# Popstar to Operastar



## Liss (May 13, 2011)

This is my first topic and the first forum I've ever joined so forgive me if this topic isn't really what the forum is about,
If so let me know and I will remove it 

I recently heard that a new series of the ITV show 'Popstar to Operastar' is going to be filmed and broadcast on British television. I didn't watch the first series but after watching clips from the show and hearing the overall concept I felt confused. The show centers around celebrities learning how to sing opera, specifically arias which are often transposed, slowed down significantly and shortened so the lyric doesn't make sense. One big problem I have with the show is the way the the training is shown, the celebrities are presented as learning how to sing opera in a matter of weeks, and then praised by the shows lead judge and teacher - Katherine Jenkins. Jenkins, having never sung in an opera herself, and having a less than desirable technique, runs the 'opera master classes' with tenor Rolando Villazon, but honestly, I would have thought Jenkins would be the last person elected to teach people how to sing Opera! Obviously I know this television show is simply another talent contest which fits in with the likes of the X factor and Britain's got talent, but it seems to me that is it posing as something it is not. Is this bringing a more accessible form of opera to the masses, or dumbing it down?

Just to show you what it's all about...


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## karenpat (Jan 16, 2009)

I've watched some youtube clips of that as well. Katherine Jenkins wouldn't be my first choice as teacher for such a concept either (perhaps Danielle DeNiese, who has a kind of commercial image but still is a "real" opera singer) but I find it just as entertaining as X factor or American Idol. And I feel it gives the contestants a taste of what it's like to sing opera or operatic style, kind of expanding their horizons, which I think is important. 

Ever seen a show called Maestro? There was a series of that kind in Norway earlier this year, built on a British concept. Celebrities were taught how to conduct an orchestra and as the series progressed they would go from conducting orchestral pieces to opera arias with soloist and choral pieces. It really got the contestants to think in new ways about classical music and it was entertaining to watch. 

In both cases I don't think it's a matter of the popular culture making lesser quality versions of the high culture but rather the high culture making itself more accessible to people who have found it inaccessible in the past.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Good observations, karenpat.

Speaking as someone who so far is indifferent to opera, I don't mind the concept that much. 

First, the best way to introduce a new concept is through someone you know, so taking stars people are familiar with and having them sing in a genre most people have nothing to do with is a good introduction to the genre. 

Second, talking about a piece, bringing the audience in to rehearsal snippets, then having the piece sung ties the audience in to the piece emotionally, so now they have connected with an aria in a way they wouldn't have previously. 

So may be it's dumbed down and transposed lower, and maybe they won't be singing anything greatly challenging like the Queen of the Night's aria from the Magic Flute, but I'm happy with anything that draws new people in. And the clip you put up kept me interested, so that's a good sign.


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

I agree with your last statement Karen - Opera, even if it is a less pure version of the art form, should be shown to the masses. I think that there was only one reasons that the show really got to me and that was the fact the show made Katherine Jenkins look like some kind of Opera Goddess, and it might be bitter of me but I can't help but think it is unfair to label a crossover singer as an Opera singer - only because the real opera singers work so unbelievably hard. 

And I agree, Danielle DeNiese would be a perfect judge, as would someone like Joyce DiDonato - Anyone who's gone through the training and knows a little bit about the business.

I think this one is good for the young audience if anything else, we need a few more young Opera enthusiasts!


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

I think they actually did get one of the celebrities to sing the Queen of the Night, Marcella Detroit I think.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Liss said:


> This is my first topic and the first forum I've ever joined so forgive me if this topic isn't really what the forum is about,
> If so let me know and I will remove it
> 
> I recently heard that a new series of the ITV show 'Popstar to Operastar' is going to be filmed and broadcast on British television. I didn't watch the first series but after watching clips from the show and hearing the overall concept I felt confused and slightly angered. The show centers around celebrities learning how to sing opera, specifically arias which are often transposed, slowed down significantly and shortened so the lyric doesn't make sense. One big problem I have with the show is the way the the training is shown, the celebrities are presented as learning how to sing opera in a matter of weeks, and then praised by the shows lead judge and teacher - Katherine Jenkins. Jenkins, having never sung in an opera herself, and having a less than desirable technique, runs the 'opera master classes' with tenor Rolando Villazon, but honestly, I would have thought Jenkins would be the last person elected to teach people how to sing Opera! Obviously I know this television show is simply another talent contest which fits in with the likes of the X factor and Britain's got talent, but it seems to me that is it posing as something it is not. Is this bringing a more accessible form of opera to the masses, or dumbing it down?
> ...


