16-18 February 2007 Press kit Table of content 1. Press release p. 3 2. The European Opera Days, by Bernard Foccroulle p. 4 3. Opera, mirror of Europe, by Gerard Mortier p. 5 4. The future of opera, by Nicholas Payne p. 6 5. Youth and Opera, by Federico Mayor Zaragoza p. 7 6. The European Opera Days around Europe p. 8 7. The European Opera Days in Paris p. 11 a. Conference programme b. Performances 8. The European Opera Days partners p. 14 a. Opera Europa b. Fedora c. RESEO d. Opéra national de Paris e. Réunion des Opéras de France f. Opera XXI g. Professional Chamber of Opera Managers h. Juvenilia i. Other partners 9. Opera Ambassadors p. 19 10. Tous à l’Opéra!, by Laurent Hénart p. 20 11. The revival of Opera in Spain p. 21 12. Recent landmark productions p. 22 13. Opera, alive and kicking p. 26 14. Opera in the community p. 28 15. Opera education, by Katie Tearle p. 29 16. Opera and modern music p. 30 17. Opera and the movies, by Serge Toubiana p. 31 18. Opera and architecture: new opera houses p. 32 19. Opera and fashion p. 35 20. Famous people and opera p. 36 21. Quotes on opera p. 37 22. Fun facts about opera p. 39 23. Contact details p. 41 2 1. Press release European Opera Days – celebrating 4 centuries of "Opera" During the weekend of 16 to 18 February 2007, opera houses all around Europe are inviting neighbours, fans and critics, new and existing audiences to (re)discover the amazing world of opera in their community and all around Europe. Each and every one will be given the opportunity to live the opera experience in a unique way! The same weekend, the European Opera Days conference will be hosted by the Opéra national de Paris. Opera professionals, members of the audience, decision makers, artists and media representatives will meet to discuss opera’s role and future. Young delegates selected by opera houses all around Europe will be invited to take part in the activities and debates on opera and its place in society. The three-day conference will explore subjects on 'the European Opera heritage, its diversity and common values', 'working with and for new publics' and 'the future of Opera’. José Manuel Barroso, Bernard Foccroulle, Peter Eötvös, Peter Gelb, Gerard Mortier, Deborah Warner, and many others, will contribute to the debates. On www.operadays.eu , readers, listeners, viewers can find out what's happening in their community, learn more about opera or discover how to participate in the Paris conference. The year 2007 marks the 400th anniversary of opera’s first masterpiece, Monteverdi’s Orfeo . It creates a unique opportunity to speak across national barriers to the public of today. You will find attached the European Opera Days press kit. Diverse subjects are covered, ranging from reflections on the future of Opera and its role in Europe, to opera and fashion, passing by opera in the community and opera fun facts. You will find an impressive overview of new opera houses, as well as a list of famous people linked to opera and opera quotes. Please take a look at our Opera Ambassadors list – we are proud that these artists agreed to be the face is this unique initiative. They look forward to sharing their views on today’s opera with you. If you’re interested in participating in or if you want more information on the European Opera Days and its conference please send your request to [email protected] . The European Opera Days are a joint initiative of Opera Europa, Fedora, Reseo and Opéra national de Paris, in partnership with the Réunion des Opéras de France, Opera XXI and CPDO. The project is under the leadership of Federico Mayor Zaragosa (president of Fedora, ex-president of Unesco), Gerard Mortier (general director of l’Opéra National de Paris, ex-president of Fedora and Intendant of the Salzburger Festspiele), Bernard Foccroulle (general director of La Monnaie, president of Opera Europa) and Nicholas Payne (director of Opera Europa, ex- general director of English National Opera and director of the Royal Opera Covent Garden). 3 2. The European Opera Days, by Bernard Foccroulle From Paris to Moscow, from Lisbon to Helsinki, opera is an art which for four centuries has taught European citizens to overcome linguistic and national barriers and to share a common heritage. From Europe, opera has developed towards the whole world. It carries a certain vision of the world, it is a mirror of human emotions and it puts on stage humanist values which have contributed to the emergence of democracy. The European Opera Days will provide an ideal opportunity for hundreds of participants, and in particular many young people from all over Europe, to compare on the basis of the operatic repertory their respective sensibilities and their common identity. European opera possesses an unusually