Droopsy Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thank you robi and nezza! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine64 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thank you Robertina and Nezza for posting and translating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 He went to the opera hoping that it would make justice of her story, that the audience could identify themselves in a part of her. He says that the opera was well-written, but that the audience could never empathise with Anna Nicole. In the opera he says that her son's death doesn't create any kind of emotion. But the sad thing he says is that how the opera reflects reality, in the sense that she was sacrificed to entertain the public, and the media turned her into a criminal. The opera could've reinvented her into a tragic heroine, on the same level as classical heroines of opera, but unfortunately for Anna Nicole this wasn't the case. The opera that had made so many people laugh made him sad, because a modern tragedy went wasted. Hmmm.. I would have thought that in a well-written opera the audience can identify with the heroine...This seems to be a contradiction. Maybe he means that the composer did not want the audience to relate to her at all. In a way, I understand it. ANS's story is not for the opera audience, more for people who go to see musicals, IMO (although I know it sounds snobby ). It's not that such audience would refuse to see operas about courtesans (or they'd never go to see LaTraviata ) yet, somehow in an opera you want to exclude any real life references and interpret the story via the music only. However, since this woman's story is 'too real' and only from a couple of years back, I would have never gone and see that. I know Mika loves the ideas of the format being at odds with the content but it does not necessarily work.. Sometimes you can't fight your prejudice and you don't even want to. I know other opera lovers thought it odd, too, as it was either on the ROH's website or twitter account that they had to explain to people how although this opera was about that ANS, the genre was still an opera... Obviously, people thought it was odd - me included:dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollipop_monkey Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) The original is already on Mikasounds I almost didn't notice it because you have to scroll the homepage to see it: http://www.mikasounds.com/blog/post/4230646773 ------------------------------ I was late. Traffic in London on this February night, had brought the city to a standstill. It was the premiere of the highly anticipated Anna Nicole Opera at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I abandoned my taxi and ran. A red carpet greeted celebrities as they walked in and the entire run of the show had long sold out. This was not a normal premiere, but it was not a normal show. Telling the story of American TV and tabloid celebrity Anna Nicole Smith’s life, this was a new commission and had been in development for over 5 years. I had been so excited that I had specifically requested to review the opera for La Repubblica. By the next morning I had cancelled my piece. Angered by what I had seen, I didn’t want to contribute to the media frenzy surrounding something that had missed the point in so many ways. Since I saw the first episode of her reality programme in 2002, I always liked Anna Nicole Smith. I respected her story, I liked the way she smiled and more than anything I felt compassion for her. I found her eccentricities funny but over all I felt sorry for the tragedy she endured in the last few years of her life. Anna Nicole was born in a small town in Texas, moved to Houston as a single mother at the age of 20. She found a job at a strip club and within a few years was posing for the cover and centrefold of Playboy magazine. It was at this time that Anna began her relationship with J. Howard Marshall, a billionaire oil tycoon. They eventually married, she was 27 and he was 89. She was successful as a model, even replacing Claudia Schiffer as the face of Guess. At this stage, her classic beauty didn’t hint at her turbulent life, which would later steal the limelight. Her billionaire husband died just over a year after their wedding. The legal disputes over Anna’s share of her husband’s fortune lasted over a decade. Anna eventually filed for bankruptcy and became a household name as a result of her much publicised case. In 2002 her reality TV show premiered on E Network. I was hooked. It lasted 2 years before being dropped. The show was a critical disaster and launched Anna into the final and most dangerous stage of her life. Now addicted to the media attention and living beyond her means, she became a parody of herself. Drug abuse became more and more evident. The worse she behaved the more attention she got. Once again, a celebrity’s demise became popular entertainment. The death of her shy son Daniel was the beginning of the end. His death was as tragic as they come. He died from an accidental overdose, whilst visiting his mother in her hospital room and some reports say he was in her bed. Five months later Anna Nicole was found dead in her room at a Florida hotel, with seven different prescription drugs found in her body. It is hard to imagine anyone reading this account of her life and not feeling some sort of compassion. The televised scenes of her sitting in the back of a limousine begging for