Popstar to Opera star
I saw a clip of this yesterday and can’t help but comment. Yes it was entertaining but what the popstars are doing bears no resemblance whatsoever to what is involved with being an opera singer. It takes years to train a voice to be able to sing in an opera house but the poor contestants have just a week per performance. I’m not surprised that much of the opera community feels it belittles their craft.
It’s also strange that there is only one judge on the panel who has ever sung in a professional opera. Katherine Jenkins has recorded some mezzo arias but Meatloaf clearly knows nothing of classical vocal technique and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen may look very arty and 18th century but since when has long wavy hair qualified you to be an opera critic? – actually don’t answer that. At least the judges on X factor are qualified to talk about pop singing and ditto the judges on Strictly Come Dancing…
Still, I’m probably missing the point of the show – I guess it’s not aimed at me!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/jan/14/popstar-to-opera-star
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/opera/article6997143.ece
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Lee
8:52 pm, January 25, 2010
I can understand Katherine and Roland’s part in in this programme, but what on Earth does Michael Lee Aday (Meatloaf) know about it? I know he sings Rock Opera’s but does that fact qualify him? Now Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, perhaps he’s there to out dress Katherine.
Lee
david
9:39 pm, January 25, 2010
well said Lee
Freya
2:37 pm, January 28, 2010
well luckily for me, not having a TV i’ve never seen it
All sounds rather silly… i’d rather watch real opera…
david
12:01 pm, January 29, 2010
I like to see real opera also Freya…but sometimes it is not cheap!
The points Juliette makes about the programme are certainly valid as far as I am concerned. At least Ms Jenkins and Mr Villazon have some connection with classical singing….the other two judges seem to me to be very strange choices, D
David Cowlishaw
6:07 pm, February 1, 2010
I am finding this type of competition, which started with ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ a little too simplistic for its own good.
Over a considerable amount of time in the past few weeks, all the contestants have been working away behind the scenes. That is the content I would like to see including the training sessions with professionals.If as Mr Villazon said on ‘Loose Women’ recently, it is more a case of having some fun then I feel proper voice production techniques are not being treated as a serious subject.
As an amateur musician most of my life I do not think the glitzy format and time scale shows how to train singers.
anita
12:44 pm, February 3, 2010
Awful Prog, I can`t watch it,however I did watch Rolando sing last week watched on catch Up and FF the rest of it even watching it at speed made me cringe….
kenneth fawcett
2:19 pm, February 4, 2010
Must agree with every thing Juliette has said. I have not watched the program but I have read that the viewing figures are low which does not surprise me as I don’t understand who the audience is, they’re aiming for,pop fans opera fans heavy metal fans or maybe gardening fans who got a bit mixed up seeing its being introduced by Allan titchmarsh.Roland villazon not many people ever heard of him before this program,katherine Jenkins went to America but soon came back and meatloaf and Laurence can’t think of any thing to say about these two.Lets just hope it soon ends and never comes back.
NigelW
5:21 pm, February 4, 2010
I think you are all taking it far too seriously. It’s just a bit more tv “entertainment”. it’s not mean’t to be serious and just follows the format of many other programmes of this type, Xfactor, Strictly, Dancing on Ice, Britains got Talent etc etc. The interest from the public in most of them is seeing the improvement in performances each week- no one’s trying to become a professional.
Frankly I find the same programme formatting a bit boring now and as for Popstars to Operastars I think the programme is saved by Rolando, who does not take it too seriously and is at least an opera star.
I notice too that Juliette is now singing some non operatic songs. It’s where the money is!!!
David
7:54 am, February 10, 2010
some good points Nigel , thanks.
I think you sum the format up well….boring.
You mentioned “non operatic songs”……have you heard Juliette’s EP yet?
Lee
3:58 pm, February 10, 2010
Being a boring old codger, I have watched every episode of Pop star to Opera Star, I have also seen the interviews Rolando has given on both Loose Women and The AT (Alan Titmarsh) shows. Yes, I know I am sad but each to his own. If any of you had seen and especially heard what Rolando had to say you would perhaps have understood the workings behind this programme.
They aren’t teaching anyone Opera singing, but teaching them to sing in a different way, how to breathe properly and how to use the complete different range of their voices. As Rolando said, to teach Opera would take years,as both Katherine and he freely admit. The programme is to show the public what goes in to teaching someone to sing “properly” There is another agenda according to both Rolando and Katherine and that is to get the general minions to go to a real opera to see how it is really done, and any publicity even bad publicity can only be a good thing.
Rant over
Lee
David
6:57 am, February 11, 2010
Lee.. I do not think anyone would call you boring!
The good thing about a blog is that hopefully a varied range of views can be discussed . You raise some interesting points…
I must admit to only having a brief peep at the program .
From the little I saw Rolando would appear to have rather a good sense of humour;)
Lee
9:50 am, February 11, 2010
Rolando is the only male opera singer that can bring a lump to my throat.
I think he is absolutely fabulous…and yes he has a great sense of humour. chakka chakka chakka…(Rolando’s meaning of tip top, spot on.)
Lee
PS Bernie Nolan (Mezzo I think) and Darius (Bass Baritone)could be in the final and if my life depended on it I couldn’t pick the winner if it does go head to head between those two. I might be swayed towards Bernie.
anita
7:48 pm, February 12, 2010
I love Rolando heard of him a couple of years ago when I saw him on The Classical Brits,and was gobsmacked he certainly made me take notice…
off the subject anyone saw Harry Hill TV Burp the past few weeks.. soo funny The K Factor and X factor spoof,people send in their knited characters, but they have a knitted `Rolando` as a judge!!
Philip
12:20 am, February 13, 2010
So if you feel like that about the show, how come you sing on it with Michael Lee Aday? Not for the money, surely?
Juliette
2:21 pm, February 13, 2010
Sadly I didn’t get paid a penny but the reason most artists appear on these television shows is to gain more exposure. Television is a wonderful way of reaching a much larger audience than a concert. Have to say it was worth it just to meet Rolando; I, like Anita and Lee am bowled over by his singing. What an artist. Have to say, having done the show, it was great fun so I think Lee and Nigel made some good points about accepting it as an enjoyable piece of entertainment. Doing a duet with Meatloaf will certainly be something to tell the grandchildren one day!
anita
2:29 pm, February 13, 2010
Its prime time TV and as Juliette said a great way of letting other people who may have never heard of her or know what she is about and those who do see her do something totally different, and this was different as was the ABBA medley she performed with Jon Christos last year in Salford.It was fun and as usual Juliette you looked fabulous….. loved the gown!!
david
3:33 pm, February 13, 2010
Huge fun…and a brave lady.
OK …I dont like the show all that much (although I think last night it seemed pretty OK) it is nice to see some honest opinions being shared . Well done Juliette for the entertainment, the smiles, the frock…..and the voice
D
Philip
5:56 pm, February 13, 2010
Telling your grandchildren is one thing, Juliette, letting them see a video clip of it is something else entirely.
You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself. I was very disparaging of the show before and after the first show but it has grown on me though I still find the audience and presenters irritating and half the panel (the non-classical dinging half) annoying.
If tv is exposure then not only have you had exposure Juliette, then so has opera and that’s no bad thing.
anita
12:59 pm, February 14, 2010
Love it or hate it,the programme is a bit of Tv fluff nothing else!! Like all these reaity type shows that get churned out time and time again,as someone said to me not too long ago whats next Mechanic To Brain Surgeon??
From the tiny bit I have seen I find KJ very irritating but then I always have….I`m sure Juliette had an enjoyble time somethig entirely different from what she usally does and thats no bad thing!