Preference Dimensions of the Estonian Opera-Consumer: a Comparison of the Audiences at Opera Houses and Mediated Opera Performances

BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE Article

Preference Dimensions of the Estonian Opera-Consumer: A Comparison of the Audiences at Opera Houses and Mediated Opera Performances

SILJA LANI, University of Tartu, Estonia; email: [email protected]

70 DOI: 10.1515/bsmr-2017-0013 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE ABSTRACT This article presents the results of a study in which the Estonian audiences of various stage versions of the same opera (live opera theatre performance and live-in-HD, which were shown at cinemas) during the same season were compared in a social constructivist paradigm to underline whether, and to what extent, audiences’ membership, cultural consumption preferences, attitudes, expectations, values and perceptions differ or coincide, thereby revealing what audiences distinguish as the differences or similarities between live and mediated opera performances.

It presents the preference dimensions of the Estonian opera audience and provides an opportunity to discuss the issue of whether a technologically mediated cultural event offers any new opportunities for traditional opera to expand its audience, or whether it captures the audiences and creates competition for the theatres whose performances are not mediated.

The survey was carried out among audiences attending performances of Carmen (Georges Bizet, 1875) in the 2014/2015 season at five different venues in Estonia. The findings revealed that, due to the fact that the hierarchy of motivators for the target groups of live and live-in-HD opera differs, it does not support the idea that opera theatre will gain new audiences from cinema or vice versa.

71 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE INTRODUCTION individualistic explanation of cultural con- ‘The theatre is an extremely complex organ- sumption are provided by Ulrich Beck and ism. The complexity already begins from Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim (1994), Bernard the fact that the artistic and economic- Lahire (2008) and Sebastian Weingartner organisational side co-exist regularly by (2013; Weingartner, Rössel 2016). According depending on each other, and often, also to Arthur S. Alderson, Azamat Junisbai and being in conflict’ (Kask 1989: 13). There is no Isaac Heacock (2010), people’s preferences question that in today’s world, culture and for different cultural activities depend on marketing are inevitably tied; and when a their status and/or prestige, rather than comparison is made of the organisation of class; ‘cultural distinction is being replaced, the Estonia Theatre in the Soviet period and at least partially, by cultural openness as at present as the Estonian National Opera a status marker’ (Roose et al. 2012: 492) or it can be seen that in almost all structural the idea of cultural omnivorousness. The units the dominance of the marketing and idea of omnivorousness has changed sig- administrative personnel has increased nificantly over the years, but based gener- many times over (Mikkel, Pappel 1975; ally on Richard A. Peterson’s (2005) notes, it Pappel 2009; Kubo et al. 2008). has come to mean a wide variety in cultural Opera1 is one of the most aestheti- tastes as measured by the number of differ- cally complex art forms, which ‘represents ent activities in which the person engages. international more than national culture, A number of theorists involved in and stability more than change’ (Saro 2009: consumer-interest studies (Durvasula et al. 21); ‘producing operas is an expensive and 1993; Sproles 1983 and 1985; Sproles, Ken- large undertaking requiring political and dall 1986; Walsh et al. 2001) have argued economic stability’ (Pappel 2009: 126), and that certain fundamental decision-making it is seen as cultivating an ‘élite’ audience styles can be identified. The consumer with developed tastes or an ‘aesthetic gaze’ decision-making style is defined ‘as a men- (one with high cultural capital and socio- tal orientation characterizing a consumer’s economic status) (Bourdieu 1984 and 1993). approach to making choices’ (Sproles, These perceptions make the question of the Kendall 1986). George B. Sproles and Eliza- actual relationship between the audience beth L. Kendall (1986) (using the consumer and opera even more interesting. Volker characteristics approach2) developed a Kirchberg and Robin Kuchar (2014) have consumer-style inventory (CSI)3 consisting offered a succinct survey and discussion of eight factors, including ‘perfectionism or in their article about the similarities and consciousness of quality’, ‘brand conscious- differences of the representative national ness’, ‘novelty and fashion consciousness’, surveys and studies of cultural attendance. ‘recreational and hedonistic shopping con- Pierre Bourdieu considered such structural sciousness’, ‘price and value consciousness’, aspects as class membership and habitus ‘impulsive or reckless consumer’, ‘consumer to be decisive in explaining cultural con- confused by excess options’ and ‘habitual sumption behaviour (cf. Bourdieu 1982); and brand loyal consumer’. In addition to for him classical music was the purest and most legitimate form of art and nothing was ‘more classifying than legitimate works of 2 Among the three approaches of Consumer Decision- Making Styles, the consumer characteristics approach art’ (Bourdieu 1984: 16). Good examples of – the other two are the consumer typology approach (Darden, Ashton 1974; Moschis 1976) and the 1 Opera in the Western tradition is a staged drama set to psychographics/lifestyle approach (Lastovicka 1982, music in its entirety, made up of vocal pieces with Wells 1975); the characteristics approach is considered instrumental accompaniment, usually with orchestral the most powerful and explanatory since it focuses overtures and interludes. In some operas the music is on the mental orientation of consumers in making continuous throughout an act; in others it is broken up decisions (Lysonski et al. 1996). into discrete pieces, or ‘numbers’, separated either by 3 The CSI is believed to be a significant counselling recitative (a dramatic type of singing that approaches device for consumer affairs specialists and a good speech) or by spoken dialogue (Weinstock, Russano instrument for segmentation and positioning for Hanning 2017). marketers (Lysonski et al. 1996; Sproles, Kendall 1986).

