We often encounter a different type of music that changes the course of our taste and the playlists. Such is the case with opera music. With concerts and performances rarely experienced by Indian audiences, this art form is yet to catch up in India. However, this weekend, in Chennai, there is an exciting new experience for music aficionados to try out. The Chromatics are bringing back the Festival of Opera concert and our chat with the ensemble’s founder and music director Augustine Paul reveals much about the appeal of the performance, why the genre is still underappreciated in the country, and how the group is uplifting this genre in the musicscape of the land.
Excerpts:
How is The Festival of Opera going to appeal to those viewing an opera for the first time?
Opera is an unfamiliar art form in India. There are very few cities in India, where there is something like this happening. But anyone who is artistically inclined will find a connection to this art form when they listen to an aria (song usually performed solo) from the opera. The technical excellence and the musical depth will appeal to a music lover, for sure. The music for these operas is 100 to 400 years old and is still played and performed regularly in the West.
These concerts are well attended and appreciated. Why do you think opera is still an underappreciated genre in the country?
There is music of high order and acting involved in these performances. As there are very few who can sing operatic arias, one does not get to see many such concerts. If we perform more often, more people will start following this genre. Most of the operas are in Italian, German or French, with a few in English. This may also be a reason.
How have arias concerts elevated the presence of opera performances in the city and country?
Singers who aspire to perform in operas will certainly try singing sacred arias (solo performance) first, which are less demanding. Sacred aria concerts are more in number, so audiences who love that genre will not hesitate to come and listen to opera arias concerts.
What is the future of opera performing arts in the city and country looking like?
A music lover can stumble upon opera easily while surfing the net and if we do more such concerts, we’ll be able to inspire more musicians and hook them to this art form. At this point, we have a good number of singers in Chennai, who are technically mature to handle opera. The support they get from an orchestra will inspire them to perform better. I see a bright future for this art form in India if local talent is nurtured. Most of the operatic performances in Mumbai and Delhi are by visiting artistes from abroad.
Tickets start at `300. April 21, 2 pm & 7 pm. At Museum Theatre, Egmore.
