Jockey Club New Arts Power
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power, launched in 2017, is an annual Arts Festival presented by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council with the funding support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The Festival brings together established and emerging local artists to produce creative, approachable and engaging arts experiences for all. Over the past three years, 38 arts groups have participated in the Festival. Together they produced 72 live performances and a remarkable number of major exhibitions. Uniting art groups and various organisations from the social welfare, academic and commercial sectors, the festival held over 450 community and school events, reaching some 380,000 participants. JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power 2020 / 2021 will be held from September 2020, featuring a total of 9 selected programmes that include dance, theatre, music, xiqu, multimedia and visual arts exhibition, as well as presenting more than 100 community and school activities.
Table of Content About Bel Canto Singers ................................................................................................... 2 About When Mozart Meets Da Ponte .............................................................................. 3 Mozart and Da Ponte ........................................................................................................ 4 The Three Masterpieces Scored by Mozart and Da Ponte ............................................. 5 The Fight on Gender for over 300 Years .......................................................................... 6 On Genre: Opera .............................................................................................................. 7 Is Opera Accessible to All? .............................................................................................. 10 Bel Canto Singers’ New Attempts to Rearrange Operas ................................................ 11 A cappella ........................................................................................................................ 12 Rearrangement Treasure Hunt at When Mozart Meets Da Ponte ................................ 13 Opera and Pop Culture ................................................................................................... 14 (Note: The English version is translated from the Chinese version. In case of discrepancies between the two versions, the Chinese version shall prevail.)
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 1 ·
About Bel Canto Singers
Bel Canto Singers was founded by a group of vocal music graduates from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1997. Led by tenor David Quah, Bel Canto Singers is committed to introducing a wide range of vocal music to the local and international audiences, from Baroque to contemporary and classical to jazz, blending eastern and western influences. Bel Canto Singers collaborates with local composers in numerous operas, musicals, recordings, overseas tours and productions. Aspiring to amplifying the voices of Hong Kong, Bel Canto Singers continues to educate local young musicians. Besides concerts, Bel Canto Singers reaches out to schools and communities to bring music to the ears of different sectors of the community. Projects include the edutaining “Music that Tells a Story” series for schools, “Musical Theatre for All” as part of the Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme, and the Tao Arts – Community Arts Scheme “Our Days Down South”, both by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Since 2017, Bel Canto Singers has been supported by the Matching Fund Scheme under the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. It has presented signature works such as the crossover Schubert song cycle “Xu Zhimo & Schubert’s Schwanengesang”, original musicals The Happy Prince & The Other Wise Man and Esther, as well as the pop opera When Mozart Meets Da Ponte. FB: @HKBelCantoSingers IG: @belcantosingers
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 2 ·
About When Mozart Meets Da Ponte
Legendary composer Mozart and librettist Da Ponte were the most famous duo in the history of classical opera. Their collaboration had resulted in three extraordinary masterpieces – Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni – that form the backbone of standard Italian opera repertoire and are still enjoyed by many up to this day. Bel Canto Singers’ Music Director David Quah takes the baton and rearranges songs from these three operas to different styles including pop, rock, jazz, a capella and even beatbox. The show cleverly brings to life beloved characters from the three operas, as well as Mozart and Da Ponte themselves, in a modern day farce to hysterical effect, creating a humourous and relaxed atmosphere for our audience. The cast is here to entertain with their tremendous talents, allowing an audience of all ages to spend a fun-filled night of glee and laughter.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 3 ·
