Opera Performance Research Articles

The evolution of the method of ‘oral and heart-to-heart teaching’ in contemporary times: Based on the observation of Shandong opera classroom

As the main way of inheriting traditional Chinese art, oral and heart-to-heart teaching (OAHTHT) has survived in all kinds of art inheritance activities. However, the existing literature fails to provide a clear explanation of the applicability and evolution of OAHTHT in contemporary school music classrooms. This article reports on a project of ‘local opera in the classroom’ carried out in primary and secondary schools in six regions of Shandong Province from 2017 to 2020. It attempts to research the presentation and evolution of OAHTHT in contemporary music classrooms through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews with teachers and artists participating in the project. Findings show that the change in OAHTHT is not only reflected in the differences of material media, teaching space and spiritual space, but also in the relationship between ‘oral instruction’ and ‘heart to heart teaching’(Xin Chuan): from the past gradual relationship from skill to mind to parallel relationship of mutual subjects. Meanwhile, under the new OAHTHT inheritance mode, a new form of campus opera performance with children as the principal part is taking shape.

CAMILLO EVERARDI (1825-1899) - THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL “OPERA EXERCISES” AT THE SAINT PETERSBURG CONSERVATORY (THE FORMATION OF THE VOCAL AND STAGE CLASS AT THE SAINT PETERSBURG CONSERVATORY)

The article is devoted to the pedagogical activity of the famous opera artist Camillo Everardi, who brought up a whole galaxy of outstanding opera artists at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. These artists largely contributed to the renewal of the aesthetics of the opera performance at the turn of the 20th century. Everardi’s pedagogical activity in terms of educating opera artists does not lose its relevance today. And in this sense, it is important to analyse his method of “showing”, which he used to suggest a student the right plastique, gesture, facial expressions, to evoke the right emotional tone of intonation and achieve the creation of a dynamic stage image without compromising the vocals. The novelty of this article is connected with the perspective of considering the activities of Everardi not only as a professor of solo singing, but also as a “stage teacher” - that is, a director of educational opera performances, one of which was initiated by him. Analysing the aesthetic preferences of Everardi, the author touches on the painful problem of the struggle of the Russian musicians with the Italian opera, which forced Everardi to leave the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.

Remember Me: Vocal Cadenzas as Mementos in Nineteenth-Century Musical Autograph Albums

Abstract Between the 1830s and the 1880s, leading female singers such as Henriette Rossi Sontag, Laure Cinti-Damoreau, Adelina Patti, and Pauline Viardot participated in a widespread custom of inscribing original vocal cadenzas in autograph albums (also known as friendship albums, keepsake albums, alba amicorum, or Stammbücher). The appeal of album cadenzas, along with other compact inscriptions, reflects a wider Romantic fascination with remembering through small keepsakes such as miniature almanacs and annual compilations of poetry, prose, or music. Whether improvised in the presence of collectors or offered as souvenirs of earlier performances, cadenzas functioned as mementos of musical and social encounters while visually representing singers’ musical personae through performative gestures. These florid pieces also allowed female singers to exercise agency as both creative artists and curators of their public images, much like the (mostly male) composers whose musical signatures fill surrounding album leaves. As performance-practical sources, vocal cadenzas preserve rare and revealing traces of singers’ artistry; many, in fact, can be linked to specific concerts or performances of operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer, Rossini, Verdi, and others. In the case of Cinti-Damoreau, such music illuminates the connection between improvisation, performance, and pedagogy. The gradual disappearance of album cadenzas during the last quarter of the nineteenth century is attributable not only to a waning interest in musical improvisation generally, but also to a shift in creative authority away from singers and toward composers, particularly in the operatic realm.

