13 October 2017 at 2.58pm | 17 Comments
Sword fights, vocal acrobatics, tragic deaths, and tender love scenes: the world of opera has it all, and we want to share it with you.
#OperaPassion Day featured eight hours of activity from eight of the UK's leading opera companies: the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Opera North, Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera and Northern Ireland Opera busted the myths around the world of opera, through interviews, live performance, and never-before-seen archive footage.
Viewers also got a windo into the Opera: Passion, Power and Politics exhibition, created by the V&A in collaboration with the Royal Opera House.
Our live hour was presented by DJ Nihal, and was broadcast on Facebook LIVE from 11.30am. Highlights include:
- Backstage access into rehearsals for our upcoming production of Lucia di Lammermoor
- A sword fighting session with baritone Erwin Schrott
- A rare demonstration: do babies have the best vocal technique?
- George The Poet's first trip to the opera
- Operatic singing tips from the professionals, including a singing lesson live from the main stage
- A window into our wonderful Props department
- And much more…
At 6.30pm, to celebrate the V&A’s landmark exhibition Opera: Passion, Power and Politics, the V&A and the Royal Opera House presented a pop up performance at London's St Pancras Station: unsuspecting commuters were treated to a live performance from members of the Royal Opera Chorus, inspired by the operas featured in the exhibition. The performance was also be livestreamed across the world.
The day will culminate in an operatic broadcast on BBC Radio 3, chosen through a public vote.
Watch the stream on the Royal Opera House Facebook page. The event will also be relayed via Opera Vision.
To watch the livestreams from all eight partner companies and the V&A, visit the BBC Arts online #OperaPassion live page.
This article has 17 comments
As interesting a it is to hear celebrities state intelligent reasons for their opera choice (a very seductive Wagner today for instance!) they have by necessity narrowed down the options of choice for the public vote. I'd have been very interested to know which opera may have been voted in the number 1 slot given a free public reign.... Britten is absent sadly from the celebrity list. Peter Piers is surely up there as one of the most profound and important operas of our times and without a doubt, it is what I would have voted for.
This is a wonderfully positive initiative. Is it just mainly 'online' or will the R.O.H. be open to the public ? Opera and choral singing should be promoted more actively in schools, as a musical art it conveys the importance of harmony. Thank you very much & my best wishes..
Hi Anthony,
Glad you're as excited about the day as we are - it's an online event. Hope you can join us!
Thanks,
Chris
This does not make it clear how one goes sbout watching it.
Hi Anne,
The event will be broadcast via the various organizations' Facebook pages - The Royal Opera will be live on http://www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse from 11.30am BST
Thanks
Chris
Fabulous idea
What time will that be on the west coast of United States. Thank you.
I think , as a retired music and singing teacher , that this is a wonderful opportunity for people who have never seen an opera or all it involves to find out about it. I am on holiday at the moment but will certainly be watching.
Tomorrow cannot come quick enough!
Fab! Just like World Ballet Day but for opera instead! (and sticking to UK opera companies for now).
I don't have Facebook and I don't want it, therefore I was not able to watch. Disappointing
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your comment - the stream went live at 11.30am BST and is available on this page on demand if you click the play button on the Facebook embed - you don't need an account to watch.
Many thanks,
Mel
Please can the Babies Vocal Technique part be uploaded as a separate video to You Tube. It was incredible and I want to share with many friends and colleagues who sing. Great live feed. Congratulations to all involved.
I have been trying to get it, but is it a MUST to join the Face Book?
Hi Liane,
You can watch the stream by clicking the play button in the video above - you don't need a Facebook account.
Many thanks,
Mel
Well so you say, but all I see above is a rubric saying "UNAVAILABLE. This video can't be embedded", whatever that means. The Facebook link takes you to a page where far from being able to watch you are told to create an account first, so your assertion that you don't need an account isn't true.
And what is the poor woman going on about in the first post? "Peter Piers" (sic)? Pears would have had a fit, and she presumably means "Grimes" anyway. My fave is "Rogelitto"
Hi Stephen,
I'll email you about this personally to make sure this can be resolved.
Thanks,
Mel