CHENNAI : The opera tradition in Western Classical Music took centre stage on Friday evening at the Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan. ‘A Celebration of the Opera’, staged by Ensemble Chromatics, a group of 15 soloists, acquainted the audience with excerpts from masterpieces such as Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Beethoven’s Fidelio and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.
The evening was educational and entertaining for the gathering, which included parents, children and the elderly, as they were introduced to the classicism and authenticity of the opera form. The soloists, who acted each scene as they sang, were accompanied on the piano and violin by other members of the group.
Giving life to the greats
The performance was directed by Augustine Paul and included Arias from French, German and Italian Opera. The soloists, who acted each scene as they sang, were accompanied by the piano, strings and woodwind music. “I’ve seen many concerts and performances here, so it made me wonder why not perform in this beautiful place,” Paul recalled. A pamphlet detailing the storyline of each act helped the audience enjoy the show.
Over a span of two hours, works of the greats like Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Humperdinck, Offenbach and Massenet were performed. The performers were clothed in costumes befitting each storyline. For an audience unfamiliar with European languages, the combination of music and movement helped convey the emotion. It also took the audience back to the culture and society of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Other works that were performed include Hansel and Gretel, Les Contes d’ Hoffman, Le Cid, La Boheme, Romeo and Juliet, and Questa o Quella.
Driven by passion
“Chromatics is a bunch of talented kids who have taken the passion for opera, something that is very rare here. Many of them haven’t even seen a full-length live opera yet,” said Paul. The youngest of the ensemble, Sancia Czecilia Divina, has just graduated from school. She said, “I have always loved opera. This was my first performance and I had to learn it in two weeks.”
The performers included Roshini Sharon, Dinah Thomas, Anjana Rajagopalan, Ebenezer Arun Kumar, Allan Samuel, Vijay Chacko, Maalavika Shankar, Maanbu T, Regis Tony SD, Amirthavarshini, Manisha Shankaran, Prashant Gasper, Namitha Babu, Shilvi Sharon and Dobbin Raj. The group has performed successful concerts across cities in South India.