Opera Meets Film: How Straub & Huillet’s ‘Moses und Aron’ Leaves Us to Our Own Interpretative Devices

Despite Arnold Schoenberg’s (1874-1951) widespread popularity as one of the most important ‘fathers of serialism’ and the person almost solely responsible for ushering in the age of dodecaphony (12-tone technique), his four operas are largely unknown. Despite this, it was Schoenberg’s fourth opera, “Moses und Aron,” which would transform opera forever. No longer constricted by the indulgent attitudes of Italian {…}

Jun 9, 2022

Opera Meets Film: How Andrzej Żuławski’s ‘Boris Godunov’ Shows Past as Prologue

In January 1989, the Polish film director Andrzej Żuławski released his film “Boris Godunov,” a film that cost seven million dollars to create. It featured a live production of the monster opera conducted by the eminent Soviet cellist and conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich. The film would re-conceptualize the opera in a mise en abyme (self-reflection) style, layering the operatic performance inside {…}

May 12, 2022

Opera Meets Film: How David Cronenberg & David Henry Hwang’s ‘M. Butterfly’ Subverts Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly’ & Explores Deceptive Reveries

What would you do, say, and believe for love, and most importantly, what would you ignore for the sake of love? Such standardized questions seem to permeate the fabric of the operatic world from time immemorial to the present, and the well is not showing signs of running dry anytime soon. But we must ask a second and more important {…}

Apr 14, 2022

Opera Meets Film: How Peter Weigl Explores Dvorak’s ‘Rusalka’ on Video

We all know Disney’s rendition of “The Little Mermaid,” and are familiar with its transformation of Hans Christian Anderson’s oft-disturbing 1837 fairy tale into a heartwarming, family-friendly story of love and adventure. The original narrative is far more Wagnerian than Mozartian in dramatic tenor, due to Anderson’s synthesis of intense pathos with virtuous rebirth. In the Disney version, Ariel—who is {…}

Mar 3, 2022

Opera Meets Film: How Götz Friedrich Captured the Revolutionary Spirit of Strauss’ ‘Elektra’ on Film

“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 a look at {…}

Jan 27, 2022

Opera Meets Film: How Yohan Manca’s ‘Mes Frères et Moi’ Explores Opera’s Healing & Liberating Power

“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 “Mes Frères et {…}

Oct 28, 2021

Opera Meets Film: How Haymarket Opera Creates a Unique Operatic Experience Through its ‘Orlando’ Film

(Credit: Anna Cillan) Following the halt on live performances due to COVID-19, opera houses and companies alike were forced to reform how they brought music to their traditionally in-person audiences. Via digital means, like prerecorded content, subscription-based videos, and online events, the traditional venues of opera were radically altered. But as lockdowns start to end, and restrictions begin to be {…}

Sep 23, 2021

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 {…}

Aug 26, 2021

Opera Meets Film: How Leos Carax Spotlights Opera’s Inherent Misogyny in ‘Annette’

“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 Leo Carax’s “Annette.’ {…}

Jul 8, 2021

Opera Meets Film: How ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ Explores Theme & Tone in Pixar’s ‘Luca’

“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 Pixar’s “Luca.” Pixar’s {…}

Jun 10, 2021

Opera Meets Film: How Puccini & Vivaldi’s Music Highlights the Tonal Shifts in ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin

“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight 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 {…}