pickled gherkins were ridiculous, but if you didn’t like her then you didn’t have to watch. Some women pass her off as a gold digging slut, who even posed for pornos. So what? Many people I know are gold diggers and they don’t get the same abuse she did. And why judge someone for making porn. It seems to be that as soon as a porn star becomes more than a faceless piece of meat, they become reviled. The only reason she was so hated by American media in particular, is because her and her situation got ugly. It was too in our face, there was nothing hidden. Anna became a mirror to the over medicated and indulgent and a parable to the dangers of exploitive media. She became too real. I went to the opera with a hope that some part of this story would be put right. I wanted the audience to see part of themselves in her. The first half was full of promise. The score by Mark-Anthony Turnage, was undeniably brilliant. Flicking between a-tonality, jazz and even hints of Sondhime melodic lyricism. The Libretto by Richard Thomas was eloquent and unapologetic, even if it did feel insincere. Storming through her life the audience laughed and laughed but that never that transcended into worry, compassion or self examination. Instead of black comedy or a Brechtian montage, Richard Jones’ direction left us with clever but cynical pantomime. Throughout the first half no empathy was established between the audience and Anna. Her son’s death in the second half comes as a sudden bump with no real emotional pay off. The saddest thing of all was that that was exactly how it felt when it happened in real life. The Opera could have done this mother and son story more justice. Anna was sacrificed for a laugh and made a villain in the media. The Opera could have created and reinvented an archetype and tragic protagonist as meaningful as any other operatic heroines. Sadly for Anna Nicole the opera failed to do that. It made many people laugh and made me sad because it seemed such a waste of a modern tragic true story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edited March 31, 2011 by lollipop_monkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn Mastin Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Bear with me guys, I'm a bit sleep deprived today... Ok, so the story behind this article is that he was sent by La Repubblica to see the opera about Anna Nicole Smith at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, last month. He was late arriving, caught up in traffic on the way there, and had to run once he got out of the taxi. He'd been asked to write a review of the opera, which tells the story of her life. But after seeing the opera he decided that he didn't want to contribute to the hype that had been created about this opera. He then goes on to write a bit about her life, and death. He says that he can't be indifferent about a life that was that tragic. He says people wrongly dismissed her as someone who was only after money. He says people hated her because she was too real, she was an example of what could happen to someone by being over-exposed in the media. He went to the opera hoping that it would make justice of her story, that the audience could identify themselves in a part of her. He says that the opera was well-written, but that the audience could never empathise with Anna Nicole. In the opera he says that her son's death doesn't create any kind of emotion. But the sad thing he says is that how the opera reflects reality, in the sense that she was sacrificed to entertain the public, and the media turned her into a criminal. The opera could've reinvented her into a tragic heroine, on the same level as classical heroines of opera, but unfortunately for Anna Nicole this wasn't the case. The opera that had made so many people laugh made him sad, because a modern tragedy went wasted. Thank you for the translation! As usual, Mika is right! The media is all about sensationalising peoples' lives. They always seem to want to bring people down and seem most happy when famous people have tragedies in their lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 The original is already on Mikasounds Perhaps someone has been reading MFC lately... *goes to read the original* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naectegale Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I think that's the best piece he's done so far - thoughtful and from the heart. And I am kicking myself for not only failing to go to the opera, but also missing the fact that it was on telly at the weekend :aah: Because then I would know if I agreed with him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucrezia Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 The original is already on Mikasounds I almost didn't notice it because you have to scroll the homepage to see it:http://www.mikasounds.com/blog/post/4230646773 ------------------------------ I was late. Traffic in London on this February night, had brought the city to a standstill. It was the premiere of the highly anticipated Anna Nicole Opera at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I abandoned my taxi and ran. A red carpet greeted celebrities as they walked in and the entire run of the show had long sold out. This was not a normal premiere, but it was not a normal show. Telling the story of American TV and tabloid celebrity Anna Nicole Smith’s life, this was a new commission and had been in development for over 5 years. I had been so excited