Anyone who knows me (and anyone who read my first post on here back in March) will know I absolutely love opera. To me it is beautiful, exciting and inspiring (everything that a work of art should be). Over centuries, composers have continued to produce absolute masterpieces which have lived on and on and will continue to for centuries to come. This is why it makes me so sad (and angry) to see it cheapened by the likes of a TV talent show, Popstar to Operastar.
For those of you who haven't heard of or seen the show, the basic premise is that a bunch of popstars (down on their luck with failed careers as is often the case with celebrity talent shows) are set challenges week by week to learn and perform operatic arias. Note how I won't say "learn and perform opera", because that's exactly what they're not doing.
Within weeks, these singers are expected to sing some of the hardest arias in opera. Lighter (and often more beginner-friendly) composers such as Mozart are sometimes used, perhaps fairly appropriately for such inexperienced singers. But more often, powerhouse composers such as Puccini and Verdi have their works ripped to shreds. They're sung badly, performed badly and chopped down to a couple of minutes to fit in with the schedule of the show. Arias of 6 or 7 minutes, chopped down to 2. Tragic.
What irritates me the most about this (and this is where you see my truly opinionated side) is that, as with all TV talent shows, the producers try to "quick fix" a process which actually takes years to perfect. People like me work solidly, study for a decade or more, to even be considered good enough to sing some of the arias performed on Popstar to Operastar. And yet, these celebrities practise for a week at a time on one piece, cheered at every "high" note (however badly sung) by an audience who lap it up. I mean really, Andy Bell singing the pinnacle of baritone arias, "Largo al factotum?" Cheryl Baker singing the notoriously difficult "Je veux vivre"? Oh please! And the worst part is, this is widely considered opera because of this show. Viewers commenting on videos on Youtube saying "I could really see *insert celebrity here* performing in opera" when in fact, they'll never be good enough. Throughout this process, a priceless art form is progressively cheapened.
There are those who will argue that this format of programme is making opera "accessible", and a few will even try to claim it boosts ticket sales in opera houses across the country. The truth is, this is not the case, at all. Opera has always been accessible, just people have stereotyped it as a "toff's" art. And as for boosting ticket sales, quite the opposite. People watch and think they're experiencing real opera (because the likes of Katherine Jenkins say that's what it is.. more on her later), and therefore don't bother to buy a ticket to a real opera, where they sing over a full orchestra with no microphone, a true skill. Why would they need to, when they can watch "opera" every sunday evening from the comfort of their own homes?
People really do have a warped perception when it comes to classical music, and not just at the hands of Popstar to Operastar. Just look at Katherine Jenkins, for example. People (wrongly) see her as a real "opera singer" (a phrase I dislike since it covers just one aspect of opera). She's not. She's a classical crossover single, i.e. one who sings classical music and releases it within the popular genre. She's in fact never set foot on the operatic stage, and isn't good enough to do so. Unfortunately, a pretty face and cavernous cleavage aren't enough to cover up the swallowed tone, bad diction and mucky sound that someone who knows what they're talking about will see. Truth is, without her microphone her voice would be lost on the operatic stage. Another is Paul Potts, once billed as the "new Pavarotti" because he shakily sang "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot on Britain's Got Talent. Now I don't mind Paul Potts, at the end of the day he has spent a lot of time (and money) training his voice, and he's not half bad. But he's not an opera singer, and never will be. He's a realtity TV star who will probably never know real opera.
The real building blocks of opera are lost on shows like these. The direction, the production, the months of stress and hard work that goes into it, the staging, costumes, the set, and the acting, the movement, and singing all together, the miriad of skills which make a truly talented operatic performer. Opera is no longer about a fat lady standing on a stage singing, it encompasses all art forms in one, and this is what I love most about opera. Art, dance, national culture, history, myth, literature and music, coming together in one giant art form. This is why the likes of Joe McElderry are not singing opera, however it's dressed up. Without the context of a whole opera and the production behind it, these shows are achieving nothing, and the singers are learning no real skill. The result is the quick-fixing and cheapening of an art form. The saddest part is that people actually buy into this crap.
