The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
How do you solve a problem like opera?
Considered a classical act, in which soprano Camille Lopez Molina perfectly delineated its form and content in a mediacon: “Opera isn’t only singing. It is also acting,” shared Camille.
As if they’re not enough descriptions, opera has been labelled by many as an elite form of entertainment where only the coiffured and the high heeled members of society could watch and enjoy.
Is that fair enough?
How can it level up, therefore, against other art forms like movies and pop songs which are easily accessible, hugely patronized by ordinary fans, the masses?
Opera, critics say, must as well relate to the popular audience.
This is the point of Camille–a music teacher at the Phiiippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) in Los Banos, Laguna and St. Scholastica’s College in Manila–when she talked to the press at the National Museum during the launch of Progetto Puccini, a series of masterclasses among deserving Filipino operatic singers, male and female, in the country.
“Opera must also relate to the young people,” Lopez Molina emphasized.
Exactly.
How then can opera attract more audience from all sectors of society?
Driven by the same advocacy of bringing classical music as opera to the common folks, if not to the grassroots or far-flung areas yet, arts teachers, patrons and technocrats like Lopez, Molina, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Kaye Tinga and producer Irene Marcos-Araneta have joined hands to collaborate on Project Puccini, a tribute as well to the Italian classic artist Giacomo Puccini who wrote and composed music for stage works like “La Rondine,” “La Boheme,” “Madame Butterfly” etc.
Popularising opera is a process, though.
It cannot be achieved overnight.
It is like what unpopular or less patronized sports activities go through to draw in crowds.
In the past, volleyball as a sport wasn’t as popular as basketball.
These days, though, especially with women’s six playing in varsity or commercially, this game has achieved its patronage and prominence in sports.
Carlos Yulo”s twin gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics have inspired gymnasts and gymnastics’ audiences alike to aspire for increased mass appeal.
Come to think of it.
There are many ways to skin the cat.
These are presumably the same effects opera exponents like Lopez Molina, Tinga and Marcos-Araneta envision to popularize opera through Progetto Puccini.
Kaye stressed that the CCP through its arts education has been playing classical music of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) for the regions and other outreach arts programs.
Meantime, Irene said that one of the ways to relate opera to the popular audience is through subtitling of the Puccini masterpieces.
Selected participants to Progetto Puccini will have a five-day masterclasses under renowned musician, Maestro Fabio Armiliato, musical director Mariano Panico, diction coach Lorna Zaccaria and mentor John Florencio.
These teachers will empower Filipino talents in the enhancement of their operatic singing craft including modern technique, proper pronunciation of the Italian language etc.
On October 5, 2024 at 5 PM students under the Progetto Puccini will showcase what they’ve learned in the workshop in a performance practice at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
Meanwhile, soap opera king and queen Paulo Avelino and Kim Chiu are making their romantic relationship more showy.
The rapport started out when they were initially teamed up in the TV series, first in “Linlang (Deception),” and later, in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” an adaptation of a Korean drama of the same title.
Slowly, Paulo and Kim’s followers increased, guided, monitored and aided by a publicity machinery reminiscent of the Viva Films-interest generating approaches to boost the popularity of Sharon Cuneta in the 80s.
Avelino and Chiu are aware of this if not oriented by their makers until they are drawing in crowds, naturally.
In a given situation, for instance, if Paulo is around with Kim, fellow stars like her co-hosts in ABS-CBN’s “It’s Showtime” would tease them to unleash romantic mood or gestures that would titillate the imagination of fans who would in turn shriek with gusto over the love team.
As a screen marketing tool, a portmanteau was created as KimPau which intensifies more the fans going gaga over them.
At the moment, even if KimPau hasn’t expressed its official romance status, it would impress the public they’re on.
Let’s see until their film is shown this year.