With the continued closure of most homes due to the "pandemic"
Opera sounds echoing in the open air in "Palm Beach"
The festival includes 6 performances over 9 days, including "bohemian" and "magic flute".
Archives
David Stern: The voices of the singers are powerful enough to fill the stage.
Archives
picture
With the continued closure of most opera houses due to the "Covid-19" pandemic, the "Palm Beach" Opera in Florida decided to take advantage of the tropical climate to organize a large outdoor festival.
It is expected that the number of spectators will reach 1000 at each party of the festival, which began Friday, and includes six performances over a period of nine days, making it the largest opera festival attended by the public since the outbreak of the Corona virus in the United States.
The Palm Beach Opera amphitheater has a capacity of 6000 seats, which makes spacing possible, and putting masks and checking the temperature will be mandatory conditions for attending the party.
Strong voices
The conductor, David Stern, who directs the "Bohemian" and "Magic Flute" shows within the festival, said that "the venue is actually very convenient" despite its large size.
And he stressed that the singers' voices are strong enough to fill the stage, as they will also perform the Italian opera "Palacci" (The Clown).
The number of members of the orchestra will be limited, with a distance of two and a half meters separating the stringed instrumentalists, and three and a half meters between the wind instrument players, as Stern explained.
"We wanted to have experienced singers who had performed concerts of this kind well, and they knew the roles well, and could offer something very special that goes beyond pure singing," said Stern regarding the very classic program.
He added, "We wanted to express a message that, at a time when shows are absent in the United States or very few are held, we are not satisfied that we hold an activity, but rather we evaluate it elaborately."
Vital need
Opera houses have had to resort to innovation as a way to withstand and continue since the pandemic pushed them to cancel or at least significantly reduce their programs.
Last October, the Atlanta Opera held a series of concerts under a circus tent on a baseball stadium.
The lyrics of the songs included references to the Corona virus, and some singers put on masks, while others sang from inside glass containers.
Although these performances are unfamiliar, they are a vital need for many artists, as they allow them to maintain their level, hone their talents, and above all, not to plunge into depression.
Baritone Bass Rain Speedo Green, who sings in bohemianism, said he suffered from "very fast, sudden and disturbing" depression when, for the first time, he was banned from performing in summer 2020.
"I did not know when I could practice my talent and present my voice and my music again, and when I could perform in front of the audience again," he added.
Other singers, such as Isabel Leonard, are also concerned about the role of Musetta in the same work.
"Many of us quickly depleted our savings," Leonard said.
"At the age of nearly forty, many people are forced to start from scratch," she added.
But not everything is bleak. According to David Stern, interest in the spectator experience in the current epidemiological environment is a positive element that can help bring opera closer to the audience, without sacrificing its quality.
Stern did not rule out the possibility of introducing a larger festival in order to provide a "more open experience" for the public, or to organize a frequent seasonal activity.
"Social distancing has given music a greater role," he added, describing music as "the strongest link for people to communicate with each other."
Performances are unfamiliar, but they are a vital need for many artists, allowing them to maintain their level, and above all, not to plunge into depression.
- Two and a half meters between those who perform stringed instruments and three and a half meters among those who perform wind instruments.
Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news