Showing papers by "Linda Hutcheon published in 2000"

Bodily Charm: Living Opera

Abstract: Bodily Charm is a passionate defense of opera as a living as well as live art. Written for both the opera lover and the specialist by a physician and a literary critic, it is an accessible and engaging interdisciplinary exploration of the operatic body-both the actual physical bodies of the singers and audience members and the represented body on stage in operas such as Death in Venice, Salome, Rigoletto, Der Ring des Nibelungen, and Elektra.

Opera in Canada: A Conversation

Abstract: The discussion in this interview explores ways in which opera in Canada is becoming more accessible and attracting a new audience, particularly a youthful one, as a result of economic conditions that demand small-scale productions in intimate spaces. The members of this developing audience want to be able to appreciate the music and understand the language of the operas they attend. Accessibility depends on the use of the audience's language or surtitles. The interview explores the subject matter of modem opera in Canada, concentrating on social issues such as racism, diversity, and gender as well as a distrust of demagoguery and power. Finally, the discussion points out the postmodern aspects of opera, particularly its multidisciplined nature, the blurring of genres and the polyphony inherent in its form. Dans cette entrevue, on examine les moyens par lesquels l'opera au Canada devient plus accessible et attire un nouveau public, surtout chez les jeunes, par suite des conditions economiques qui exigent des productions a petite echelle presents now it commands a listening audience of more than 200,000. Observers in the field also note a proliferation of opera houses and opera companies, as well as growing international recognition of Canadian performers and companies. Two well-known Canadian academics, Linda Hutcheon and George Elliott Clarke, are among those who have turned their critical and creative talents towards the evolving field of opera in Canada. I asked them to locate opera on Canada's cultural landscape as we head into the twenty-first century. We met to talk about opera on 10 July 2000 at the University of Toronto. Following are excerpts of our conversation. Christi Verduyn (Interviewer): There is an interesting gap between general knowledge about opera in Canada and the vibrancy of research and writing in the field. What should we know about opera and Canadian culture in the year 2000? Linda Hutcheon: It may be the single most vibrant and expanding art form in Canada right now. That, I know, is a very strong statement, but I think it's verifiably true. You've alluded to some interesting statistics about an expanding audience for opera. Even more interesting is that this audience is a fairly youthful one - an audience that has been raised on rock music and concerts, film, in other words, on spectacle. Opera appeals to this audience because it brings together the visual arts, the dramatic arts, music, literature. It's a highly multidisciplinary art form - the "total work of art." To a younger generation, that says something. It helps explain why opera and musical theatre are the two largest growing public art forms. There's a second side to this: economics. …