How to produce an opera in lockdown
“Eight Songs from Isolation” shows how the form can adapt to the pandemic
IN THE VOID left by restrictions on theatres, opera has pursued a shadow life elsewhere. The English National Opera has managed a zany drive-in version of “La bohème” in a car-park in north London, but most companies have resorted to streaming old shows, with the odd effort on Zoom. “Eight Songs from Isolation”, a 45-minute work created by eight composers, takes a new approach: forget the stage, commission for today’s medium, and put the drama where it counts—in the music.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Phoning it in”
From the October 10th 2020 edition
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