*Meatloaf as an opera expert judge*..................that just about says it all :lol:

Good exposure for general public to look further into opera, but the results here are broadway musical versions of opera classics......you just cannot learn or execute the more extreme and dramatic opera singing techniques in a short period of time


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Liss said:


> I think they actually did get one of the celebrities to sing the Queen of the Night, Marcella Detroit I think.


Well, then Brava, I guess


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

That was awful! I hope I can sing it better! Completely no technique! She could sing it much better, she has a good little voice, but pay attention to real opera singers, and I am not thinking of Maria Callas. Anna N with all her flaws is still much, much better.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Do people realize how much time and hard work goes into the making of a REAL opera singer? I doubt it. Your typical aspiring opera singer,if he or she has the raw talent,will study at a music school ,in the U.S., for example, to get a bachelor's and maybe master's degree.
Not only do they study vocal technique with their teachers, but music theory, languages,
diction, acting , etc. The training is extremely rigorous. The technique of singing opera is so much more difficult than singing Pop music you can't imagine it. An aspiring opera singer has to learn how to pronouce languages such as Italian,French,German, and possibly even Russian and Czech correctly,which is anything but easy.
An opera singer has to memorize not only the notes but the words of many roles, and sing without a microphone over a (sometimes) large orchestra in large opera houses.
That's what REAL opera singers such as Renee Fleming, Natalie Dessay, Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Ben Hepner, Thomas Hampson,BrynTerfel, Rene Pape and other 
great opera singers have to do.


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

I totally agree, the fact they only train these people for weeks, and then tell the public that it's opera is falsely labeling what a real trained operatic voice should sound like. Although I agree that it isn't a serious competition and it's purely for entertainment, many people with untrained ears, who don't know a lot about opera, could think this is it. That, along with choosing Katherine Jenkins as a judge and teacher is why I have a problem with the show. Other than that it's just a celebrity talent competition - purely for entertainment, and I am somewhat glad that Opera has at least been given a place in popular mainstream culture which appeals to the masses - I just wish it wasn't so watered down.


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

Oh, and if any of you aren't familiar with Katherine Jenkins,
here is a video of her singing 'Una Voce Poco Fa'


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

superhorn said:


> Do people realize how much time and hard work goes into the making of a REAL opera singer? I doubt it. Your typical aspiring opera singer,if he or she has the raw talent,will study at a music school ,in the U.S., for example, to get a bachelor's and maybe master's degree.
> Not only do they study vocal technique with their teachers, but music theory, languages,
> diction, acting , etc. The training is extremely rigorous. The technique of singing opera is so much more difficult than singing Pop music you can't imagine it. An aspiring opera singer has to learn how to pronouce languages such as Italian,French,German, and possibly even Russian and Czech correctly,which is anything but easy.
> An opera singer has to memorize not only the notes but the words of many roles, and sing without a microphone over a (sometimes) large orchestra in large opera houses.
> ...


I guess that's my problem with this type of program: it trivializes what is an extremely demanding profession. And, yes, unfortunately, some of the people who watch these sorts of programs actually do believe that Jenkins, Bocelli, Watson, et. al. are "REAL" opera singers on the same level as Fleming, Dessay, di Donato, Kaufmann, and other major international stars.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

What Karen said. I think Maestro made a lot of people see that classical music isn't _that_ scary, and I certainly found it extremely entertaining.