Mozart and Da Ponte Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) Born in Salzburg, Mozart was a composer and pianist of the Classical period. Held as a child prodigy, Mozart began touring around Europe with his father since young age. He had already penned a number of works at the age of 6 and was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court at 17. Throughout his life he fabricated more than 600 pieces, covering nearly all formats and genres: symphonies, concertos, operas, and even religious and chamber music. His final opus – Requiem in D minor – was largely unfinished at the moment of his early death at 35. Recognised as epitome of Classical period music, Mozart’s oeuvre has casted substantial impacts on posterity. Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749 – 1838) Da Ponte was a celebrated librettist and poet of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was Jewish by birth; his father converted himself and his family to Roman Catholicism in order to marry again. At the age of 24, Da Ponte was ordained a priest and relocated to Venice, where he began versing poetry in Italian and Latin. 6 years later, however, he was dismissed from the church for his dissolute lifestyle. Through twists and turns, he managed to obtain the post of Italian opera librettist, working with Mozart. The two co-created 3 Italian operas: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
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The Three Masterpieces Scored by Mozart and Da Ponte When Mozart Meets Da Ponte features rearranged songs and re-invented plots from the three classic operas by the duo - The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte. But what exactly are their original stories about? The Marriage of Figaro (Premiered in 1786) Figaro, the personal valet to Count Almaviva, is about to marry Susanna – the maid of Countess Rosina Almaviva. Although the Count has abandoned his “droit du seigneur” of Susanna, he is still eagerly seeking to bed her. Meanwhile, Cherubino, the Count’s page, has cultivated romantic feelings towards the Countess. In his rage, Count Almaviva deploys Cherubino for immediate military service. Consequently, Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess conspire to defy the Count. The Marriage of Figaro was initially banned because of its social satire. Eventually, Da Ponte managed to convince Joseph II, the emperor of Austria, to approve of the show. Don Giovanni (Premiered in 1787) A two-act opera based on the legends of Don Juan, a licentious Spanish nobleman. Affluent and attractive, he sweet talks his way into the beds of countless women. His courting adventure is recorded by his servant, Leporello. After failing to seduce Donna Anna, the daughter of a military officer in Sevilla, Don Juan is challenged by her father, who tried to defend her but is killed in the duet. Gradually, Don Juan’s acts of luring sundry women lead him to the gate of hell. Don Giovanni is on the list of the most-performed operas in the world. Così fan tutte (Premiered in 1790) Don Alfonso, a cynical bachelor, wagers two young soldiers – Ferrando and Guglielmo – that their sweethearts will prove unfaithful if given the chance. Having confidence about their own relationship, the two accept the bet. They tell their lovers that they have been called to the front and leave Naples. Afterwards, they disguise themselves as gentleman from exotic countries and pursue each other’s fiancé.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
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The Fight on Gender for over 300 Years Conceived in the latter half of the 18th century, the three collaborations of Mozart and Da Ponte have a history of 300 years. Certain ideas in their plays regarding marriage, power distribution between men and women, and the autonomy of women, have become obsoleted due to reform and development of these concepts in various degrees over the past 3 centuries. “Droit du Seigneur” in The Marriage of Figaro “Droit du seigneur” refers to the legal right allowing feudal lords to take the virginity of women from subordinate classes in their land. Practiced during medieval Europe, such right may sound unimaginable for modern society. It reflects not only the problem of gender inequality but also the uneven distribution of power caused by economic disparity. As a matter of fact, because of its mockery of federalism, The Marriage of Figaro provoked strong disapproval from noble houses and was initially banned in Austria. Gender Relation in Don Giovanni Leading a lecherous life, Don Giovanni’s sexual encounters are chronicled by his servant, Leporello. Don’s partners, like soulless objects, are lured and then abandoned without any sense of autonomy. Regarding this, 5 years after the debut of the show, Mary Wollstonecraft the British author published what is known as the first book that advocates feminism, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Produced by Bel Canto Singers, When Mozart Meets Da Ponte features rearranged songs and re-invented plots from three classic operas by the duo - The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte. Leaving aside outdated themes mentioned above, When Mozart Meets Da Ponte dissolves the distance between operas and contemporary audience.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
