OUGD603 - Left Bank Opera Festival - Research

In the brief they highlight the importance to reflect an element of tension in the relationship between Western opera, and Asia. For further research I looked into this tension to see the comparsions between east and west opera.

The first big difference is that in the Western World opera polarizes opinion as its considered elitist (i.e., expensive, difficult, artificial or implausible) Enthusiastic devotees consider it the ultimate art but despite opera’s reputation for exclusivity in the west, it appears that attendance is on the rise in
Europe as well as in the US. I discovred one of the reasons for this is the introduction of Surtitles, which are translated or transcribed lyrics/dialogue projected above a stage or displayed on a screen.
Its made ipera more accessible to audiences who do not understand the source languages which is often Italian, French or German.

Then in contrast in the East, China, Japan and Korea have witnessed a decline in the number of opera house audiences but translation has been able to generate renewed interest in the traditional heritage.
Moreover, several Asian operatic forms, including musicals, have traveled in a more accessible way to the West in English translation. Also in Asia, many operatic forms strongly rely on costumes, colour, symbolism, make-up, themes on the stage and the dramatic atmosphere of the theatre. But
poetic lyrics are very important, and the Japanese haiku and tanka  in relation to kabuki and noh performances are typical examples. Genres such as pansori in Korea, which are traditional manifestations of East Asian culture and aesthetics positioned halfway between opera and the musical, are comparable to Western operettas.

Chinese opera in particular is the most different to west opera. The main features include the spectacle of song and dance which, together with the colourful costumes, make-up, acrobats, jesters, storytellers, acting, poetry and martial arts combine to present the Opera in a very attractive way. In the 19th Century the Opera was dominated by a form called Peking Opera featuring colorful costumes, elaborate make up, facial expressions and was spoken and sung in Mandarin dialect. Other operatic forms also evolved using the dialects of different areas, such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chiuzhou and Suzhou. The plays come from legendary tales and some are interpretations of actual historical events such as "The Three Kingdoms" and the "Outlaws of the Marsh".

Face painting is used unlike western opera. And this is probably one of the most fascinating arts in connection with stage costumes as each painted face has a special meaning to knowledgeable theater-goers. The hero type characters are normally painted in relatively simple colors, whereas enemy, bandits, rebels and so on have more complicated designs on their faces. From my research it is clear Chinese opera has little in common with Western opera, as the screeching of the singers, the loud clacking of the clappers and the noisy banging of drums and cymbals can sound strange to Western ears. But it is the costumes, variety of facial expressions, the actors' eye expressions and martial arts movements that mostly attract Western audiences.