72 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE these, ‘variety seeking’4 was a new style Globalisation, with its profound identified in Gianfranco Walsh’s Germany impacts in the short and long term, has study (Walsh et al. 2001). Matthew Reason become a crucial phenomenon for any (2004) identifies two key criteria – believ- business in the world, and consumer eth- ability and the live quality – as significant nocentrism and domestic brand biasness markers of quality for audiences at live are factors that organisations must take performance events. In the present study, into account because they might work for the principles for the investigation of audi- or against their intentions. Ethnocentrism ence preferences were borrowed from is a sociological phenomenon discovered by consumer-interest studies, because cul- William G. Sumner who used it as a ‘tech- tural commodification is getting consider- nical name for the view of things in which ably stronger. However, since the cultural one’s own group is the centre of everything, audience cannot be described exclusively in and all others are scaled and rated with terms of consumer surveys, it is necessary, reference to it’ (Sumner 1906: 13). According when describing these audiences, to also to Theodor W. Adorno et al. (1950), ethno- take into account their specific experiences, centrism can be conceptualised as ‘ethnic such as inclusive membership. Therefore, centeredness’. Analysing ethnocentrism the principles of consumer and audience together with consumer behaviour from surveys are combined in this article. the perspective of the economic behaviour The functioning of art can be defined of consumers results in ‘consumer ethno- simply as the realisation of these values centrism (CE)’. In a broader sense, highly (Van Maanen 2009: 205), for example, musi- ethnocentric consumers in different coun- cal tastes are extremely powerful indicators tries evaluate their inherent products as of taste patterns (Bourdieu 1984, Schulze superior to that of other nations; they call 1992, Rössel 2004). According to the uses into question the appropriateness of prefer- and gratifications theory (UGT) that focuses ring foreign products over domestic prod- on audience’s needs as drivers for media ucts (Shimp, Sharma 1987); perceive their consumption, the audience wants to be national values and symbols as sources informed or educated; to identify with the of pride and show a tendency to buy local characters of the situation in a media envi- products rather than foreign ones in order ronment; simply be entertained; to enhance to support their own country (Bandara social interaction; and escape from the 2014) and to achieve this, for example, they stresses of daily life (McQuail 2010). Ben visit the exhibitions of artists from their Walmsley (2011) insists that the key moti- home country and artists from culturally vating factor for visitors is the pursuit of similar countries (Kottasz, Bennett 2005). emotional experiences and impact. Values As there is no universally accepted scale and preferences will also be very relevant to measure local brand biasness (Vida et in the decisions where no significant differ- al. 2008), it is also quite obvious that every ence in the cost of the alternatives exists opera visitor has made a decision to spend (Best, Kroneberg 2012). The reasons may be a night at the opera, for a variety of reasons. diverse: ‘…in addition to economic issues, The aim of this survey is to discover social prejudices or travel difficulties, there the prevailing reasons audiences have may also be the will to attend a theatre perfor choosing to go to the opera and which formance by hyper-mediation, and there- decision-making tendencies are predomi- fore, the desire to live the commodification nant in the two venues. As a next step, those of the opera production itself’ (Radigales results should lead to a grounded response 2013: 168). to the issue of whether technologically mediated cultural events offer new opportunities for traditional opera theatres to 4 Variety seeking clients are likely to switch brands, even find new audiences, or they actually capture if their current brands satisfy their needs (Walsh et al. 2001: 128). existing audiences and create competition