collaborative dynamic. Often considered a luxurious and elitist art, it welcomes each year among its audiences tens of millions of spectators, it affects a growing number of children and young people, and it generates substantial economic returns. Right across Europe, partnerships are being established between opera houses, schools and universities, written and broadcast media, private business and public authorities. What can we expect from these partnerships? Does opera thereby risk losing its soul, or on the contrary will it win a new recognition? From what will opera’s future be made? Is there a risk of witnessing the burn-out of a genre which may not be sufficiently regenerated by popular creations? Where can one identify the signs of a renewal of opera? Besides the more publicised activities, some experiences are gradually coming to light: creations outside traditional spaces, opera productions in the suburbs or in schools, creation of intercultural and multimedia works, interventions from new technologies, etc. The European Opera Days give us the dream occasion to see clearly, to exchange good practices, to make known the most innovative and promising experiences to the public, the media and the decision makers. Bernard Foccroulle President of Opera Europa 4 3. Opera, mirror of Europe, by Gerard Mortier The fragility of the construction of Europe shows us that the moment has come for a reflection on the why and the how of a future Europe. In any case, limitless consumption and the free market cannot be the final goal of it. They are precisely the opposite of the historical evolution of Europe as a social and political entity and they carry within themselves cynicism and nihilism. The great problem of Europe today therefore lies in the fact that it is part of a perspective wherein worship of material choice overshadows basic reflection on principles. This reflection is rendered all the more difficult by the almost complete disappearance of our historical consciousness and of the references of an artistic tradition. We must awaken and teach this historical awareness. The approach to art is indeed too often an expression of art’s consumption, even though the deep knowledge and study of works of art makes possible a realisation of the spectacular evolution of European thought, of the road which leads from the Empires to the Declaration of the rights of man. Büchner’s Danton’s Death, for example, shows the problem which the historical Danton presents and exposes the question of the (non-) chances of a revolution. One grasps better the evolution of a woman’s position in western society by reading Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Wedekind’s Lulu; the modern myths of Faust and Don Juan uncover for us the hubristic thinking and desires of European man; it is through the understanding of European theatre from Greek tragedy, passing through Elizabethan theatre, the bourgeois drama of the 19 th century and the musical drama of Verdi, and of Wagner, up until the films of Buñuel, Pasolini, Fellini, Bergman and Kubrick, that political debate in Parliament takes all its meaning and that democracy can be fully understood. Europe will only get accustomed itself to the condition that European citizens become aware of this history of the arts of this great historical evolution and of the fundamental inheritance of the Enlightenment. Opera, specific form of this heritage, is an ideal mirror in which European man can study himself and wonder about his hopes, his failings, his Utopias. For that, it is necessary to throw the mirror out of the ‘curiosity shop’, and to make from it a living and fascinating reflection of man in our time. Gerard Mortier General Director of Opéra national de Paris 5 4. The future of opera, by Nicholas Payne Four centuries old, where lies the future of this mythological hybrid beast – opera? Despite its magnificent heritage, opera is not a collection of masterpieces to be looked after by the curator of a museum. It belongs in the theatre, where it comes alive through the reinterpretation of contemporary artists. Because it is a live event experienced in the company of an audience, its outcome cannot be entirely predicted. There lies part of its fascination. In the culture of the 21 st century, opera must compete with an increasing variety of entertainments. Film came to dominate popular taste in the 20 th century. The worldwide internet has created new forms of individual access in the 21 st century. Most new music is amplified. Opera needs to come to terms with these changes, to confront them or embrace them. Some leading practitioners – composers, directors, filmmakers, creative producers – will show their response to these challenges during the European Opera Days in Paris.