Modern Ukrainian Opera: Varieties of Genres

"The article examines the state of modern Ukrainian opera of the 21st century, which reflects European and global trends aimed at updating the genre and searching for new genre models. The authors of the article purposefully chose works by composers of almost all age categories, which are quite different in terms of genre content – interpretation of traditions and innovation – from creative youth to the most famous artists in the whole world (E. Stankovich), and consciously focused attention on examples of modern opera from several regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Lviv, Dnipro. This work, dedicated to modern Ukrainian opera, combined the efforts of a practicing composer and a musicologist-scientist. After all, the material of research in one of the sections of the article was the parody comic opera by Valentina Martynyuk (Brondzia), as an example of the only opera performance in the Dnieper region. The research methodology is based on historical-typological, genre-stylistic, comparative, and analytical methods. The historical -typological method is related to the problems of the opera genre at the modern stage, which needs updating and radical changes; genre-stylistic, comparative, and analytical methods allow us to draw conclusions about the peculiarities of genre models of modern Ukrainian operas. They reflect Ukrainian national traditions, including authentic music and modern compositional techniques. It is noted that the level of the ratio of traditional and innovative appeal to the opera genre is determined by the individual creative approach of a certain composer and director. Keywords: director, double world, genre, comic, modern opera, project, simultaneous, synthesis."

The Magic of Opera. Approaches and Strategies for Familiarizing Children With the Operatic Genre

"Over the past decades, an increasing number of opera institutions in various countries have been developing educational programmes aimed at bringing children closer to the opera genre. Although the need for early engagement is recognized, many institutions focus their offerings on adolescents and young people. The educational work of opera houses aimed at children faces greater difficulties than that of orchestras. The need for material resources, work, and energy to put on performances designed specifically for children leads many institutions to offer mainly other types of programmes, such as workshops, guided tours, visits by a singer to schools, creative exploration camps, etc. In terms of repertoire, opera performances offered for children are divided into works composed for children and adaptations for children of famous works from the universal opera repertoire. The present study will examine different approaches and strategies that can contribute to the goal of helping children enter the world of opera. These will be accompanied by examples of programmes presented by several opera houses in Europe, USA, and Canada. We will then present two programmes of our very own design meant for children and offered in Cluj, conceived as a combination of an introduction to the opera genre with excerpts from masterpieces belonging to the opera genre, namely Rossini’s Cenerentola (2014, 2015) at the Romanian National Opera and The Magic Flute (2022) at the Hungarian Opera House. Keywords: children, opera houses, educational programmes "

EMOTIVE-AXIOLOGICAL APPROACH IN MUSICOLOGY AND MODERN THEORY OF OPERA EXPERIENCE

In the context of the art of vocal and stage performance, the issues of the influence of the musical factor on the process of impersonation of the singer-actor, the existential nature of the art of impersonation, the psychological mechanisms of understanding and appropriation of the text-consciousness of the character by the performer, the processuality of experiencing as an activity of the opera performer and character, musical stage images and forms are touched upon, along with the issues of internal and external action of the character, modality factors of vocal intonation, including the expected circumstances of the role. The syncretism of the opera text as an integral interdeterministic system of stage action meaning, which has an emotional impact on the audience and performers through all three channels of communication - visual, auditory, and verbal, makes it possible to define the opera within the framework of emotionalology as a new branch of social psychology. An attempt is made to show that personal and collective emotions generated by an opera performance are decisive in a syncretic opera text.

Opera trainees' cognitive functioning is associated with physiological stress during performance.

In an opera performance, singers must perform difficult musical repertoire at a high level while dealing with the stress of standing before a large audience. Previous literature suggests that individuals with better cognitive functions experience less stress. During a music performance such functions, especially attention, memory, and executive function, are in high demand, suggesting that cognitive functions may play a role in music performance. This study used physiological and cognitive measures to examine this phenomenon in opera performance. Cardiac activity data were collected from 24 opera trainees during a resting-state period before and during a real-life performance. Heart-rate variability (HRV) was used as an indicator of physiological stress, such that higher HRV indicates lower stress. Standardized neuropsychological tests were used to measure attention (IVA-2), memory (CVLT-3, WMS-IV), and executive function (Trail Making Test). Results showed cognitive function- and state-specific relationships between HRV and cognitive function: HRV during the resting state had a positive correlation with attention, while HRV during a performance had a positive correlation with executive function. These results suggest that greater cognitive function is related to lower stress during opera performance. The findings of this study provide initial evidence for a relationship between cognitive functions and music performance stress in opera trainees.

