The Business of Opera Flashcards
How do major opera companies work today?
- Opera houses in European towns have orchestra + chorus then through Fest contracts (1-2 seasons engaged by Fach - voice type) they have singers come in for bigger roles
- health + safety + technical - opera houses under developments can lose seats to make way for this
- spacing - adapt old opera houses to be like WMC (3 backstage stages in wings for settings for each opera in production)
Opera theatres
-France + Italy - small, provincial, residential orchestras + choruses, invited soloists
-Germany/Austria/Switzerland - provincial, troupes of Fest contract singers
-New - big, well-equipped stage-bound on 3 sides by equivalent stage space for rehearsal + production of 3 operas at a time (WNO at WMC)
Old - traditional, Italianite horseshoe theatres, cramped, limited space, difficult to produce more than 1 opera at a time
Who finance?
mix of private (corporate/sponsorship etc) + public funding (government/arts councils)
Finance in Europe vs. US
Europe - mostly government funded, US - little government funding so rely on donations/sponsors
Impressarios/artistic &/or managing directors
- executive/management board + artistic director run theatre
- managing + artistic director = same person in smaller theatres
- for most coproductions, assistant director ravels with touring production to keep main ideas same when dealing with different artistic directors
Programming + repertoire
- high costs for single opera productions
- standard rep - contemporary, French, Baroque,
Contracts for composers, singers + musicians
- composer (contract with publisher - hire materials to companies + performing rights fee)
- new materials sometimes hired/commissioned even if company already has score
- chorus, orchestra, music, production + admin staff - salaried
- ‘guests’ receive fees (directors, designers, choreographers)
- production companies, no more props + wigs + costumes departments
German Fest contracts/Young artist’s programmes
- German opera houses - Fest contracts - young singers sing specified roles by voice type (Fach) for monthky salary (secure financial position + experience)
- Young artist’s programmes or opera studio (UK, France, US) - opera-trained artists given small roles in big opera houses (experience)
Understudies/covers
- companies with YAP can draw from there for main roles + chorus for small
- Met used to have 1st + 2nd understudies
- younger (cheaper) singers take over some performances when main singer is unavailable/touring
Touring (especially in UK)
- Necessary in UK! - only 6 national companies
- Touring not as necessary in Germany (houses in most towns)
- Map of touring cities divided between companies - ensure even spread of availability of opera
- Young performers have opportunity for larger roles with smaller companies than touring but not paid as much
Country House opera
- appeal to bourgeouis public that aren’t usual opera goers
- cheaper sallaries/fees though
Creative process
- Director, designer, lighting director plan production 18months in advance - collaborative creative choices
- Director + artistic director create ‘a book’ - vocal score with stage directions, emotions to portray + stage managers book (lighting cues)
Production meetings
full cast + crew meet at beginning of rehearsal period - told about production, director’s concept/view/character psychology + see set model
Rehearsal schedules
- begin 6 weeks before opening night
- differenet rehearsals at same time - musical (singers, conductor, pianist & orchestra + choral), studio (singers + piano), sitzprobe (‘sitdown’ first rehearsal with singers + orchestra), stage + piano, stage + orchestra, general/dress
- each production needs own music/production staff - cross-casting is popular but hard to schedule
Music staff: repetiteurs, conductors, language coaches
- repetiteurs - work with singers
- conductors (staff/guest) conduct rehearsals + performances
- language coaches help singers understand roles + pronounciation
Production staff: designers, lighting designers, decorators, props, wigs + makeup, dressers, staff directors
- technical staff - stage manager + crew
- staff directors assist directors - help with revivals that follow
- production books made for each production (annotated scores)
Librarian, dramaturg, programmes, surtitles
-dramaturg (works with director) - looks after drama/translation/programmes/surtitles - translate for surtitles (e.g. WNO Welsh surtitler) + update translations to fit with changes made on stage
Education + outreach
-commissions - work with schools/community drama groups/chors to bring opera to wider public e.g. Rhondda Rips It Up!
Widening access?
-make more accessible e.g. signed performances, touch tours/audio description
Websites with live streaming + HD Broadcasting
- ROH live stream gives POV of stage manager
- Met HD broadcast - monetise every aspect (backstage tours)
- opera vision - past performances around Europe
Broadcasting bad?
- acting for stage extravagent must be toned down for film so when videoed those at back of house cannot see emotions portrayed
- but they are fulfulling an opera experience for those that can’t access opera + easier to see (cinema/Sky Arts)
Opera elite
No longer the case! But still that conception!
Opera has the potential to educate + elevate the masses so is worth subsidising however not reaching masses because of the conception it’s expensive
Initiatives changing the way we experience opera
- See contrast of backstage vs. stage, polished vs. organised chaos - enhances illusion of performance, insider knowledge
- HD broadcasts - spectatorship - applause, social interaction + discussion
- Met narrative - HD broadcasts will save opera from extinction in new media age - they have adapted to new technological circumstances
- Market friendly neo-liberal concept - heighten opera experience, monetise backstage
- cinematic opera might kill live opera for small companies
- good idea in US, age of demographic in US is older than Europe so by having opera at cinema can bring in more younger people
