Hollywood Operas

If the 2003 film production of the opera “The Death of Klinghoffer,” by John Adams, is any indication of where opera is headed, I’m all for it. In watching this version, which did not take place on a stage but rather on a film set, I found it to be incredibly believable and effective. It made the opera extremely accessible in my opinion, and all though I truly do believe that part of what makes opera special is its authenticity, in other words, a live performance in which all of the drama and music unfolds right before the audience without any sort of sound editing, I think this sort of a medium for opera would be incredibly successful in attracting more people to opera.

I know that people have mentioned directors in class who have put together movie versions of operas similar to this one, and I think it’s wonderful. Some of the previews I have seen for these opera movies have been amazing, they look like big budget blockbuster operas. If this is what it takes to gain more support for this art form, I’m behind it one hundred percent. I would hope that by making opera more accessible to the masses, that more people would in turn attend live performances of opera.

Over all, I found the acting to be quite good, slightly over done at times, but I’m going to assume that the cast is accustomed to having to make grander gestures to reach the back of a theater. Mrs. Klinghoffer’s aria at the end of the opera was truly one of the most powerful and touching operatic moments I think I have ever seen. I think part of that is because the camera allowed me as an audience member to feel as if I was right there with her, I could see ever facial expression, every thought in her head, and every tear she held back, it was a beautiful moment. I don’t think I would have had that reaction had I been sitting 50 rows away from the stage. Hollywood and opera collaborations are certainly something to think about, who knows what it could lead to.