don't start looking too much alike, the way models and TV stars do. Sometimes a little idiosyncrasy can go a long way!
September 16, 2008 at 8:26 PM
San Diego Opera said…
Felicia, I have this same program on my DV-R at home and have yet to watch it. I'll be sure to get to it shortly. I know that once he started gaining weight he stopped trying to act. Still, people wanted to come to hear him for his voice and charisma -- for me and millions of others -- that alone made him truly unique.
September 17, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Things About La boheme You Don't Need To Know But Will Be Glad You Did

-
Getting ready with Dr. Nic last week for a TV interview he came up with five tidbits about La boheme to be used on air. Live TV being what live TV is, not all of them made it onto the show, but I thought they were interesting enough to be recycled here on the blog. Besides, I'm busy hammering away at the 2011 press release so pressed for time today. 2011 press release you say? You betcha. But, faithful readers, here's a tidbit: a certain married couple returns to us next season in another opera by Gounod. Without further ado, five things about La boheme you'll be glad to know 1) Giacomo Puccini’s opera La boheme is one of the three most popular operas ever written but it wasn ’t always that way. It was not an immediate success. An opera by a rival Italian composer, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, on the same subject (and also named Le bohème ) premiered about a year after Puccini’s and was quite successful. It’s possible that, in fact, Puccini actually stole the idea ...
Read more

10 Interesting Facts About Faust

-
A few weeks ago Dr. Nic shared with us 10 interesting things about Der Rosenkavalier , born out of an agonizing ride in the elevator where we stopped on every floor from the subterranean parking garage to the 18 th floor. Luckily we didn't have to recreate that experience to get 10 interesting facts about Faust ... 1. There is a well-known Christmas carol hidden in Méphistophélès ’ first aria, “Le veau d’or”, often called the “Golden Calf aria”. 2. The best known tune from Faust, Valentin’s aria “ Avant de quitter”, was added in 1864, a couple of years after the premiere of the opera (1859) for performances in London. It was sung in English at those performances and the French version followed later. 3. Although the story of Faust is based on Goethe’s original verse play (1806), it only covers Part I of the poet’s version, avoiding the more philosophical depths of Part II. 4. The source of the story of Faust was an actual person, a Doctor Johann ...
Read more

Pop Star to Opera Star

-
Image
We here at Aria Serious are torn by the news that ITV in the UK is filming a new reality series called "Pop Star to Opera Star" where pop stars will tackle the operatic repertoire while being mentored by Katherine Jenkins and Rolando Villazon. While we here at Aria Serious love to see our favorite art form on prime time TV, we're also concerned that this lowers the artistic standard. In a Company that prides itself in attracting the best talent possible, do shows like this undermine our work or is it a much needed breath of fresh air? One thing the show has going for it - Meatloaf (the singer, not the leftovers in your fridge) will be a judge. You can read about it here .
Read more