As for this Popstar to Operastar thing? Sure. Just lose the Jenkins woman and replace her with someone who actually is an opera singer with a career in opera, and not some classically trained crossover person. Also, judging from what Liss said, they should give the singers arias that are suitable for them and their technique. I'm no fan of transposing or slowing down arias if it's not absolutely necessary. Ever.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Liss said:


> This is my first topic and the first forum I've ever joined so forgive me if this topic isn't really what the forum is about,
> If so let me know and I will remove it


Oh no worries, your topic is fine and very interesting.
As a matter of fact you wouldn't be able to remove it. In our forum, users can't delete posts or threads. You also have a limited time to edit one of your posts, then this capacity expires and they get set in stone.
I'm saying this just to let you know about how things work here.
I love your thread. It has generated a great discussion.
Like I said before, welcome to the forum. We are thrilled when more opera lovers join our forum.:cheers:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Oh well I'm very ambivalent about it.
Certainly it is a good way to diffuse opera to non-operatic audiences, and it may contribute to the popularity of the genre which can use a boost in this day and age of pop music and economic crisis.
On the other hand, I can't help but cringe when I listen to this. Well, Kym is a very beautiful and sexy woman so the images are enjoyable, but I think Verdi would be very upset if he heard her singing Brindisi. It's akin to murder. She is assassinating the aria.

So the concept is valid, but the realization, I'm not sure.

They could make of this a demonstration of the extreme difficulty. They could say - "OK, folks, we'll never get to the peaks of the real opera singers who engage in incredible hard work to get where they are, but we'll try, just for fun. Here is a sample of how it should be - [then they'd play, for example, Beverly Sills singing Brindisi, or Anna Moffo, or Maria Callas] - and we'll have fun trying to get closer to this, knowing very well that the best we can do will still be miles behind." In this case, I'd respect more the show.

See for instance this documentary:










This one shows the real difficulty, and contains real aspiring operatic singers.

Just to remember how different Brindisi can be, and for the sake of cleaning up our ears after listening to Kym Marsh, here:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Liss said:


> Oh, and if any of you aren't familiar with Katherine Jenkins,
> here is a video of her singing 'Una Voce Poco Fa'


Cute boobs. Terrible singing. Another assassination - especially at the end. The gown is not very flattering when seen from the back.

Again, I need to detox myself, so here it goes:


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## hutchscott (May 13, 2011)

sabrina said:


> That was awful! I hope I can sing it better! Completely no technique! She could sing it much better, she has a good little voice, but pay attention to real opera singers, and I am not thinking of Maria Callas. Anna N with all her flaws is still much, much better.


We could start an "Anna N flaws" thread. As a budding opera enthusiast I actually like Anna Netrebko. What am I missing?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

hutchscott said:


> We could start an "Anna N flaws" thread. As a budding opera enthusiast I actually like Anna Netrebko. What am I missing?


Nothing. Anna Netrebko La Bellissima only has assets. No flaws.
I hereby declare that any such thread will be immediately destroyed.
I'm thinking small nuclear device.:scold:


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

I still don't really know how to reply to individual posts so forgive me if this seems out of context now haha, Almaviva, when I heard Jenkins' rendition of that aria I had to listen to Sills all night.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Liss said:


> I* still don't really know how to reply to individual posts *so forgive me if this seems out of context now haha, Almaviva, when I heard Jenkins' rendition of that aria I had to listen to Sills all night.


Click on "reply with quote" at the bottom right the the post in question. The post will come up in quotation marks.

If you want to check what you have written click on "go Advanced" at the bottom of your draft post.


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> Click on "reply with quote" at the bottom right the the post in question. The post will come up in quotation marks.
> 
> If you want to check what you have written click on "go Advanced" at the bottom of your draft post.


Thankyou!  I hope this one worked


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Liss said:


> Thankyou!  I hope this one worked


Looking good to me:tiphat:.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

hutchscott said:


> We could start an "Anna N flaws" thread. As a budding opera enthusiast I actually like Anna Netrebko. What am I missing?


- Very little agility. Technically, this isn't a flaw since as a full lyric she's not expected to run scales like a coloratura; the problem arises in that she too often takes on roles that do in fact require this kind of agility. So, more of a flaw in judgement than in ability.
- Some technical issues. No real trill.

These are minor quibbles though. And Alma, in the spirit of fair play, I'll do the same pour ma Natalie
- Pronounced French nasality that is certainly not ideal.
- Especially over the last few years, a pinched quality to her tone, especially in the upper half of her register.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> - Very little agility. Technically, this isn't a flaw since as a full lyric she's not expected to run scales like a coloratura; the problem arises in that she too often takes on roles that do in fact require this kind of agility. So, more of a flaw in judgement than in ability.
> - Some technical issues. No real trill.