Opera Performance Principles and Their Definition in the Context of the Ukrainian Vocal Schoolgenesis

The process of formation of the main principles in opera performance, which is embodied in today's life, is considered from the point of view of the phenomenon of the evolutionary development that was going on in Ukrainian vocal school taking into account the conditions of the genesis of European musical culture. The relevance of this search is justified through integrative approaches to various vocal systems with the possibility of their gradual convergence and assimilation.It is necessary to creatively rethink Ukrainian traditions and foreign innovations in the aspect of their organic synthesis when training an opera singer in today's realities. The researched origins and formation of the basic foundations of vocal art prove that it acquired characteristic features at various stages of the historical development of European musical culture. The author clearly cites the contributing sources to formation of the national vocal school. The article indicates the specifics of the Ukrainian tradition of folk, church and secular singing, as well as their echoes and manifestations in home-bred opera works.The author analyzed the process of formation of the Ukrainian system of opera performance with the establishment of certain stages of its development and the acquisition of specific properties. Conceptual methods of training an opera singer are considered in the context of the specifics of the Ukrainian vocal school. Attention is paid to significant aspects of the methodology of teaching opera singing, which is based on the creative interaction of domestic and Western European vocal systems. Considerable considerations are involved in highlighting the features of the meaningful content of the process of forming the professional qualities of an opera singer, which is formed in the conditions of intercultural ties of Ukrainian and foreign musical theater. Certain prospects for further scientific research are outlined in order to identify problems related to the optimization of the national and cosmopolitan components in the vocal training of opera performers.

The "Silk Ladder"Opera by Gioacchino Rossini: the Quintessence of the Director's Idea

The author offers his investigation, which indicates the main trends in the use of means of artistic expression in Ukrainian and foreign drama. Techniques of modern stage practices are revealed in order to understand the quintessence of the idea for the future production of an opera performance. Generalized conclusions are made regarding the change of certain psychological and figurative characteristics of the heroes of the New Age, focusing on the emphasis of cultural and political reforms of the period when the work was written. The main purpose of comedy is to fulfill a general social and educational task by means of a positive view of the problem. The relevance of the theme of Gioachino Rossini's opera "The Silk Ladder" is determined, which is in accordance with the work's tendency to update and rethink ancient and classical opera works for their better perception by the modern youth audience with the use of the latest technological possibilities of the theater production; as well as the composer's confidence in the existence of mutual love as the main reason for marital relations.The ideological and artistic component of the mentioned opera and the means of its implementation are outlined. Attention is focused on the fact that before creating the director's idea of the mentioned opera by J. Rossini, it is necessary to take into account its genre features, which combined the features of farsa and buffa at the same time. The history of the creation of the opera by the Italian composer and librettist in 1812 is studied, in particular, the influence of the Great French Bourgeois Revolution on its plot. The multifaceted components of scenic expressiveness, their conditioning by genre features and belonging to such a theatrical category as the atmosphere of the play, its main components and role in creating an analogue for J. Rossini's opera "Silk Ladder". It is proposed to change the name of the opera from "Silk Ladder" to "Silk Stairs" in the context of the corresponding variability of its translation from Italian, which will allow to emphasize the thematic and figurative content of the work. The musical dramaturgy of J. Rossini's opera work is analyzed on the example of solo and ensemble numbers. A musical and psychological analysis of the characters of the opera was carried out for plastic visualization of the role-image.