Call me opinionated and stuck up, but that's just how it is. I just think it's a huge shame to see the word "opera" cheapened on a weekly basis by people who have no real idea what goes into an actual opera. Get off your arses and go and see a REAL opera, and tell me I'm wrong.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Thursday, 23 June 2011
No, no, no..
Oh dear, poor poor Amy Winehouse. All gone wrong again hasn't it? Last week, she kicked off her European tour in Serbia.. and in typical style, took to the stage pickled in more spirits than a dead animal in a museum jar. Except this time, her fans were far less forgiving, booing her off stage as she slurred out her words.. at least, I think they were words. Kinda sounded like an incontinent hobo farting after eating curry and chips dropped by a drunk student on their way home from a night out (not that I know what the sounds like.. I can just imagine). And so she cancelled her tour, and is now said to be taking a few more years away from singing to work on herself. Latest reports also suggest she rushed through her 7-day stint in rehab last month to speed things up with her tour. Clearly a bad move.
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Seems things aren't too peachy for her ex-hubby Blake Fielder-Civil either, who has just been sentenced to three years behind bars, having been arrested for burglary in February. There's not much else to say on this really is there.. I guess we kind of expect it.
What I really don't get is why these type of young people, with bags or either talent or money, continually throw everything away. Amy Winehouse was, not so many years ago, the single most exciting thing on the British music scene, she had everything; a hit album, an amazing voice, and a reputation as a fantastic performer. But her reputation as a drunk and drug-addict soon took over, and her music was all but forgotten about as her life spiralled out of control on the front pages of every tabloid and gossip magazine.
As for Blake, we can't say much for his talents, other than managing to get through lines of cocaine quicker than a teenage Drew Barrymore. But he was once a spoilt little privileged rich kid, with a well-off family, who soon went off the rails, arguably throwing the once-bright star Winehouse into further turmoil than she'd ever have experienced.
I don't get it, I really don't. These people have everything handed to them on a plate and choose to throw it away. The thing that annoys me most about Amy Winehouse kind of goes hand in hand with my previous post. She could have everything, but she continues to let herself spiral further and further out of control instead of facing her demons and sorting herself out.
Now I'm not usually her biggest fan, but a prime example of somebody who picked herself up following a breakdown and substance/alcohol abuse and worked it out for herself is Britney Spears. Everybody remembers how out of control she got, but she picked herself up, for her children, for her career, and forced herself to get through it. And look at her now! An awesome album, a career back on form, and back at the top of her (autotuned) game. Go Britney!
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Not really much else to say today. I just think it's sad that young, talented people who could and should have it all throw it all away for a quick fix. Thank god we've still got Adele, eh?
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Anyway, 'til next time :D x
Seems things aren't too peachy for her ex-hubby Blake Fielder-Civil either, who has just been sentenced to three years behind bars, having been arrested for burglary in February. There's not much else to say on this really is there.. I guess we kind of expect it.
What I really don't get is why these type of young people, with bags or either talent or money, continually throw everything away. Amy Winehouse was, not so many years ago, the single most exciting thing on the British music scene, she had everything; a hit album, an amazing voice, and a reputation as a fantastic performer. But her reputation as a drunk and drug-addict soon took over, and her music was all but forgotten about as her life spiralled out of control on the front pages of every tabloid and gossip magazine.
As for Blake, we can't say much for his talents, other than managing to get through lines of cocaine quicker than a teenage Drew Barrymore. But he was once a spoilt little privileged rich kid, with a well-off family, who soon went off the rails, arguably throwing the once-bright star Winehouse into further turmoil than she'd ever have experienced.
I don't get it, I really don't. These people have everything handed to them on a plate and choose to throw it away. The thing that annoys me most about Amy Winehouse kind of goes hand in hand with my previous post. She could have everything, but she continues to let herself spiral further and further out of control instead of facing her demons and sorting herself out.