73 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE for theatres whose performances are not to the process of cultural convergence, it mediated. In order to answer that ques- may also lead to resistance against non- tion, it is important to find out whether the mainstream cultures, and the increase of target groups for live and live-in-HD opera cultural patriotism. overlap. If so, it is reasonable to expect that Technology has removed a number people with the same interests are willing of obstacles thereby ensuring that opera to visit both places, instead of talking about performances are more accessible to the sharing audiences, or capturing them. But world – for example, the Metropolitan Opera if the hierarchy of motivators differs, then (‘the Met’) exports its productions to many the expectations of each audience differ to countries using the medium of cinematic the extent that makes each audience pre- projections in order to increase audience fer a specific location. Therefore, it would numbers through ‘more new productions, be expedient to provide the reasons that more aggressive marketing, and “live” high- are presented on each side, those that are def broadcasts’ (Munk 2010). Audiences are presented equally on both sides, or are attracted to opera performances hosted in prevalent on only one side (for instance, in movie theatres by special features, such as theatres). interviews with the artists during live per- Streamed theatre (i.e. viewing live or formances and ‘behind the scenes’ experts recorded theatre performances in the cin- and documentaries5, which are generally ema, on TV, outdoor screens or on official not inherent to or available in opera houses. online channels) has been seen as a great These added elements take opera perfor- way to reach a wider audience (LiveAnalyt- mance to a very different level and blur ics 2013: 27), and presumably to include certain genre boundaries linked to the topic. the younger generations (Radigales 2013: In turn, this new approach creates a new 166). And, in addition, to limit the decline constituency for those who consume art of opera audiences (NEA 2015) by meet- forms through channels that differ from tra- ing the expectation of increasingly varied ditional hosts. Thus, opera has undergone audiences, and benefiting theatres whose a metamorphosis that has transformed its productions are mediated, thereby increas- existence ‘as a performing art genre into a ing fame, recognition and profits. However, visual communication medium’ (Radigales the other side of the coin is the pressure 2013: 163). As Matthew Causey has empha- exerted by streamed opera venues on the sised, ‘it would be a mistake to imagine troupes with fewer resources that are ori- that what we experience in the theatre and ented towards local audiences, since they recorded media is the same experience’ may suffer from an unfair disadvantage. In (Causey 1999: 384). Also, the most inter- fact, some have criticised the transforma- esting finding of the ETO’s survey was that tion of this art form into a form of mass many of the respondents feel that opera in entertainment (Radigales 2013: 160) due to the cinema is actually a different art form the risk that it strips the opera of its aura (Service 2014). of mystery and its intensely human drama. Some studies point out that cinematic Some have debated the role of opera as opera performances act to diversify the op- pop culture (Storey 2002, Zelechow 1991). tions provided to audiences rather than at- However, these new tools also create new tracting new audiences, as ‘theatre attend- inequalities, since some cultural produc- ees are most likely to also attend the cin- tions ‘travel’ more easily than others (Rohn ema’ (LiveAnalytics 2013: 4). Therefore, the 2010; Gerhards, Rössel 1999; Moretti 2001), opinion leaders who are worried about the and some places, countries and cultures sustainability of the opera genre are faced seem to be more open to cultural imports with a dilemma (Steichen 2011: 450–451), than others (Heilbron 1995). The process of cultural globalisation certainly cannot be 5 Peter Gelb: ‘It’s more like a documentary. Because we’re following the action, we’re not creating the action assessed independently since by adding for the cameras’ (Storm 2014).