Musical Life in Budapest during World War II: Music Reviews by Dénes Bartha in Pester Lloyd (1939–1944)

AbstractDénes Bartha (1908–1993), the internationally renowned Hungarian music historian, worked as a music critic for Pester Lloyd, the German-language Budapest daily newspaper between 1939 and 1944. Within the five concert seasons, I found a total of four hundred and sixty-five writings by Bartha in the columns of the newspaper, mostly reviews of concerts and opera performances but also some interviews and theoretical articles. The importance of the articles is enhanced by the fact that they commemorate the performances of such distinguished Hungarian musicians as Béla Bartók, Ernst von Dohnányi, Emil Telmányi, Ede Zathureczky, the Waldbauer–Kerpely String Quartet and the Végh Quartet among others, and they also document guest performances in Budapest by such renowned foreign performers as Herbert von Karajan, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Willem Mengelberg, Hans Knappertsbusch, Clemens Krauss, Edwin Fischer and Walter Gieseking. In 2022, one hundred and twenty articles were published in my Hungarian translation from this extremely valuable and diverse material. In this study, I present the main features of Dénes Bartha's perspective as a music critic, taking examples from the articles included in the volume.

Contemporary Music Theater asan Instrument of Human Rights Protection: PENITA.opera and Vitally Important Social Project

The paper discusses Vitally Important Social Project addressing women imprisoned for life in Ukraine, which consists of an opera performance, a photo exhibition, and a series of conferences in several cities of Ukraine. The grounds of the project were considered, namely the problem of attitude towards life prisoners in Ukraine and the legislation that regulates their rights and the possibility of early release. The study offers a holistic analysis of the music theater performance PENITA.opera in its connection with the current social problems of Ukrainian society. It was revealed that contemporary art projects are an effective tool in launching important social and political discussions. At the same time, the unusual themes of contemporary opera require its genre and type transformation, and the modification of established art forms. It is noteworthy that the short-term complex project, after its formal completion, has continued its life in the format of a repertoire performance of the Kyiv National Operetta. In conclusion, the article defines the role of social art projects in creating a common field for public debate. The characters of the documentary opera and photo exhibition evoke empathy in the viewer, and the art projects themselves bring together like-minded people who, by means of communication, convey new values to the public, join the media discussion, and influence public opinion and prompt fundamental changes in legislation. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the topic of colonies, imprisonment, and oppression has gained new relevance, and Vitally Important Social Project has become a part of a powerful postcolonial movement in Ukraine.

Transcriptomics reveals key regulatory pathways and genes associated with skin diseases induced by face paint usage

The use of face paint cosmetics can cause skin diseases in opera performers due to the presence of heavy metals and other toxic ingredients in the cosmetics. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for these diseases remains unknown. Here we examined the transcriptome gene profile of human skin keratinocytes exposed to artificial sweat extracts of face paints, and identified the key regulatory pathways and genes, using RNA sequencing technique. Bioinformatics analyses suggested that the face paint exposure induced the differentially expression of 1531 genes and enriched inflammation-relevant TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways after just 4 h of exposure. Inflammation-relevant genes CREB3L3, FOS, FOSB, JUN, TNF, and NFKBIA were identified as the potential regulatory genes, and SOCS3 capable to prevent inflammation-induced carcinogenesis as the hub-bottleneck gene. Long-term exposure (24 h) could exacerbate inflammation, accompanied by interference in cellular metabolism pathways, and the potential regulatory genes (ATP1A1, ATP1B1, ATP1B2, FXYD2, IL6, and TNF) and hub-bottleneck genes (JUNB and TNFAIP3) were all related to inflammation induction and other adverse responses. We proposed that the exposure to face paint might cause the inflammatory factors TNF and IL-17, which are encoded by the genes TNF and IL17, to bind to receptors and activate TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways, leading to the expression of cell proliferation factors (CREB and AP-1) and proinflammatory mediators including transcription factors (FOS, JUN, and JUNB), inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL6), and intracellular signaling factors (TNFAIP3). This finally resulted in cell inflammation, apoptosis, and other skin diseases. TNF was identified as the key regulator and connector in all the enriched signaling pathways. Our study provides the first insights into the cytotoxicity mechanism of face paints to skin cells and highlights the need for stricter regulations in face paint safety.

