Classical And Modern Natural Art Forms - Case Study Example

? Opera and Films – Compare and Contrast Essay Opera and Films are two forms of entertainment that have been invented from various other natural art forms such as music, singing, dancing, acting, etc. Both opera and films have attracted and entertained audience over the years. Opera was first invented in the 17th century and since then has undergone numerous changes but at the same time has retained its original flair (Metropolitan Opera Guild, 1982). Opera can be considered as a classical form of entertainment when compared to films which were invented in the late 19th century. Both forms of entertainment have a lot of similarities and at the same time differences. This paper is aimed at comparing and contrasting the two forms of entertainment: Opera (Classical) and Films (Modern). In order to do so, first the two forms of entertainment will be briefly discussed. Opera Opera is a multi-dimensional art form that brings numerous art forms together. It is all art forms rolled into one. The numerous arts that are present in an opera are costumes (couture), story (theatre), sets (visual art), dance (choreography), lighting (technical art), singing (vocal art), drama (acting) and orchestra (music) (Zouves, 2009). All these arts converge and result in a perfect performing art called opera. Films Films are also an art form and more importantly the most liked and appreciated modern form of entertainment. Films too like an opera use different art forms to produce a single art form (Livingston, 2009). A film is different from other art forms in the way that it records and captures the performance as a series of images and then reproduces it to be watched multiple times without actually having to put in the efforts. That it reproduces the performance as and when desired. Stage Stage is a very important aspect during an opera performance. Appropriate use of the entire stage is very essential in order to grab the attention of the audience. If the stage is not used to the best effect, then an opera act will not be able to integrate itself with the musical idiom of the operatic text, ideas and the atmosphere (Parker, 2001). The entire act is performed on a single stage including orchestra which will be stationed on the stage. An opera performance requires frequent re-formation of the stage to suit the scenarios (Ewans, 2007). On the other hand, films don’t have a centralised stage like an opera. Films are shot on real locations and artificial sets put up to portray real places. More than the use of the stage, the way it is captured by the camera is more important. The priority in a film is in the way the stage is designed and captured rather than the use of it by artists. The stage in a film is more dynamic and interactive as compared to a stage in an opera. Choreography Choreography is present in opera. Choreography is what makes the performance more attractive and appealing to the audience. Choreography is of prime importance in an opera as this is what catches the eye of the audience. Choreography is also important in order to make proper use of the stage space (Harewood, 2001). Choreography is necessary in a film but not as vital as in an opera. The films worldwide have different styles of film making and choreography is used differently in each style. For example, a musical will use choreography to the best while a drama will concentrate on other aspects of film making. Visual elements Visual elements are of minimum use in an opera. The main attraction in an opera is the artists, music and the chorography. Hence, any visual elements used will add only a little value to the performance considering the primary factors. In a film, Visual elements play a very important role and are essential for the overall quality of the output. The various aspects of film making that need the proper use of visual elements are design of the set, photography, architecture, graphic design, etc. Amalgams Opera is an amalgam of various other art forms such as theatre, dance, music, design, etc. The various art forms combined together lead to an opera. Films are also an amalgam of numerous art forms such as dance, theatre, music, photography, design, etc. Similar to opera, a good film needs to be a proper blend of the various art forms. Dimension Opera is a single piece of performance. They are conceived and produced as a single creation. The performance is continuous and is in real time. There are no repetitions of the acts in case of mistake. A film is also treated as a single performance. Like opera, it is also concaved and produced as a single creation. Both opera and films are similar to each other in the conceiving and perception. But the film is different from a opera in its making. A film is not real-time and is shot at different times. All the captures are then accumulated and designed to produce a single piece of creation. Music Music plays an important role in both the opera and films. In an opera, music is used to tell a story. It is through music that the whole story is narrated to the audience. Without music an opera will be another dance or theatre performance. It is the music that gives opera its distinguishing quality. In films, music is used to create a mood and it is very rare that music is used to tell a story. There are many silent movies or movies that have little or no music at all. The story is narrated through dialogue and music is used to create the mood and feel of the movie. Performance Performance in an opera has no room for error. The artists need to give their best performance as the performance is continuous, without break and to a live audience. Also the artists need to sing in their own voices and do the dances themselves. They is no provision to create an illusion by using technology. In films, artists have the freedom to work on their performance until they achieve the desired result. The reason for this is that performing in a film is not to a live audience. The whole film is shot in parts and then edited to make complete film. Also the artists can use voice-over and body doubles to perform dangerous or difficult acts. Also they can fall back on technology to create better output. Audience Audience in an opera play a more active role. As the performance is to the live audience, any reaction from the audience will have a direct impact on the performance of the artists. Audience’s reaction can be both appreciation and criticism. Audience of a film play a passive role as the performance is not live. The reaction of the audience will not have a direct impact on the performance of the artists. Conclusion Opera and films are unique and bring in a different flair. They each have their own target audience and styles of performance. But have evolved from numerous other art forms and in some cases interrelated. Works Cited Ewans, M. (2007). Opera from the Greek: studies in the poetics of appropriation. VT: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Harewood, G.H.H.L. (2001). Opera, Volume 52, Issues 7-12. Rolls House Pub. Co., Livingston, P. (2009). The Routledge companion to philosophy and film. NY: Routledge. Print. Metropolitan Opera Guild (1982). Opera news, Volume 47, Issues 1-8. The University of California. Print. Parker, R. (2001). The Oxford illustrated history of opera. New York: Oxford University Press. Print. Zouves, M (2009). “Why Opera? The Incredible Human Voice”. Tampa Bay Magazine Vol. 24, No. 4. p156. Print. Read More