Recently a number of orchestras have delved into opera.True a number of mid-size cities have
orchestras that already play opera.Take
Nashville and Louisville, for example, in our region.But these orchestras play opera as the
"hired" orchestra for an established opera company.In this case, the Nashville Opera and
Kentucky Opera, respectively.But what
about orchestras that perform opera on their own...
Some examples include the recent Opening Night performance
of La Boheme in a semi-staged version with the Atlanta Symphony.The idea of a semi-staged version of opera is
quite intriguing.Many orchestras have
taken this route.In Lafayette
last season we performed the opera Cavalleria Rusticana with the excellent Bach
Chorale Singers and soloists from IndianaUniversity.We performed with minimal staging and no
props.
In November, I performed the opera Madame Butterfly with the
Owensboro Symphony and Kentucky Opera to great effect.Like the performance in Lafayette, the orchestra was onstage, but we
also had props, makeup and costumes:pretty much everything except the actual sets.People in the audience liked the set up very
much.They felt that the orchestra was
an equal partner in the production, rather than being relegated to the "pit" as
they normally are in opera.This is
something I'd like to try in Lafayette,
as we have a sophisticated and educated audience as well as Metropolitan Opera
simulcasts...
My opinion is that this type of production/collaboration is
the wave of the future for orchestras and choruses eager to do opera.Without the sets opera in much more
affordable, plus, as I witnessed in Owensboro-
people like to see their hometown orchestra, too!