Chinese opera as a cultural phenomenon

It is not difficult to imagine the reaction of a completely unprepared listener who finds himself in the auditorium at a Chinese opera performance. The differences between traditional opera — in the European sense — and Chinese opera are quite significant. For historical reasons, the differences between Chinese and European opera art are due to the dissimilarity of Chinese and European cultures in general and the peculiarities of the cultural and historical processes of Europe and China. It is an undeniable fact that China is famous for its vivid historical events, rich cultural heritage, and special amazing traditions, which are reverently preserved. The article analyzes the specifics of the Chinese opera and examines the features of its functioning. The material of the article may be useful in the preparation of students in the areas of Vocal Art and Culturology.

The Impact of Culture Differences on Film --Taking Farewell My Concubine as an Example

Almost all of Chen Kaiges works, such as the film Farewell My Concubine, include a significant historical and cultural theme to express his views and understanding of traditional culture and human nature. The film illustrates the ups and downs of Peking Opera performers lives in the context of a tumultuous society, with the art of Peking Opera serving as a point of reflection. Farewell My Concubine, as an epic work of cinema, is unusually rich in the use of cinematic symbolism and aesthetics, which not only adds to the films vivid connotation but also inspires people to think profoundly. A huge variety of realistic metaphors hide the character and fate of the films three major protagonists under rich cinematic symbols and aesthetics. As an important medium for cultural transmission, the film is a popular choice for cultural imports from other countries. This paper investigates the influences of cultural variations on viewers understanding of film in the context of cultural diversity, as well as the reasons for this impact and the techniques available to overcome it, so as to offer some references for future researches.

Adolphe Nourrit is singer of the July Revolution

The subject of the article is the socio-cultural and religious-philosophical views of the greatest French tenor of the XIX century, Adolphe Nurrit (1802-1839). His stage work was carried out at the Paris Opéra, and during the July Revolution of 1830 he performed revolutionary songs, supporting and inspiring compatriots to fight for freedom. Considering Nurrit's creative portrait and revolutionary agitator activity in the 1830s, the author focuses on his commitment to the ideas of sentimonism, in particular, on the desire to deepen the religious and moral role of theater in society. The singer's spiritual quest can be characterized by relying on various historical evidence – doctrinal positions of the sentimonists, comments from eyewitnesses, articles in newspapers, letters from Nurrit himself. The methodological strategy of the research is based on socio-historical and socio-cultural approaches. A large array of historical sources attracted by the author consists of literature in foreign languages, work with which involves linguistic research methods. The combination of different approaches and reliance on reliable historical sources makes it possible to achieve scientific novelty: Nurrit was first described as a singer of the Revolution, which left a deep imprint on his artistic appearance, religious and moral views and plans for practical implementation. The presented portrait of Nurri as an adept of the sentimonistic idea of the sacred mission of the artist and the religious and educational function of the theater is new for musicology. As a result of the undertaken research, Nurrit's deep involvement in the socio-cultural life of France becomes obvious, and his artistry stands out as a special artistic phenomenon due to the unprecedented emotional impact of the artist on his contemporaries. The materials, observations and conclusions presented in the article will find application in historical musicology and will be useful to modern opera performers.

Mobile Devices and Sensors for an Educational Multimedia Opera Project.

Interactive computer-based music systems form a rich area for the exploration of collaborative systems where sensors play an active role and are important to the design process. The Soundcool system is a collaborative and educational system for sound and music creation as well as multimedia scenographic projects, allowing students to produce and modify sounds and images with sensors, smartphones and tablets in real time. As a real-time collaborative performance system, each performance is a unique creation. In a comprehensive educational project, Soundcool is used to extend the sounds of traditional orchestral instruments and opera singers with electronics. A multidisciplinary international team participates, resulting in different performances of the collaborative multimedia opera The Mother of Fishes in countries such as Spain, Romania, Mexico and the USA.