that I had specifically requested to review the opera for La Repubblica. By the next morning I had cancelled my piece. Angered by what I had seen, I didn’t want to contribute to the media frenzy surrounding something that had missed the point in so many ways. Since I saw the first episode of her reality programme in 2002, I always liked Anna Nicole Smith. I respected her story, I liked the way she smiled and more than anything I felt compassion for her. I found her eccentricities funny but over all I felt sorry for the tragedy she endured in the last few years of her life. Anna Nicole was born in a small town in Texas, moved to Houston as a single mother at the age of 20. She found a job at a strip club and within a few years was posing for the cover and centrefold of Playboy magazine. It was at this time that Anna began her relationship with J. Howard Marshall, a billionaire oil tycoon. They eventually married, she was 27 and he was 89. She was successful as a model, even replacing Claudia Schiffer as the face of Guess. At this stage, her classic beauty didn’t hint at her turbulent life, which would later steal the limelight. Her billionaire husband died just over a year after their wedding. The legal disputes over Anna’s share of her husband’s fortune lasted over a decade. Anna eventually filed for bankruptcy and became a household name as a result of her much publicised case. In 2002 her reality TV show premiered on E Network. I was hooked. It lasted 2 years before being dropped. The show was a critical disaster and launched Anna into the final and most dangerous stage of her life. Now addicted to the media attention and living beyond her means, she became a parody of herself. Drug abuse became more and more evident. The worse she behaved the more attention she got. Once again, a celebrity’s demise became popular entertainment. The death of her shy son Daniel was the beginning of the end. His death was as tragic as they come. He died from an accidental overdose, whilst visiting his mother in her hospital room and some reports say he was in her bed. Five months later Anna Nicole was found dead in her room at a Florida hotel, with seven different prescription drugs found in her body. It is hard to imagine anyone reading this account of her life and not feeling some sort of compassion. The televised scenes of her sitting in the back of a limousine begging for pickled gherkins were ridiculous, but if you didn’t like her then you didn’t have to watch. Some women pass her off as a gold digging slut, who even posed for pornos. So what? Many people I know are gold diggers and they don’t get the same abuse she did. And why judge someone for making porn. It seems to be that as soon as a porn star becomes more than a faceless piece of meat, they become reviled. The only reason she was so hated by American media in particular, is because her and her situation got ugly. It was too in our face, there was nothing hidden. Anna became a mirror to the over medicated and indulgent and a parable to the dangers of exploitive media. She became too real. I went to the opera with a hope that some part of this story would be put right. I wanted the audience to see part of themselves in her. The first half was full of promise. The score by Mark-Anthony Turnage, was undeniably brilliant. Flicking between a-tonality, jazz and even hints of Sondhime melodic lyricism. The Libretto by Richard Thomas was eloquent and unapologetic, even if it did feel insincere. Storming through her life the audience laughed and laughed but that never that transcended into worry, compassion or self examination. Instead of black comedy or a Brechtian montage, Richard Jones’ direction left us with clever but cynical pantomime. Throughout the first half no empathy was established between the audience and Anna. Her son’s death in the second half comes as a sudden bump with no real emotional pay off. The saddest thing of all was that that was exactly how it felt when it happened in real life. The Opera could have done this mother and son story more justice. Anna was sacrificed for a laugh and made a villain in the media. The Opera could have created and reinvented an archetype and tragic protagonist as meaningful as any other operatic heroines. Sadly for Anna Nicole the opera failed to do that. It made many people laugh and made me sad because it seemed such a waste of a modern tragic true story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Already???? *Runs to read* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamp Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thanks !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertina Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 oh wow! MS beat them all! thank you mana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mina Alisa Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I didn't expect something like this but Mika always surprised me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) Richard Jones’ direction left us with clever but cynical pantomime. Throughout the first half no empathy was established between the audience and Anna. Her son’s death in the second half comes as a sudden bump with no real emotional pay off. Hmm... Was it only the direction though? I think it mainly depends the libretto but I haven't seen it, so Mika could be right. The Opera could have created and reinvented an archetype and tragic protagonist as meaningful as any other operatic heroines. Sadly