POSTMODERNA (I) OPERA / POSTMODERNITY (AND) OPERA

Abstract

In this article I discusse about contemporary relation with the opera, its connection with film and present a descriptive analysis of the rock operaTommy. The Post-Modern age is characterized by the deconstruction of big essentialistnarratives, substantial characters, the ideal of reaching the absolute and totality. Themomentum of mass culture sucked in and redirected the perception of the opera in the sameway as they made art as sort of realization of trash culture in general. The original intention of the opera as a musical drama with a strong emphasis on the Baroque mythical overemphasis,castrate roles and an appeal to artificiality in order to bring it into a relation with the wordly(profane) is nowadays reduced to the possibility to “consume” it quickly, with earphones, aswe watch operas on TV. It was achoice between sticking to the traditional application valuesin theaters defined as elitist and isolated places of entertainment and the one hand and on theother the attempts to appeal to audiences outside these places using modern methods ofpresentation. Hence ideas for operas (and music) in the open, making films from great operassuch as La Boheme or Carmen or foundation of radio and TV companies specializing in such art (Mezzo,Arte etc.).