Opera used to be derided as safe, traditional and boring - an 18th century art form struggling for relevance in the 21st century. But in recent years it has experienced an incredible renaissance emerging as inclusive, interesting and innovative.
Jerry Springer: The Opera wasn't just headline-grabbing satire. It encouraged, through its success, new work such as Jocelyn Pook's Ingerland, which included football chants. Ian McEwan announced recently that Atonement will also be given the operatic treatment, and the Royal Opera House presented The Twitter Opera last year, where tweets from the public were turned into a libretto. And now, the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland has announced it will create an opera wholly from online submissions.
The online trailer for Opera By You is intriguing. Taking the idea of The Twitter Opera to a whole new level, Savonlinna doesn't just want ideas for the story from the public in 140 characters or less. The entire opera is a blank canvas, as it self-deprecatingly announces on the site: "We have 80 vocalists in our choir, but no script. We have a cast and a castle but no wardrobe and no set design. We have a symphony orchestra, but no composition. Come create an opera."
For now, Opera By You is asking for plot suggestions, and in future months, once the story is decided upon, it will branch out into set design, music and so on before the world premiere at the 2012 festival. The most interesting development so far is the opportunity to comment on contributions: as soon as someone posts their thrilling storyline on the site, other users can give a "thumbs up" and make observations or suggestions.
As well they might: a horror opera in which a monster terrorises a small Danish town is actually one of the more straightforward contributions amid the reams of tortuous allegories to the banking crisis.
Still, there's no accounting for taste. The most popular idea so far takes the literal meaning of a space opera (the term for space-based films such as Star Wars and Star Trek) and proposes an opera set in space. Never mind that the author hasn't posted any details of plot other than it would include space ships and exotic planets.
It's easy to poke fun, of course, but the basic idea is hugely laudable. As the Savonlinna Opera Festival general director Jan Hultin points out: "Writing the libretto and music for an opera has traditionally been the work of only a few, as has the visual designing. We now want a large group of people to take part in this unique creative process from the very beginning."
Hultin's main hope - beyond staging a successful opera in 2012, naturally - is that young people will be tempted into the world of opera. He has a distinct chance of succeeding in that aim. Opera is bending to the technology of the day via tweets or social networking exercises such as Opera By You, and cultural icons are, increasingly, finding their own ways to the form. Rufus Wainwright began his musical career as a darling of the open-minded indie fan. But after starting one of his records with a nod to Ravel's Bolero, perhaps it wasn't so much of a surprise that he would end up premiering the new opera Prima Donna at the Manchester International Festival last year. But Wainwright wasn't singing in it, as you might expect; he actually composed the two-act, two hour opera. In the final analysis, Wainwright had overstretched himself, but attracting thirtysomethings to the opera proved a different point.
English National Opera's new season, announced last month, also pointed towards a reconfiguring of our relationship with opera by once again inviting talent from outside the form to stamp their own mark on the classics. The prospect of Berlioz's Damnation of Faust directed by one of the most inventive filmmakers of modern times, Terry Gilliam, is mouthwatering stuff. Before that, Mike Figgis, the director of Leaving Las Vegas, will take the reins for Lucrezia Borgia.
Would many of those rushing to buy tickets for these shows have done so if the directors had been from the opera world? Possibly not, and while there is a faint whiff of gimmickry, at least it is challenging the perception that opera is merely for toffs in suits.
Of course, Opera By You is clever in another respect: it's likely to attract to Savonlinna anyone who participated in the project, however small their input. But happily, that doesn't appear to be Hutlin's intention. The idea, clearly, is to make opera as relevant and as urgent as it was for centuries previously.
I just hope they like my idea of an opera set in a newspaper office...
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Indika
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More on Palestine-Israeli relations
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
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