Now I'm not usually her biggest fan, but a prime example of somebody who picked herself up following a breakdown and substance/alcohol abuse and worked it out for herself is Britney Spears. Everybody remembers how out of control she got, but she picked herself up, for her children, for her career, and forced herself to get through it. And look at her now! An awesome album, a career back on form, and back at the top of her (autotuned) game. Go Britney!
Not really much else to say today. I just think it's sad that young, talented people who could and should have it all throw it all away for a quick fix. Thank god we've still got Adele, eh?
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
So Ryan Dunn was drunk.
It's emerged that Ryan Dunn, who died tragically this week in a car accident, was drunk at the wheel. The Jackass star crashed his Porsche in a one-car accident earlier this week, killing himself and his passenger. The police have since reported that his car may have been travelling at as much as 140 mph as it crashed, and his autopsy revealed a blood-alcohol level twice that of the legal limit.
Tragic as this accident is, it highlights something quite close to my heart; alcohol abuse. Now I enjoy a drink as much as the next person, and to be honest I do hit it pretty hard when I go out. But alcohol abuse is, quite obviously, a huge problem. And however horrible this accident is, I can only hope it further highlights the issue, and considering how drunk he was, I can hardly say I'm surprised at what happened. I just think it's a shame that his reckless behaviour cost the lives of him and his friend. Ultimately, his bahaviour was immature, selfish, and just plain stupid.
Of course, highly-preventable accidents and deaths like this are only one end of the spectrum. The other end is that of alcoholics, who (at least in the eyes of the general public and those not particularly educated on the topic) selfishly drink themselves into an early grave, sapping the health system for all its worth and having things handed to them regardless of the damage they continue to do to themselves.
One of the main stigmas attached to alcoholics and their relationship with the NHS claims the service puts them at top priority above other patients. As the son of an alcoholic father whose lives failed three times before he died at age 41, I can safely say this is absolutely fucking ridiculous.
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Now I'm not sticking up for alcoholics, and I don't think for a second they deserve treatment above patients suffering the likes of cancer and liver disorders, quite the opposite, in fact. In my opinion they should get very little physical treatment (other than emergency) unless the alcoholic has the strength to stand up to what is an addiction and mental disorder and do something about it because, at the end of the day, slip ups are far too common and easy, and the new liver and treatment will simply be abused.
I personally think the stigma attached to alcoholism is totally unfair and undeserved, and, as with any stigmas, reinforced by people who really have no idea on the issue. Having seen first hand the devastating effect it has, not only on the family and friends of the alcoholic, but on the alcoholic themself, you see somebody with absolutely no control over what can only be described as a mental disorder. It works the same way as smoking, it's an addiction and a dependence, and dependent personalities are very often inherited. You just have to look at my brother and his dependency on marijuana to see how these sort of personalities are often in fact an inherited disorder. They're very rarely, if ever, a choice, and people should stop viewing them as such.
When my own father was in hospital (on many occasions) having drank his body into destruction, what I remember is very different from the "mollycoddled" care described above. The nurses treated him like a teenager who had drank too much on a night out, as a drain on their resources and a total inconvenience. For a five year old to walk through a ward and be perfectly aware of the nurses whispering to each other and giving disapproving looks regarding the young family affected by this is awful, and totally upsetting. We were dealing with it in our own way, we didn't need their sympathy and/or disapproval.
So I guess the point of this is to try and lift some of the stigmas attached to alcoholics, and to show it goes a lot deeper than people who binge drink. It's a mental illness. Whilst I don't think surgery and physical treatment are an effective, or even fair way or treating alcoholics, I do believe more emphasis should be put into the mental treatment. The dependency disorder needs to be addressed, otherwise physical treatment is a waste of time, money, and resources. The fact of the matter remains that alcoholics receive far more public "shame" and disapproval over something they can't control, than a young man who makes the choice to drink and drive and ends up killing himself and another person. No, that becomes an absolute tragedy.
