Too fat soprano

[spaceray]

Has anyone read the news story American soprano Deborah Voigt has been dropped from the lead role of Richard Strauss's Ariadne
on Naxos "casting director Peter Katona decided a slimmer singer would look better in the dress."

So in opera is the visual more important than the music?

[Shane]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Has anyone read the news story American soprano Deborah Voigt has been dropped from the lead role of Richard Strauss's Ariadne
on Naxos "casting director Peter Katona decided a slimmer singer would look better in the dress."

So in opera is the visual more important than the music?

Well, i think this is outrages to a degree. i mean music is music, why should one be sacked if one is fantastic at creating music? but recording and performing in an opera is very different to be fair. when performing on stage, one must have the capability of acting and singing, and if she cannot fulfil the acting role to the public's demand, then i think the production team has no choice but to change in order to bring in the ticket revenue. it is like the question with Pavarotti. he is undoubtedly one of the greatest singers of all time, but is he really fit for a role in an on-stage opera performance? i still havnt decided, but many would consider him unfit for acting.

This is not to say that she should be sacked of course. it is a very hard decision the production team had to take.

Shane

[Peter]

Originally posted by spaceray:
So in opera is the visual more important than the music?

Well the visual is important in opera - you could hardly have a credible Don Giovani for example who resembled Quasi Modo even if he did have a superb voice!

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'Man know thyself'

[SR]

Originally posted by spaceray:

So in opera is the visual more important than the music?

I'm not sure why this story would lead you to conclude this. In opera, both are very important with a slight nod to music IMO. There are plenty of babes who can sing. Why have an overweight girl play a babe if you can find a babe to play a babe ?

Steve

[Steppenwolf]

Originally posted by Peter:
Well the visual is important in opera - you could hardly have a credible Don Giovani for example who resembled Quasi Modo even if he did have a superb voice!

This is a difficult problem. Idealy, looks shouldn't matter at all, just voice. But the reality of opera is that it is a visual presentation, just as much as a musical presentation. One could argue, persuasively, that the musical element is the more important, but the visual aspect IS still an element, and so does count for something. Since music is the MOST important element, some leyway should be given regarding appearance; producers should not be TOO picky. But it should still be a factor for consideration. It might seem ridiculous if a main character is enormously obese.

Some disapointed is probably inevitable with regards appearance. Listening to an opera on CD, my imagination depicts the characters as looking like movie stars! But on arrival at a theatre, inevitably Tristan and Isolde DON'T look much like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, but more like Mr and Mrs Blobby!

[Rod]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Has anyone read the news story American soprano Deborah Voigt has been dropped from the lead role of Richard Strauss's Ariadne
on Naxos "casting director Peter Katona decided a slimmer singer would look better in the dress."

So in opera is the visual more important than the music?

I've read about this. In my opinion Opera is a visual form of entertainment as well as musical, the singers must visually fit the role to some degree if such suitable person/s can be found. Clearly in this case they must have a more suitable option available.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Steppenwolf:


...Tristan and Isolde DON'T look much like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, but more like Mr and Mrs Blobby!

If Miss Voigt was to play the part of the Prima Donna,in my production she would be perfect,but if she were to play the role of Zerbinetta ,I'm afraid one would have to suspend belief to imagine her as a dancer and leading lady of the Italian comedians.

Dear me ,what are Mr and Mrs. Blobby going to do to earn their daily bread now that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston have taken up opera.To be honest I lost interest in opera a while back and can only remember a handful of names of the beautiful opera stars ,the majority of the "big"names weren't much to look at.

Muriel