Opera Cinema: A New Cultural Experience [Paperback]

Since 2006, leading opera companies have beamed their shows to thousands of cinema screens all over the world  live. 'Opera cinema' is the most successful marriage of this elaborate, esoteric art form and the silver screen. In the twenty-first century, more people watch opera on cinema screens than the stage. But what is different about watching Massenet at the multiplex, compared to a traditional stage performance? Is opera cinema a new, hybrid art form in its own right, or merely a new way of engaging with an old one? Is it bringing new opera fans into the fold? Is there a danger it could one day eclipse the stage altogether? This book deals with these questions by charting the history of opera transmissions, exploring how digital media changes our relationship with culture and inviting a group of 'opera virgins' to give their impressions on this developing cultural experience.An investigation into opera simulcasts to cinemas (opera cinema) by exploring the ontology, history and audience formations of this hybrid performance experience.Joseph Attardcompleted his PhD in Film Studies at King's College London, UK in 2018 and is now an academic author and political journalist. His research focuses on the intersection be-tween media technology, social science and politics, the latter from a Marxist perspective. Most recently, he co-edited and contributed to a special edition ofOpera Quarterlythemed around the subject of opera cinema.

I am excited for the many additional avenues for research and scholarship this book identifies and empowers the fields of musicology, media studies, and sound studies to explore. The Opera Journal

This is the first in-depth study of its kind to look at the contemporary culture phenomenon of Opera Cinema, providing much needed and highly nuanced insights into its production, reception and position within the global screen industries. Combining both historical and contemporary perspectives, Attard providelÃÕ