Anyway, fairly deep topic tonight. If you can find a better way to deal with insomnia I'd love to hear it..
Tragic as this accident is, it highlights something quite close to my heart; alcohol abuse. Now I enjoy a drink as much as the next person, and to be honest I do hit it pretty hard when I go out. But alcohol abuse is, quite obviously, a huge problem. And however horrible this accident is, I can only hope it further highlights the issue, and considering how drunk he was, I can hardly say I'm surprised at what happened. I just think it's a shame that his reckless behaviour cost the lives of him and his friend. Ultimately, his bahaviour was immature, selfish, and just plain stupid.
Of course, highly-preventable accidents and deaths like this are only one end of the spectrum. The other end is that of alcoholics, who (at least in the eyes of the general public and those not particularly educated on the topic) selfishly drink themselves into an early grave, sapping the health system for all its worth and having things handed to them regardless of the damage they continue to do to themselves.
One of the main stigmas attached to alcoholics and their relationship with the NHS claims the service puts them at top priority above other patients. As the son of an alcoholic father whose lives failed three times before he died at age 41, I can safely say this is absolutely fucking ridiculous.
Now I'm not sticking up for alcoholics, and I don't think for a second they deserve treatment above patients suffering the likes of cancer and liver disorders, quite the opposite, in fact. In my opinion they should get very little physical treatment (other than emergency) unless the alcoholic has the strength to stand up to what is an addiction and mental disorder and do something about it because, at the end of the day, slip ups are far too common and easy, and the new liver and treatment will simply be abused.
I personally think the stigma attached to alcoholism is totally unfair and undeserved, and, as with any stigmas, reinforced by people who really have no idea on the issue. Having seen first hand the devastating effect it has, not only on the family and friends of the alcoholic, but on the alcoholic themself, you see somebody with absolutely no control over what can only be described as a mental disorder. It works the same way as smoking, it's an addiction and a dependence, and dependent personalities are very often inherited. You just have to look at my brother and his dependency on marijuana to see how these sort of personalities are often in fact an inherited disorder. They're very rarely, if ever, a choice, and people should stop viewing them as such.
When my own father was in hospital (on many occasions) having drank his body into destruction, what I remember is very different from the "mollycoddled" care described above. The nurses treated him like a teenager who had drank too much on a night out, as a drain on their resources and a total inconvenience. For a five year old to walk through a ward and be perfectly aware of the nurses whispering to each other and giving disapproving looks regarding the young family affected by this is awful, and totally upsetting. We were dealing with it in our own way, we didn't need their sympathy and/or disapproval.
So I guess the point of this is to try and lift some of the stigmas attached to alcoholics, and to show it goes a lot deeper than people who binge drink. It's a mental illness. Whilst I don't think surgery and physical treatment are an effective, or even fair way or treating alcoholics, I do believe more emphasis should be put into the mental treatment. The dependency disorder needs to be addressed, otherwise physical treatment is a waste of time, money, and resources. The fact of the matter remains that alcoholics receive far more public "shame" and disapproval over something they can't control, than a young man who makes the choice to drink and drive and ends up killing himself and another person. No, that becomes an absolute tragedy.
Anyway, fairly deep topic tonight. If you can find a better way to deal with insomnia I'd love to hear it..
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Another day, another Cheryl Cole sob-story...
I'm not gonna lie, I kinda feel sorry for Cheryl Cole right now. It's really not her year all over again is it? In fact, the last two years haven't gone swimmingly. Malaria, not winning the X Factor for the first time since she joined, being messed around over the whole US X Factor for months before being spectacularly dumped... and now going back to the one thing that started this train of bad luck just over a year ago, love rat ex Ashley Cole.
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You must ask if she's completely fucking stupid. I mean, once a cheat, always a cheat, right? And of course rumours were flying about over similar things for ages before the whole Brooke Healy scandal surfaced. So to go back to that absolute tit is probably not the best idea for the once-"nation's sweetheart". And now it seems best friend/once-rumoured love interest Will.i.am and her own mother are shunning her over her apparent reconciliation. So poor old Chezza really isn't doing too well is she?