Untrue, untrue.



> And Alma, in the spirit of fair play, I'll do the same pour ma Natalie
> - Pronounced French nasality that is certainly not ideal.
> - Especially over the last few years, a pinched quality to her tone, especially in the upper half of her register.


True, true.

Anna is perfect, you hear me? Perfect!:scold:

Now, seriously: you are right, her greatest shortcoming is agility, and the problem is, many of the coloratura roles are supposed to be for sexy women so the public keeps asking for her. But she should not be doing them.

She sings so beautifully in the more lyric role of Mimi in that La Bohème movie, much better than when she tackles on the coloratura roles. A pity.

But to tell you the truth, no kidding, I enjoy immensily whatever she does, and by now I'm so taken that I don't mind her vocal flaws (at first I did, then she grew on me so much that now I don't care).


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

I haven't watched it but I don't watch so-called 'reality' programmes anyway

Link to BBC review

_... John Allison, editor of Opera Magazine, takes a dim view of marrying reality with opera.

"TV and opera can go together in all sorts of creative ways, but this is out of touch with what opera is all about and the incredible degree of professionalism required," he explains.

"Not only are the contestants hopeless as potential opera stars, but they are frankly failed pop stars.

"The whole thing is quite gruesome. It seems to involve just untalented mediocrities."..._


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

sospiro said:


> I haven't watched it but I don't watch so-called 'reality' programmes anyway
> 
> Link to BBC review
> 
> ...


The fact of the matter is, it is just a bad programme. It is badly produced. Every week the format of the show changes (e.g. the contestants change and the 'head judge' changes...?) I suspect that even people who know nothing about Opera and just watch the show for some Sunday night entertainment have no idea whats going on at times. Around 90% of the 1 hour programme is just 'look backs', what is 'coming up next' and the pop stars struggling in rehearsal and saying how hard singing Opera is - Well, duh?!


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

Here are some clips of the 2011 show...


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Oh God, help us.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

It may be an aria from an opera, but the dude is still a pop singer and his style is still that of a pop singer.

To me, this is about as painful as listening to some opera stars attempt to sing pop music. There are a few -- Julia Migenes and Karita Mattila come to mind -- who can actually adjust their style and vocal production to suit popular music. But for many others (and the Three Tenors were prime examples), the resulting sound was simply that of popular music being sung in the same manner as an opera aria. This stylistic incompatibility between what and how a singer normally performs and what/how he/she is attempting to perform is the reason I don't like the entire "crossover" concept.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

MAuer said:


> It may be an aria from an opera, but the dude is still a pop singer and his style is still that of a pop singer.
> 
> To me, this is about as painful as listening to some opera stars attempt to sing pop music. There are a few -- Julia Migenes and Karita Mattila come to mind -- who can actually adjust their style and vocal production to suit popular music. But for many others (and the Three Tenors were prime examples), the resulting sound was simply that of popular music being sung in the same manner as an opera aria. This stylistic incompatibility between what and how a singer normally performs and what/how he/she is attempting to perform is the reason I don't like the entire "crossover" concept.


Yep, listening to Placido Domingo on that John Denver song "Perhaps Love" is just annoying. Someone who gets it:




Love this video / song / performance


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

rgz said:


> Yep, listening to Placido Domingo on that John Denver song "Perhaps Love" is just annoying. Someone who gets it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That Philippe Jarroussky & Friends (sing strange things) is hi-larious. But that was actually pretty good. Have you seen this?






Also, there are other examples of 'crossover' singing that are amazingly epic. Like Birgit Nilsson's forays into Musical land with My Fair Lady. And this. Kinda makes you wish that Fledermaus had been taped and released on video.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Aksel said:


> That Philippe Jarroussky & Friends (sing strange things) is hi-larious. But that was actually pretty good. Have you seen this?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Second video is really fun. First one is really silly 
But that second one reminds me of something I was thinking the other day, that with an orchestral arrangement, Jesus Christ Superstar would be a really interesting operetta. Would love to hear it sung by opera singers -- JDF as Judas, maybe Alagna as Jesus, transpose Pilate down an octave and have Terfel sing it, and of course Natalie Dessay as Mary Magdalene.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

rgz said:


> Second video is really fun. First one is really silly
> But that second one reminds me of something I was thinking the other day, that with an orchestral arrangement, Jesus Christ Superstar would be a really interesting operetta. Would love to hear it sung by opera singers -- JDF as Judas, maybe Alagna as Jesus, transpose Pilate down an octave and have Terfel sing it, and of course Natalie Dessay as Mary Magdalene.