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On Genre: Opera Originating from the plural of Latin word “opus” which means “work of art”, opera is comprised of these major components: music, singing, and libretto (the script). Its performance units resemble that of drama, including such classic theatre elements as stage designs, plots, and costumes. The history of opera can be traced back to Italy during the end of 16th century. It was subsequently promoted throughout Europe and each country established its own distinctive style of production. Music In an opera, music plays a more prominent role than the script. An opera composer would consider orchestra as the major device for music arrangement; the actual size of ensemble can be customised for practical purposes. During the early era, composers prioritised graceful tunes and regarded stories as less significant. This was prevalent among the undertakings by Mozart and Rossini. Afterwards, during the Romantic period, there existed a more intertwining relationship between the music movement and the script. Wagner, for instances, drafted the play by himself. Furthermore, he would employ a vaster scope of music instruments for his compositions, thus adding a touch of diversity and personal style to them.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
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Singing Bel Canto is deemed as a critical singing technique for opera singers. Through chest and nasal resonances, they produce rich and smooth voices in the most natural manner, combing both head voice and falsetto. The dominance of Bel Canto reached its peak during early 19th century when tenor and soprano were favoured for leading roles in the opera. Other prevailing voice types are baritone, bass, countertenor, mezzo-soprano, contralto, and coloratura soprano.
There are two modes of singing in opera: • Recitativo – no concrete melody and serves the narrative function. • Aria – a formal musical composition that express the feelings of characters. When Mozart Meets Da Ponte poses a substantial challenge for vocalists, who receive traditional training, to perform tunes arranged with brand-new style and rhythm with conventional Bel Canto technique.
La Ci Darem La Mano is a song excerpted from Don Giovanni, the recitativo starts from the beginning to 2:48 while the aria begins at 2:49.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
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Libretto Early Italian operas adopts the standard of baroque opera, which can be further divided into two categories: opera seria and opera buffa. The former appeals to noble houses, merchants, and well-educated groups; the latter, by addressing ongoing social issues, enjoy popularity among public audience. All the three collaborations of Mozart and Da Ponte - The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte - belong to opera buffa. Performed in Italian, The Marriage of Figaro was adapted from a play under the same title, Don Giovanni was an adaptation, and Così fan tutte was a drama giocoso conceived by Da Ponte. The 10 Most Performed Operas in 2017-18 (according to operabase.com)
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 9 ·
Is Opera Accessible to All?
1/ Dad: What are you listening to? Daughter: I’m enjoying an opera. 2/ Dad: An opera? I don’t understand anything about it, be it the music or its performance. Daughter: An opera can be interesting. Check it out! 3/ Dad: Hang on, I recognize this piece, this is the theme song of 1990 World Cup held in Italy! Daughter: This is Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot! (No wonder it was picked as the theme song…) 4/ Dad: You know that was the first tournament Roberto Baggio capped for the Italy national team, but they couldn’t make it to the final. West Germany defeated Argentina by a marginal goal… Daughter: Dad, I won’t have time to sleep if you go on like this… The above daily conversation illustrates an example debunking the stereotypical notion that “opera as a traditional western art form is ungraspable for ordinary people.” With the current production, Bel Canto Singers attempt to convert opera to something as accessible as pop music and broaden its diversity of audience.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 10 ·
