Skip to main content

Opera in the Movies

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online!
This week's webisode features opera in the movies! Opera has been used for years in the movie, as part of soundtracks and even as part of the plot! This week we'll take a look at some of the most famous opera "cameos" in the movies!


Video Clips of the Week!
The first video clip comes from the newest Jame Bond film, Quantum of Solace. In the movie Bond sneaks in to a modern production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca in order to spy on the villian's meeting. Ironically, the opera scene playing during the meeting is "Te Deum", in which the villain in Tosca, Scarpia, reveals his evil scheme.

Quantum of Solace: Tosca, Te Deum




Here is a clip of the whole "Te Deum" from the opera. Scarpia is played by bariton Sherrill Milnes.





Often times movies will use opera songs as back ground soundtracks to the story. This next clip uses the famous "Flower Duet" from the Léo Delibes opera Lakmé. The clip is from the movie "Meet the Parents", when Greg meets his girlfriend's exceptionally talented ex-boyfriend.






Here is the opera scene of the "Flower Duet" with soprano Dame Joan Sutherland and Huguette Tourangeau. In the duet the two women admire the beautiful natural scenery surrounding them.



Did you ever expect opera to be in a James Bond movie? How about a science fiction adventure? In the Fifth Element Bruce Willis's character, Dallas attends a concert given by Diva Pravalaguna. The beginning of her aria comes from the Gaetano Donizetti opera Lucia di Lammermoor, an aria called "Il dolce suono". The second half of the Diva's aria is... well, a bit out of this world.



If you can believe it the scene in the opera is much stranger. Lucia (played by Natalie Dessay) has just murdered her newly-wed husband, and is slowly collapsing into maddness in front of her family and wedding party. As she sings she sees the phantom of her true love, Edgardo.


The final video clip does not actually come from an opera, in fact it features an opera singer! The clip comes from The Princess Diaries 2. At a formal tea the Queen and Princess are entertained by opera star Anna Netrebko!





Want to hear the rest of the aria? The sound bite comes from Giuseppe Verdi's "Sempre Libera" from La traviata. In the aria Violetta (Netrebko) sings about how her heart will always be free, even though she knows she is in love.










Opera on the Air!!
On Saturday, October 22nd at 1 PM, radio station WRTI will be broadcasting the Houston Grand Opera's production of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos (in German). A feast for the ears, Strauss's elegant and moving meditation on the conventions of the theater pits a comedienne against a prima donna at a high-society dinner party in Vienna. Three glamorous and acclaimed leading ladies join forces onstage: sopranos Christine Goerke (Ariadne / Prima Donna) and Laura Claycomb (Zerbinetta) and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham (Composer). Alexey Dolgov returns to Houston Grand Opera as Bacchus and the Tenor in this lavish production conducted by Patrick Summers.








Until Next Week!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Carmen Blog

WRITE A REVIEW:   Having had the opportunity to see  Carmen  at Opera Philadelphia, tell us what you thought. Be as detailed in your response as possible. Consider using "Wring a Review of the Opera" found of p.51 of your student guide to help organize your thoughts. We will accept all reviews, positive or negative! We simply ask that you thoroughly defend your opinion. In your response consider commenting on the story, the sets, the characters, the music, and more.  With  both options  we ask that you include your:               FIRST NAME:              SCHOOL:              GRADE: You never know, if your blog entry is well written, we may just have to put it on Opera Philadelphia's official blog page. We look forward reading your entry! Happy writing.  ...
202 comments
Read more

Tosca Student Reviews

Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Puccini's Tosca on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Academy of Music. Now that you've studied the opera and seen it, what were your impressions? Tell us what you think and post your reviews here! Did you like the opera? Why or why not? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? Who was your favorite singer? Which singer had the best and most im pressive singing voice? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Don't forget to support your opinion! Click here if you want to learn more about these operas, the singers in the production, and more! Messag e from the Production Staff: We want to thank all participating schools for their wonderful behavior during the dress rehearsal! You were the best Co-Producers the Opera Company of Philadelphia has ever seen! A...
162 comments
Read more

Otello Student Reviews

Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Verdi's Otello on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Academy of Music. Inspired by Shakespeare, Otello tells the story of a slave who overcomes great obstacles to become a noble general, but is then driven to unspeakable jealousy by a scheming, envious officer in his army. Passion, political intrigue and a fatal flaw are at the center of this intense musical drama that stands at the pinnacle of grand opera experiences. Now that you've studied the opera and seen it, what were your impressions? Tell us what you think and post your reviews here! Did you like the opera and why? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? What did you think of Mark Delavan, who sang Iago from a wheelchair? Who had the best and most impressive singing voice? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and ...
117 comments
Read more