Speaking of "opera singers do somewhat contemporary musicals":


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

That was entertaining. But what did they do to Elina's hair/wig/hat?


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## AlbaCountertenor (Apr 24, 2011)

Liss said:


> The fact of the matter is, it is just a bad programme. It is badly produced. Every week the format of the show changes (e.g. the contestants change and the 'head judge' changes...?) I suspect that even people who know nothing about Opera and just watch the show for some Sunday night entertainment have no idea whats going on at times. Around 90% of the 1 hour programme is just 'look backs', what is 'coming up next' and the pop stars struggling in rehearsal and saying how hard singing Opera is - Well, duh?!


I think the idea is interesting but ultimately flawed. What annoys me about it is that it could easily have been so much better but at the end of the day it's just ITV's attempt to fill the void after Britain's Got Talent and before X-Factor. My main hates about it are:

1) We see very little insight into the training of the contestants, information about their voice types as assigned by the judges and so forth. Of course, we can we make an informed guess when we hear the voice and the choice of aria but to people who are not exposed to opera they won't have much of a clue.

2) Katherine Jenkins being one of the mentors. It really is a bit silly when the girl has never sung opera herself. It's like Axl Rose from Guns and Roses being one of the judges of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Or being taught brain surgery by someone who has only completed 2 years of medical training. This decision alone kills any possible credibility this show may have had stone dead.

3) The audience wildly applauding every 5 seconds and the judges OTT comments. I understand that the judges have to instil some confidence in the popstars but they do they have to be so effusing in their praise? It gives the audience watching false impressions about a) how easy it is to sing opera and b) what good operatic singing sounds like.

This is the sort of show I should love but it's train-wreck TV I'm afraid.


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## Philmwri (Apr 8, 2011)

If the show was about opera singers going into popular/non-classical music I might be intrested. Miked pop singers singing in their "opera" voices doesn't really intrest me.


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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

Lol I have only just seen this program tonight. I don't watch much TV and is it any wonder why? They are painfully awful. Singing opera takes a lot of training and talent, not just a weeks practice. The fact that they struggle with the Italian and French makes it even worse! It's like taking a school sports team and putting it on TV instead of the Olympics! The judges are entirely too flattering to all of them. A couple of them are decent singers, but that doesn't make them good at opera. Oh, no. The worst thing is that I would probably be seen as an opera snob if I made criticism of it. 

The Maestro program seemed interesting but, like I said, I don't watch much TV. I think it was BBC 4 though? They are a damn sight better than ITV in terms of quality.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

This is the first I've heard of this show; people seem so hard on it. Me, I'm thinking, "Finally, a chance to trot out my Wotan's Farewell!"


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I should keep my glasses on while scanning these threads. I could have sworn that the thread read: Pornstar to Operastar.


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## Liss (May 13, 2011)

I tried to watch the first show all the way and came to the conclusion that the concept, the production and the overall final product is just plain dull, it's not even moderately humorous it just drags on and on because all it is is mediocre pop singers slurring out shortened arias and being overly praised by the four judges (One of whom - and I won't say who  - doesn't know the first thing about Opera). I couldn't bring myself to watch anymore programmes in their entirety but i've watched one or two clips on Youtube just to see what they chose to make them sing in the later weeks. Lets just say this one was the most interesting...






I have to say I do really like that they chose to showcase a couple of real young opera singers whilst filming the women's training for the Aria - it helps to bring the show back to reality a bit, even if only for a short while.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I should keep my glasses on while scanning these threads. I could have sworn that the thread read: Pornstar to Operastar.


