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Opera as spiritual experience
A dark auditorium can bring up many emotions. This space that we encounter frequently as opera lovers can sometimes feel overwhelming. As our day winds down, often opera takes the place of meetings, work, errands and other stimulation - most notably for me, my phone! As a society, we forget this power of live communion. We forget that when we watch opera, we are not only confronting the story on stage, but also our own emotional space. We are together, yet also alone. It is within this space that we give over our time to something bigger, something beautiful and open ourselves up to being changed.
I recently went to see the ENO’s staging of Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. As I arrived alone at the Coliseum, I felt a familiar anxiety as I prepared to encounter 60 minutes of letting go – not something I’m very good at. However dark and diÿcult this grief-stricken production was, it was also deeply spiritual. I felt a sense of renewal and a new acceptance that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else.
For many people, the church is a space of processing, grieving, celebration and community, but for others it holds diÿcult connotations. Coming together to watch live opera can enter us into a similar space of meditation – our reactions are our own and how it moves us (or fails to move us) is in itself a beautiful phenomenon.
When we talk about the validity of the arts, we often leave out the power of that deep spirituality of being with others. Opera is for all, because we can be together, sharing the space, celebrating the wonder of art without needing to use the right words. It’s easy to forget this.
As we explore the art form’s ever evolving life, you may also notice some new additions to the magazine, beginning with a new monthly column from Andrew Mellor, facilitating important discussions about opera and its future. We also have countertenor Iestyn Davies as our cover star, plotting his extraordinary career ahead of performing at Garsington this summer.
As I ponder what to go and experience in the world of opera this summer, I will also try to enter into the presence of the occasion and be open to it moving me spiritually. I may not always find the right words when someone asks ‘what did you think?’, but I have my own, personal, relationship to that precious time in the present moment.
Hattie Butterworth
@operanow fb.com/operanow
Opera Now captures the drama, colour and vitality of one of the most powerful of all the performing arts. In our print and digital issues, we showcase the creative spirit of opera, both on stage and behind the scenes, with profiles of opera companies, singers, directors and designers. Our in-depth features reflect how diverse cultural elements have influenced opera, including travel, history, literature, art, architecture, politics and philosophy.
Our lively reviews and opinion pages are a platform for writers and critics drawn from all over the world. Our aim is to inspire our opera-loving readers to broaden their knowledge and deepen their passion for this fascinating and stimulating artform.
