Abstract
Opera is a performing art in which music plays the leading role, and the acting of singers has a synergistic effect with the music. The mirror neuron system represents the neurophysiological mechanism underlying the coupling of perception and action. Mirror neuron activity is modulated by the appropriateness of actions and clarity of intentions, as well as emotional expression and aesthetic values. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that an opera performance induces mirror neuron activity in the audience so that the performer effectively shares an embodied performance with the audience. However, it is uncertain which aspect of opera performance induces mirror neuron activity. It is hypothesized that although auditory stimuli could induce mirror neuron activity, audiovisual perception of stage performance is the primary inducer of mirror neuron activity. To test this hypothesis, this study sought to correlate opera performance with brain activity as measured by electroencephalography (EEG) in singers while watching an opera performance with sounds or while listening to an aria without visual stimulus. We detected mirror neuron activity by observing that the EEG power in the alpha frequency band (8–13 Hz) was selectively decreased in the frontal-central-parietal area when watching an opera performance. In the auditory condition, however, the alpha-band power did not change relative to the resting condition. This study illustrates that the audiovisual perception of an opera performance engages the mirror neuron system in its audience.
Highlights
Opera is a performing art that employs the synergistic effect of music and acting, in which music plays the leading role
Among the band powers for the four frequency bands, only the alpha-band power was significantly lower in the audiovisual condition than in the resting condition mainly in the frontal, central, and parietal scalp locations
The EEG signals analyzed in this study showed characteristic changes in the alpha frequency band during audiovisual appreciation of an opera performance
Summary
Opera is a performing art that employs the synergistic effect of music and acting, in which music plays the leading role. Singing and acting are under the metacognitive control of the performers (Concina, 2019). Metacognitive competence is a key factor for selfevaluating one’s performance (Hart, 2014). The performance plays a critical role in expressing operatic emotions in the way that the performer had intended. Two components of opera performance, i.e., singing and acting, influence emotions in the audience primarily through visual and auditory perception. In terms of emotional and aesthetic responses, consistency between the visual perception of the stage performance and the auditory perception of singing may be a critical factor in intracerebral processing. To date, how visual and auditory perception
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