Sadly, no. Though in the case of a few particularly unsuccessful careers, it's been known to work the other way.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I should keep my glasses on while scanning these threads. I could have sworn that the thread read: Pornstar to Operastar.


You're going to give Alma a heart attack!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

MAuer said:


> You're going to give Alma a heart attack!


No worries. My beloved Anna did not take this path. Hers was janitor to opera star.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

The only pop star that gave me goose bumps with his Nessun Dorma is Michael Bolton. His biggest problem seems to be speaking/opera phrasing in Italian. For English/American speakers it is quite a challenge opening up the vowels. Deh... A, E, I, O, U (not [ei], [i:], [ai] [ou] [iu] (sorry no special fonts...))


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

I don't know what makes me cringe more: Michael Bolton doing "Nessie" or the "Popstar to Operastar" show.  

I only watched some of last year's show, and what I found the most provoking was that they gave Darius a bloody role in "Carmen" - with a microphone - after he won it. I think, personally, that is taking the ****. Also, I don't think this kind of, pardon my French, **** is a good way to "bring opera to the people". No wonder some people run miles if they think this is what real opera is supposed to sound like...! What I also find extraordinary that they make them sing things like the Queen of Night aria from The Magic Flute. Something that not even a proper soprano will think is a walk in the park, they put a popsinger with an range of about four notes to do. 

In other words, their ambition with this show isn't to make these poor sods sound good - it's to make good telly because they're so bad it's embarrassing. People like watching other people making arses of themselves, hence this show has high entertainment value and is shown a second year. 

Sorry, getting off my soap box now... lol.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Operafocus said:


> In other words, their ambition with this show isn't to make these poor sods sound good - it's to make good telly because they're so bad it's embarrassing. People like watching other people making arses of themselves, hence this show has high entertainment value and is shown a second year.
> 
> Sorry, getting off my soap box now... lol.


You laugh now, but when I do my "Wotan's Farewell," you'll be . . . well . . . singing a different tune!


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

amfortas said:


> You laugh now, but when I do my "Wotan's Farewell," you'll be . . . well . . . singing a different tune!


:lol:

Is that Iain Paterson in your avatar, btw? I saw that one live


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Operafocus said:


> :lol:
> 
> Is that Iain Paterson in your avatar, btw? I saw that one live


Why, yes it is! And no, I didn't.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In those days, it is almost impossible for an artist used to sing with a microphone, just to learn how to project the voice in one year, let's alone a few weeks.

It was somehow different in the times before the microphone, when vaudeville singers needed also to fill some big houses with their voices, even if there was not a sometimes huge orchestra to fight with.

Rosa Ponselle were almost directly from singing her vaudeville act (basically traditional ballads, popular Italian songs, and operatic arias and duets), with her sister Carmela, to make her MET debut singing Leonora, opposite Caruso, of all tenors.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

amfortas said:


> Why, yes it is! And no, I didn't.


He was very good in it.

A bit of a story connected too: I was in the local bar afterwards (cause I know people in the chorus) and Iain came past me as I waited for my drink to arrive. He stopped, looked at me and went, "We've met before, last time when I had longer hair!" (read: as the Devil in "Faust"). I looked at him, thought back to when I saw "Faust" and I'm pretty damn sure I would have remembered if we had been introduced - but did what any decent person would have done: I said, "Oh yeah, sure!" Odd, because it was a kinda weird reversed role; If he hadn't come up to me, I probably would have made my way up to him at some point. Either way, he said he was "dying for a beer" and off he went, leaving me rather baffled and confused. :lol:


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Operafocus said:


> A bit of a story connected too . . .


Great story!

Wish I could come back with one of my own, but I can't say I've had any kind of similar experience (other than the "baffled and confused" part).


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

amfortas said:


> Great story!
> 
> Wish I could come back with one of my own, but I can't say I've had any kind of similar experience (other than the "baffled and confused" part).


I've also had a by-chance run-in with John Tomlinson as he walked past us and admired the motorbike we were about to get on. It's amazing, one of the basses who's done the most Wagner, probably, can walk out of any opera house after being adored inside, put on a big fluffy coat (at least in the winter when we saw him), his big hat and get on a train home to Kent and nobody would have a clue who he was. Honestly, when he speaks it's like an engine. Still sounds great too.


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