The brutalism in of sacred space formation

The architectural styles of the second half of the 20th century are analyzed, in particular, brutalism, which was the result of a negative assessment of the situation in the culture of the late 19th century. Opinions of leading theorists of culture are presented. Features characteristic of the culture of the end of the century are presented.
 The architecture of sacred structures built according to the principle of engineering science is considered. It is determined that created objects. It was found that many attitudes and formulas can be associated with the concept of brutalism in sacred architecture. In particular, that in its development brutalism became more and more susceptible to the influence of selected artistic traditions and drew inspiration from pre-war expressionism, Soviet constructivism, the late works of Le Corbusier, as well as the existentialist atmosphere of Nigel Henderson's photography and Edward's sculpture.
 The view is presented that brutalism was the result of industrial development and the popularity of ideologies that appealed to the lower social classes. Despite this, the author did not avoid obvious eccentricity, the desire to make the building unique and even some cruelty in the expression and beauty of the opera performance. The latter aspiration is connected with the departure of brutalism from leftist sympathies to the ideologies of the middle class and consumer society.
 The forms of individual sacred structures and ways of organizing their interiors in brutalist forms are analyzed.
 The use of the metaphorical language of architecture based on visual human products and their iconographic distinguishing features is considered.
 The need to take into account the relationship between certain forms and messages through which they are transmitted in the shaping of the sacred space has been revealed.
 The trends in the shaping of sacred space in the 20th century, the role of local traditions and natural materials are revealed.

Locations of the first opera performances: from elitism to general availability

Relevance of the study. The object of research in the history of music usually is the spiritual component of artistic culture, it's genre- and style-centric processes of the art itself. Specific conditions of artistic artifacts's existence, locations where the premiere and subsequent performances took place, draw less scientific attention. At the same time, without taking this information into account, the musico-historical aspects of the past appear devalued and deformed; certain things remain not understood completely, certain moments fall out of sight.
 The purpose of the study. It is extremely important to study the components of the infrastructure of musical life as a way of existence of musical culture. The opera theatre is one of the basic components of the infrastructure of the musical life of modern Europe. This study is based on generalization and system analysis methods. Attention is focused on the parametric characteristics of the locations of the first opera performances, where the requirements for future opera houses were formed. In particular, performances that took place in adapted palace premises ("Euridice" by Peri — Florence, Palazzo Pitti, Sala delle Commedie; "Orpheus" by Monteverdi — Mantua, Palazzo Gonzaga, chambers of Margarita Gonzaga d'Este; "Saint Alexius" by Landi — hall of the palace Barberini alle Quattro Fontane) and court theaters mainly of the Renaissance type ("Il rapimento di Cefalo" by Caccini — Florence, Teatro degli Uffizi; "Ariadne" by Monteverdi — Mantua, temporary theatre on the Cortile della Cavallerizza).
 The results and conclusions. It is emphasized that the implementation of the essential functions of the opera genre in the New European culture (the development of the anthropo-dimensional space by musical means, the creation of generalized stylistic norms of opus music and ensuring the stability of the formed tradition) is possible under the condition of provided reach and continuous professional development. It is noted that the reach is determined, firstly, by the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the audience and, secondly, by the significant volume of body of the texts. Both of these factors, being prepared in the locations of the first opera performances, were fully developed and realised in the following period, marked by the appearance of publicly accessible opera houses, the first of which was the San Cassiano theater in Venice (1637).

Specificity of Conductor's ApproachesIn Untypical Conditions of Implementation of Opera Performances

Specificity of Conductor's ApproachesIn Untypical Conditions of Implementation of Opera Performances

A Study on the Application of Opera Elements in Chinese Opera

In the process of development, Chinese opera attaches importance to the excavation and borrowing of opera art. The clever application of opera elements in opera composition can enhance the infectious power of opera performance, and the flexible application of opera panels and singing cadences and other elements can make the rhythmic changes of opera performance richer and also make the emotional expression of opera tenser. The better use of traditional opera elements in the process of opera music composition can help cultivate one's own distinctive artistic style, and can also adapt to the development trend of cultural art diversification and globalization. This paper mainly analyzes and researches the specific application of different opera elements in Chinese opera, and makes suggestions to promote the development and progress of Chinese opera. The author hopes to provide ideas and reference experience for music creators in their creation.