Page 167 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2019. Vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju - The Role of National Opera Houses in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 3
P. 167
opera without theatre
standards of the institution” 9. In fact, it is becoming more and more diffi-
cult to comply with its standards, and especially with its walls. For exam-
ple, Kaija Saariaho’s new opera, Only the Sound Remains (2016) is simply
not meant to be played in the Paris Opéra Garnier: its orchestra pit is too
large to accommodate only a few musicians (string quartet, vocal quartet,
flute, percussion, and Kantele); and its stage is too vast for only two singers
and one dancer. In addition, the scenography is so uncluttered that, accord-
ing to the remark of critic Philippe Venturini, “it could disappear without
taking anything from the magic of this singular work” 10.
French musicologist Jean-Yves Bosseur is quite right to point out the
mutation that has taken place with the emergence of musical and instru-
mental theatre, namely that “the occupation of space becomes an integral
part of the work, which makes it necessary to take into account the archi-
tectural peculiarities of each venue, at each performance” 11.
The New Opera Actions
In recent years the Lithuanian musical scene, for the first time since inde-
pendence in 1990, has been enriched by a new form of opera, initiated by
a group of young creators (sometimes still students): composers, scenogra-
phers, singers, directors, conductors, choreographers, etc.
Since 2008 they have joined forces for a festival, entitled New Opera
Action (NOA), the name of which was borrowed from the Lithuanian the-
atre festival, New Drama Action, created 10 years earlier. Although this last
was imagined, in 1999, “because of a lack of contemporary dramaturgy, be-
cause of a need to see it on the Lithuanian stage [...]”12, the festival of opera,
meanwhile, was simply born from a desire of young creators to reach a do-
main which, usually, is inaccessible to young people. According to festival
director Ana Ablamonova,
9 Albéra, “L’opéra,” 378.
10 Philippe Venturini, “Only the Sound Remains”: un rêve éveillé à Garnier, Les Echos.
fr, le 24.01.2018, Accessed 28.02.2018 https://www.lesechos.fr/week-end/culture/spec-
tacles/0301199594434-only-the-sound-remains-un-reve-eveille-a-garnier-2147757.
php#.
11 Dominique et Jean-Yves Bosseur, Révolutions musicales (Paris: Minerve, 1993), 115.
12 ELTA, ““Naujosios dramos akcija” šįmet gali baigti savo misiją,” Delfi.lt 14.12.2017,
Accessed 15.12.2017, https://www.delfi.lt/veidai/kultura/naujosios-dramos-akcija-si-
met-gali-baigti-savo-misija.d?id=58498288.
165
standards of the institution” 9. In fact, it is becoming more and more diffi-
cult to comply with its standards, and especially with its walls. For exam-
ple, Kaija Saariaho’s new opera, Only the Sound Remains (2016) is simply
not meant to be played in the Paris Opéra Garnier: its orchestra pit is too
large to accommodate only a few musicians (string quartet, vocal quartet,
flute, percussion, and Kantele); and its stage is too vast for only two singers
and one dancer. In addition, the scenography is so uncluttered that, accord-
ing to the remark of critic Philippe Venturini, “it could disappear without
taking anything from the magic of this singular work” 10.
French musicologist Jean-Yves Bosseur is quite right to point out the
mutation that has taken place with the emergence of musical and instru-
mental theatre, namely that “the occupation of space becomes an integral
part of the work, which makes it necessary to take into account the archi-
tectural peculiarities of each venue, at each performance” 11.
The New Opera Actions
In recent years the Lithuanian musical scene, for the first time since inde-
pendence in 1990, has been enriched by a new form of opera, initiated by
a group of young creators (sometimes still students): composers, scenogra-
phers, singers, directors, conductors, choreographers, etc.
Since 2008 they have joined forces for a festival, entitled New Opera
Action (NOA), the name of which was borrowed from the Lithuanian the-
atre festival, New Drama Action, created 10 years earlier. Although this last
was imagined, in 1999, “because of a lack of contemporary dramaturgy, be-
cause of a need to see it on the Lithuanian stage [...]”12, the festival of opera,
meanwhile, was simply born from a desire of young creators to reach a do-
main which, usually, is inaccessible to young people. According to festival
director Ana Ablamonova,
9 Albéra, “L’opéra,” 378.
10 Philippe Venturini, “Only the Sound Remains”: un rêve éveillé à Garnier, Les Echos.
fr, le 24.01.2018, Accessed 28.02.2018 https://www.lesechos.fr/week-end/culture/spec-
tacles/0301199594434-only-the-sound-remains-un-reve-eveille-a-garnier-2147757.
php#.
11 Dominique et Jean-Yves Bosseur, Révolutions musicales (Paris: Minerve, 1993), 115.
12 ELTA, ““Naujosios dramos akcija” šįmet gali baigti savo misiją,” Delfi.lt 14.12.2017,
Accessed 15.12.2017, https://www.delfi.lt/veidai/kultura/naujosios-dramos-akcija-si-
met-gali-baigti-savo-misija.d?id=58498288.
165
