An article was published today in Slipped Disc entitled Singers in Uproar Over Critical Body Insults at Glyndebourne. As well we should be. We are in it for the Feels, not the Reals. Opera is not an art form that has EVER been overly concerned with its performers' physiques. The voice (music) is first and foremost, accompanied by the artistry and technical skill, followed by the acting ability (which is the component that feeds most into the physicality, and is often a crucial element to great singers' artistry). Good costume and makeup designers can make anyone look like a boy; the onus is really on them to kick-start the illusion. (For example, tying Erraught's lustrous, curly hair into the now-cliche low ponytail would have been a good move IF it was even the designers' intent to make Octavian more masculine.)
This article has links to 5 different reviews, of which three (possibly four; I couldn't read The Times due to a goddamn paywall) specifically critique the singers' bodies, in particular the gorgeous Tara Erraught's. I'd also like to point out that none of these gentlemen's reviews comment in any way on the physique of any of the male characters. This obsession with how trendy and "realistic" singers' body types are is very new. I am especially shocked that these particular critiques are emerging from England, which has a sparkling history of casting actors who are not conventionally hot or skinny or young or "perfect" in their films and TV shows, not to mention their stage productions. This antithesis to the Hollywood casting mentality is why Britain produces some of the finest actors of our age. Dear opera critics, if you want to see women with actual boyish figures, go to a fashion show. The article also links to Alice Coote's heartfelt open letter to critics. Read it; it's good.
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This post is thanks to autocorrect.
I was texting with my sister, and she told me she was "sending the hugest ducking hug." Well, thank you autocorrect for making that PG, but that wasn't what she meant. However, I decided to make this a thing. Behold, Ducking Hug (2014): |
AuthorMaayan is a Manhattan-based opera singer. Archives
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