Bel Canto Singers’ New Attempts to Rearrange Operas Adapting songs from The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte, David Quah - the music director of Bel Canto Singers - rearranges every track chosen to modern and pop styles and incorporates additional elements to traditional opera. David has shared his thoughts on his arrangement in the following paragraphs. Q&A on opera adaptation: Q1: Why did you decide to adapt music by Mozart? The tunes by Mozart and other composers of Classical period are ineffable; one can easily resonate with them. Furthermore, the music of Classical period is wellstructured, like blank comic strips, but still allow enormous room for modification. For instances, under the same, unchanging melody, considerable variation can be made to its beats, rhythm, and timbre. Q2: What hurdles does one need to deal with when one is adapting operas from other periods? Apart from the structure of music, one has to consider whether there is a similarity between the accompaniment and lead melodies. For instances, in the later Romantic period, Verdi’s accompaniment was written without lead, which therefore offers heaps of opportunity for rearrangement. By contrast, in the work of Puccini, who appeared slightly later Verdi, the orchestra accompaniment and vocal lead are identical, as Puccini intended to bolster and strengthen the power of singing. Such structure leaves little room for rearrangement. Q3: What kind of music have you used for your rearrangement? We’ve utilised a multitude of contemporary and pop music genres, covering rock, pop, disco, metal, jazz, bossa nova, funk, and big band. Our vocalists will also present a song in a cappella and accompanied by beatbox.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 11 ·
A cappella “A cappella”, an Italian term meaning “in chapel”, refers to vocal performance without instrumental accompaniment. It may contain such elements as lead vocal and beatbox. The rule of harmony, characterised by soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass, was gradually confirmed during the baroque and classical period. On the other hand, a cappella continues to mature in popular culture in disparate countries. A cappella can operate as a trio, quartet, and ensemble. Moreover, through simulated instrumental or nature sound, it may adopt arrangement that parallels to orchestra or pop music. Modern a cappella may also present completely new tunes with only human voices by incorporating jazz harmony, beatbox techniques, synthesized percussion, microphone, and synthesizers. Examples of a cappella genres: Classical a cappella Pop a cappella The King’s Singers Pentatonix
Jazz a cappella Manhattan Transfer
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Gospel a cappella Take 6
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Rearrangement Treasure Hunt at When Mozart Meets Da Ponte To make their show more amusing, Bel Canto Singers have implemented a horde of modern music styles in When Mozart Meets Da Ponte. These rearranged tunes are real hidden gems waiting to be explored. Treasure no.1 Apart from the Big Bang style, Non più andrai – a solo by Figaro – is accompanied by a familiar melody…yes, it is Money, Money, Money by Abba the acclaimed Swedish band. Treasure no. 2 Soave sia il vento is a trio from Così fan tutte. There seems to be a familiar melody apart from its lead…yes, it is the Prelude No. 1 in C Major by J.S. Bach, the “Father of Music” in Baroque period. Treasure no. 3 The soprano aria - Batti, Batti, O Bel Masetto from Don Giovanni - is rearranged in jazz style. Could you notice the consistent playing of double bass that imitates footsteps? It is a common technique in blues and jazz called walking bassline.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 13 ·
Opera and Pop Culture While opera is a form of performing art, its original play, after going through centuries, may become out-of-date due to changes in customary convention and advancements in society. Its exquisite tunes, however, have managed to inherit themselves in individual forms. Certain recognizable melodies have continued to thrive as pop songs in miscellaneous cultures. Original: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle in Carmen Chinese Lyrics: Lee Tsin-chin Vocal: Ge Lan It is a song from The Wild, Wild Rose - a 1960 Hong Kong’s musical film starring Ge Lan. Revolving around a rebellious and captivating singer, the movie tells the same story of Carmen, the French opera. Song: “Shine under the Shadows of the Trees” Original: Deh, vieni alla finestra (Oh, come to the window) from Mozart’s Don Giovanni Chinese Lyrics: Brian Tse Arrangement: Ng Cheuk-yin Vocal: Anthony Perry, Ng Yin, YAT PO SINGERS, Chiu Wai-tak, Shirley Pau, Alex Tam, Albert Lim, Hong Kong Treble Choir A track from The Pork Of Music, an animation movie. Retaining certain opera elements, the original aria is now produced in a cappella style; some of its male singings are delivered with bel canto technique.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 14 ·
Participating Art Group: Bel Canto Singers
Publisher: Hong Kong Arts Development Council Editor: Cultural Connections Design: Fundamental Date: August, 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
When Mozart Meets Da Ponte · 15 ·