8½ hours of opera?

8½ hours of opera?

Opera

norman lebrecht

August 02, 2024

In the company of the emerging artist from Warsaw’s Opera Academy, Operatic Oniricon is a presentation of Italian arias and ensembles in the form of a journey into the subconscious.

As a tribute to the realm of dreams and unconscious desires of Federico Fellini, Operatic Oniricon takes its name from a newspaper column in which the brilliant director interpreted his readers’ dreams. Drawing inspiration from Fellini’s aesthetics, Polish National Opera has entrusted to director Kamila Straszyńska with the challenge to shine a new light on extracts of operas by Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini which are performed by the members of the Opera Academy. Streamed by Slippedisc, courtesy of OperaVision.

Sung in Italian with subtitles in English

Friday 2 August 2024 at 1900 CET, 1800 London, 1300 New York

Comments

  • Barney says:

    Wher exactly does this say that it’s going to last eight-and-a-half hours? It was done twice in Warsaw, in June. I’ve checked the programme and there are around twenty items – mainly arias, but a couple of duets and a trio thrown in.

    How on earth is that going to last eight-and-a-half hours? A conductor who favours tempi based on the batting of Geoffrey Boycott? Endless repeats, multiple encores?

    Please enlighten us, oh Wise One!

    • teithwyr says:

      A tenuous reference to Fellini’s 8.5? Which only lasts a couple of hours thank goodness.

    • Lorenz1060 says:

      Uh … „Otto e mezzo“? Haven’t been to the movies much in the last 61 years, have you?

    • Lorenz1060 says:

      I may need to clarify: „Otto e mezzo“ does in no way refer to the „Kindertotenlieder“ recorded by Otto Klemperer and Kathleen Ferrier.

  • Herbie G says:

    Sounds like a working day on Classic FM.

  • camcam says:

    If you’ve done a ring cycle in 4 or 5 days, 8.5 in one day is easy mode

  • Kevin Scott says:

    Let us know when some enterprising opera company decides to mount Gabriel von Wayditch’s 8.5 hour opera The Heretics. Guaranteed to bring out the best curiosity-seekers. Just make sure to have plenty of Death Wish Coffee, Mountain Dew, Red Bull, Gatorade, Celsius and other energy and caffeinated drinks!

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