Opera Meets Film: Shostakovich Reimagined In Andrey Khrzhanovsky’s ‘The Nose’

Censorship. Repression. Scorn. Brutality. Humor. Absurdity. Hysteria. Russia’s relationship with self-expression has been a fraught one throughout its tumultuous history. Full of danger and hardship, with no guarantee that your vision will be seen, respected, or even tolerated unless it is confined to authorized narratives, music has always been that one art form whose voice is hard to control and {…}

Opera Meets Film: For Love & Motherland – the Glorious Ideals of ‘Tosca’ and ‘Stalingrad’

Following the signing of the Moscow Declarations in October 1943, an international agreement between the four key allied powers—China, Soviet Union, United States, and United Kingdom— formed to defeat the Tripartite Pact and restore global peace by proxy; Stalin would issue an emphatic, jingo-hawk address only a month later. Speaking at the 26th Anniversary of the October Revolution Celebration Meeting {…}

Opera Meets Film: How the ‘Così Fan Tutte’ Moment in ‘The Greatest Showman’ Is Emblematic of Film’s Structure

“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features “The Greatest Showman.” {…}

Opera Meets Film: How ‘Watchmen’ Questionably Mimics ‘Apocalypse Now’s’ Use of The Ride of the Valkyries

“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen.” {…}