Oddly enough I almost see where she's coming from. Her career seemed set to go to the next level and suddenly it's been taken away, so she turns to the person who was there for her when it all went tits-up in the past. And we all know how hard it is to stay away from the person you love, however much they hurt you. But could I forgive someone for cheating? I'm not so sure.
Ah well. Of course the majority of this is speculation. But surely not much else could go wrong for our Cheryl, could it? I love Cheryl, I really do, but this is getting a little bit boring even for me!
In other news, poor old (foolish) heartbroken Hugh Hefner has apparently allowed Crystal Harris to keep the $90k engagement ring and a Bentley he gave her. Crystal called off the wedding last week, only three days before she was set to walk down the aisle to the Playboy mogul, citing her reasons as not wanting the lifestyle. Having originally taken their dog Charlie, she eventually returned him, saying he was happier with Hugh.
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Now I'm sorry but.. what the actual fuck?! Are people actually surprised?! This bitch was in it for the money all along, it was obvious. Look at filmed interviews between them. Is that the face of a woman in love? I don't think so, and I don't think it's just the botox maintaining that fixed apathetic expression. I do feel sorry for Hefner, but mainly because he's naive enough to believe this woman wanted him for anything more than his money. I'm just happy she only walked away with a $90k ring and a car, rather than staying with him until he died and inheriting his estate. Some form of compassion must have eventually kicked in.
Oh, and just to close, I do wish Alexandra Burke would stop referring to her fans as "Beasties" on Twitter. She's not Lady Gaga, and they're not her monsters. At least Gaga calling her fans "monsters" makes sense, with The Fame Monster album and everything. Alexandra Burke is just trying too hard.
You must ask if she's completely fucking stupid. I mean, once a cheat, always a cheat, right? And of course rumours were flying about over similar things for ages before the whole Brooke Healy scandal surfaced. So to go back to that absolute tit is probably not the best idea for the once-"nation's sweetheart". And now it seems best friend/once-rumoured love interest Will.i.am and her own mother are shunning her over her apparent reconciliation. So poor old Chezza really isn't doing too well is she?
Oddly enough I almost see where she's coming from. Her career seemed set to go to the next level and suddenly it's been taken away, so she turns to the person who was there for her when it all went tits-up in the past. And we all know how hard it is to stay away from the person you love, however much they hurt you. But could I forgive someone for cheating? I'm not so sure.
Ah well. Of course the majority of this is speculation. But surely not much else could go wrong for our Cheryl, could it? I love Cheryl, I really do, but this is getting a little bit boring even for me!
In other news, poor old (foolish) heartbroken Hugh Hefner has apparently allowed Crystal Harris to keep the $90k engagement ring and a Bentley he gave her. Crystal called off the wedding last week, only three days before she was set to walk down the aisle to the Playboy mogul, citing her reasons as not wanting the lifestyle. Having originally taken their dog Charlie, she eventually returned him, saying he was happier with Hugh.
Now I'm sorry but.. what the actual fuck?! Are people actually surprised?! This bitch was in it for the money all along, it was obvious. Look at filmed interviews between them. Is that the face of a woman in love? I don't think so, and I don't think it's just the botox maintaining that fixed apathetic expression. I do feel sorry for Hefner, but mainly because he's naive enough to believe this woman wanted him for anything more than his money. I'm just happy she only walked away with a $90k ring and a car, rather than staying with him until he died and inheriting his estate. Some form of compassion must have eventually kicked in.
Oh, and just to close, I do wish Alexandra Burke would stop referring to her fans as "Beasties" on Twitter. She's not Lady Gaga, and they're not her monsters. At least Gaga calling her fans "monsters" makes sense, with The Fame Monster album and everything. Alexandra Burke is just trying too hard.
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