OPERA—PARK AND BARK, VERISMO, BUT ALWAYS RIDING THE RAZOR EDGE OF ABSURDITY
IN HER A MAD LOVE: AN INTRODUCTION TO OPERA, Vivien Schweitzer describes “park and bark” singers as those “who mostly stand immobile, or limit themselves to stock gestures, as was … Continue reading
July 22, 2025 · 3 Comments
RIDING THE RAZOR EDGE
SIR PETER USTINOV SAID (and I never tire of quoting) “Opera rides the razor edge of absurdity.” Even sans mythical beings, opera verismo (Italian: “realistic opera”) fits Sir Peter’s characterization. … Continue reading
March 18, 2024 · Leave a comment
MANAGING OPERA CHAOS PART 2
“OPERA,” SIR PETER USTINOV said, “rides the razor edge of absurdity.” And, as discussed yesterday in Part 1, it’s only through adroit control by stage managers that chaos is avoided. … Continue reading
August 19, 2020 · Leave a comment
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