for Anna Nicole the opera failed to do that. It made many people laugh and made me sad because it seemed such a waste of a modern tragic true story. I only heard of Anna Nicole Smith some years before her death, knowing only a simplified version of her life story that I can sum up in 1 sentence () but I understand how tragic her life might have been. At the same time I am not that interested and maybe that was the attitude of the person writing the libretto and the one directing the opera, too. They saw her that way - which, if true, IS a pity but mainly for 'artistic' reasons, IMO. If this opera even failed to achieve to be called a 'black comedy', I don't know what type of cathartic experience it could provide to the audience. A forgettable one, I suppose. Edited March 31, 2011 by suzie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naectegale Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) Our friend Leo Benedictus summed up all the reviews in the Guardian - it divided opinion http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/feb/21/anna-nicole-smith-opera-royal?INTCMP=SRCH And as for the comments Edited March 31, 2011 by Naectegale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Why would anyone make an opera about Anna Nicole Smith? Why would anyone want to see it? The real tragedy of this woman's life is that anyone paid her any attention in the first place. I don't get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naectegale Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Why would anyone make an opera about Anna Nicole Smith? Why would anyone want to see it? The real tragedy of this woman's life is that anyone paid her any attention in the first place. I don't get it She's a cultural icon of our times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 She's a cultural icon of our times I think I'd rather see Jerry Springer The Opera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 To be honest when I read about the subject... I didn´t try to read it as I did with the rest of the columns since I didn´t hear before about Anne Nicole and I don´t like opera at all. But reading Mika´s original,I´ve loved it. Not because the subject (I´ve read wikipedia and still I don´t like this woman) but because of Mika´s way of expressing himself. I absolutely loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Why would anyone make an opera about Anna Nicole Smith? Why would anyone want to see it? The real tragedy of this woman's life is that anyone paid her any attention in the first place. I don't get it Maybe it´s just me (I don´t watch telly) but I was about to say that no one knows this woman in Spain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertina Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Why would anyone make an opera about Anna Nicole Smith? Why would anyone want to see it? The real tragedy of this woman's life is that anyone paid her any attention in the first place. I don't get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiibet Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 It's such a tragedy I love him for writing columns like this :wub2: And I can't believe it's already on MS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 It's such a tragedy I love him for writing columns like this :wub2: And I can't believe it's already on MS yes,this is scary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Droopsy Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well, I just read the original and loved it Not because of the subject; I also only know her from the headlines. But because to me this is the first time that one of his columns actually felt like a real column So if he continues this way from now on, I'm sure I'll like the columns a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well, I just read the original and loved it Not because of the subject; I also only know her from the headlines.But because to me this is the first time that one of his columns actually felt like a real column So if he continues this way from now on, I'm sure I'll like the columns a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamy_Queen Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 At first I even didn't understand what happened. We shouldn't any more wait for half of the month to read it???? Wow Can't believe... Now I will go and read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) Why would anyone make an opera about Anna Nicole Smith? Why would anyone want to see it? The real tragedy of this woman's life is that anyone paid her any attention in the first place. I don't get it She's a cultural icon of our times Yes, that is the only tragedy about it. Basically, anyone can claim their 15 minutes of fame if they figure out the means to do it and funnily enough, the merits of these people are judged based on the level of fame they have achieved. If anything, this should have been addressed in the musical. This is a tragedy ( a person falling into pieces after being destroyed by the institutions that created her ) and not something to laugh about. If the opera failed to achieve that affect, it is not a good one, I suppose. Concerning his comparison of a gold digger to a porn star, I can actually see a clear difference but I must admit I don’t tend to seek the company of either of them. Edited March 31, 2011 by suzie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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