Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

Applaud!

On a chilly winter night, a spirited audience gathered on the fountain lawns of India International Centre for a performance by Swedish opera singers. Especially flown in to celebrate the India Sweden Nobel Memorial Week, the evening was a mix of cla ssical arias from famous European operas like Carmen, Tosca and Turandot, traditional Swedish songs and extracts from popular musicals .

The singers Ulrika Tenstam and Mats Carlson began with a heart-touching rendition of traditional Swedish songs, accompanied by Michael Engstrom on the piano. The music was soothing and lively at the same time, while Mats’ introductions before each piece helped the audience understand the performance better.

As the evening progressed, the group performed extracts from famous musicals like “Chess”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Sound of music”. Ulrika looked lovely in her golden gown as she sang “Home without him ain’t no home to be” about loving a man unconditionally. The song had the quality to transport the listener to a world of love and hope. “Climb every mountain” from “Sound of Music” was peppy and energetic and garnered a huge applause from the gathering.

The show ended with “Stories like ours have happy endings”, a duet from “Chess” about a couple who love each other only to realise that they can’t live together.

Taking time out after the show, Ulrika spoke about voice quality and training. “The classical operas belong to an era when there were no mikes. That is why the artistes have a clear and projected voice as this was the only way to get across to the audience. The opera voice is a mix of the chest and the head voice. Then there is also the voice from the belly, which is very powerful.”

As for the secret behind her powerful yet melodious voice, she said, “I have been doing a lot of breathing exercises and kundalini yoga to develop the quality of my voice.”

Is opera relevant in the world of ‘pop’ culture? “Opera is going through a turning point right now. The famous Swedish singer Pavarotti has brought a lot of new audience to opera because of his innovations. Now we must go further and explore more to keep the art alive,” Mats chipped in. “Expressing melancholy is a very signature style in most operas, but we tried to incorporate elements of hope and optimism in love as well,” he added

CHETNA DUA

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail