SWIMPLEX AQUATICS
Swimplex Aquatics are a world-class company dedicated to the commercial pool, waterslide industry. We are Australian market leaders servicing all states Australia wide. Swimplex provide a full…
read moreWith the COVID-19 crisis having creating unsettling questions for performing arts around the world, a new publication explores what opera companies need to do so survive the pandemic.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Associate Professor, Emily Richmond Pollock is a music historian who studies how opera has evolved while keeping its links to the past intact.
Her second book, now in progress, focuses on contemporary opera festivals in the USA and the artistic choices they confront.
With the Coronavirus pandemic upending daily life, Pollock states “it’s a disaster for the performing arts sector (and) companies are going to have decisions to make about how to move forward.”
As Pollock’s work emphasises, even when opera moves forward it tends to conserve its heritage more than other forms of music do. This is opera’s essential tension: How does it balance innovation and tradition? The pandemic reopens such questions for opera companies today. Does social crisis generate an impulse toward experiencing new works, or intensify people’s desire to see the familiar again?
Pollock explains “in the immediate post war period, the first production in a German opera house would be ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ or ‘Fidelio,’ something standard in their repertoire, for which they already had costumes and could cobble together sets.
“It wasn’t the most innovative thing, but it was comfortable and materially possible. In COVID times, a lot of opera companies are looking for new work that is native to Zoom or tailored for alternative performance ideas.
“It’s a contrast - but I wonder if innovative works and new modalities will become the norm, or if companies will revert to the known quantities when they come back to life.”
Studying opera in troubled times can yield subtle insights beyond that. For instance, even when audiences seek out familiar classics, new meanings may be found.
Pollock adds “opera is both an escape and a way of processing things.
“Stories from a long time ago can be surprisingly relevant with a new set of circumstances. Think of all the people in operas with horrible diseases - it’s almost a cliché that the soprano is dying of consumption and her friends are devastated.
“We had, pre-COVID, (more) distance from that. But now (many people) know someone who has died gasping for breath. That makes it quite difficult to watch, and quite moving. Some (canonical) operas might help us get in touch with our very human, present feelings.”
Drawing these parallels, from her first book (a study of opera in post war Germany) to her second project, isn’t something Pollock anticipated doing a year ago. But her scholarship always aims to illuminate the political and social context of music.
For her research and teaching, Pollock was awarded tenure at MIT earlier this year.
Click here for more information.
Images: Milan's La Scala Opera House (top, credit: VivaTicket) and Emily Pollock (below, credit: MIT).
8th January 2021 - Opera Australia unfair dismissal case heads to Court
16th December 2020 - New advisory group aims to strengthen performing arts touring network
11th December 2020 - Opera Australia extends partnerships with Dr Handa and Destination NSW and announces return of Handa Opera in 2021
26th October 2020 - Vivaticket announces product enhancements to drive post COVID growth
15th October 2020 - Sydney Opera House to reopen a number of venues and spaces
14th October 2020 - Live entertainment industry counts the cost of COVID
6th October 2020 - Attractions’ analysis reveals high ranking of Sydney Opera House for sustainability commitment
6th October 2020 - Victorian Opera celebrates 15 Years with announcement of new offerings
11th September 2020 - Workers rally to save Opera Australia jobs
24th August 2020 - Opera Australia to restructure and sell warehouse base
3rd August 2020 - Australian Major Performing Arts Group to make way for new unified advocacy body
22nd July 2020 - Live Entertainment Industry Forum applauds Australian Government’s JobKeeper extension
16th May 2020 - Ongoing Coronavirus restrictions lead to nationwide cancellations for Opera Australia
17th March 2020 - LPA calls for $850 million live performance support and stimulus package
2nd March 2020 - Opera House reopening to revitalise Hawke’s Bay cultural community
27th February 2020 - New name and brand for Hawke’s Bay Opera House arts and culture complex
13th December 2019 - ‘Opera House of the West’ opens in Sydney’s Rooty Hill
14th August 2019 - Opera set to add value to Brisbane tourism economy
12th September 2017 - Wellington Opera House performance adjusts ticket prices to reflect gender pay gap
5th March 2017 - Work to start on strengthening Hawke’s Bay Opera House
12th May 2016 - Tickets for Dubai Opera opening night sell out in three hours
1st December 2015 - Dubai Opera House set for March 2016 completion
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
Swimplex Aquatics are a world-class company dedicated to the commercial pool, waterslide industry. We are Australian market leaders servicing all states Australia wide. Swimplex provide a full…
read moreThe Jump Pad is a safe, flat inflatable made in a variety of sizes which can be used indoor or outdoor. From 3mx3m up to a whopping 9mx21m. Markets include Indoor and outdoor playgrounds, schools,…
read moreStadiums and venues around the world recognise that success hinges on more than just what happens on the pitch. More than ever, fan engagement within each facility is a critical part of the overall…
read moreAugmented Creative is an open organization of like-minded and highly dedicated, creative people who conceive, plan and execute visual solutions. We pursue new and innovative visual ideas to help…
read moreAustralia’s leading manufacturer of horizontal and vertical media filters suited to all types of commercial pools, water playgrounds marine parks, aquaculture and zoos. They are an ideal…
read moreTJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide. Our…
read morePolin was founded in Istanbul in 1976, and has since grown into a leading company in the waterparks industry. Today Polin is one of the world leaders in the design, production, and installation of…
read moreAflex Inflatables are the leaders for obstacle courses, pool toys, waterparks and land-based watersides and fitness runs. They are industry leaders offering the widest range of pool, lake and beach…
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!