74 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE which in a way hinders their working There are several theatrical institu- towards a common goal. tions in Estonia which regularly produce As a result, the future of opera in operas6 starring local artists. The National the contemporary world of mass popular Opera Estonia is located in North Estonia, in culture, digital technology and the global the capital city, and the Vanemuine Theatre financial crisis is a highly charged topic, not is located in the university city of Tartu, in only for music lovers, but also for cultural South Estonia. High-quality cinemas can critics and scientists. also be found in both cities. In order to establish a stage for debate METHOD OF STUDY on the following issues, this study asked This survey focuses on Estonian opera how and to what extent the audiences – audiences, with Estonian culture consid- the target groups for mediated and live ered to be an exemplary case of traditional opera performances – differ or overlap, and cultural values being combined with a high whether, and to what extent, those audi- level of technological awareness (A. A. K. ences’ preferences, expectations,7 loyalty,8 2013, Statistics Estonia 2015). When it brand trust9 and values differ or overlap. comes to the number of people who regu- Does the development of digital technology, larly frequent theatres, Estonia, which is a which allows operas to be distributed and small nation, is ranked among the top three screened in various environments or staged European countries (European Commis- in virtual environments, change or trans- sion 2013), with more than a million theatre form the audience’s experiences and nature visits annually (ETA 2015a). Thirty percent of their expectations? Do audiences find of Estonians are characterised as actively virtual operas equally engaging? Do audi- consuming culture (while the correspond- ences respond to digital opera broadcasts ing percentage in the EU is 18%). Also, while across distributed sites in the same way as cinema attendance is remarkably higher they view watching movies? than theatre and concert attendance else- In order to get the answers to those where, according to the European averages, questions, a researcher-guided survey was Estonian citizens attended significantly conducted in five venues(see Table 1). more concerts (54% in Estonia and 35% of The survey was conducted in Estonian; Europeans) and theatre performances (45% and 28% respectively) (Reedi 2014). Cinema 6 In 2014, the Estonian National Opera had 13 operas attendance was 46% in Estonia and 52% in its repertoire (three of them new productions) and across Europeans (Reedi 2014). 94 opera performances were given; the Vanemuine Theatre had five operas in repertoire (one of them a new According to statistics recently pub- production), 29 performances were given (see ETA lished on operabase.com, the total number 2015b and 2015c). 7 Customer expectation is formed by many uncontrol- of opera productions in Estonia – 131 per lable factors, including previous experience with other one million citizens in 2013/2014 – places companies, and their advertising, the customers’ psychological condition at the time of service delivery, Estonia in second place after Austria, sur- customer background and values, and the images of passing Germany and Switzerland who are the purchased product (Davidow, Uttal 1989). 8 Loyalty – Anthea Stratigos (1999) defines it as a kind in third place. For Estonians, singing and of commitment that is similar to a resistance to change. music are not just ways of communicat- Loyal customers are also more tolerant when it comes to defects and flaws and they will continue to use the ing and performing, but are also tools for provided products since the business fulfils their promoting culture, national identity and personal needs (Stratigos 1999, Reichheld 2003). Christian Grönroos (2000) has declared that paying heritage conservation (Bowler 2014). True attention to customer feedback helps to build a to form, opera has a long history in Estonia, relationship between the customer and a business and that will eventually lead to commitment. with the first opera – Johann Valentin 9 Brand trust is the consumer’s ‘willingness to rely Meder’s (1649–1719) The Decisive Argenia on the ability of the brand to perform its stated function’ (Chaudhuri, Holbrook 2001: 82). At least two (Die beständige Argenia) – being staged mechanisms help to increase brand trust: 1) repeated in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, in 1680 interactions and long-term relationships (Holmes 1991) and 2) information sharing and dissemination (Siitan 1999). (Ba 2001; Lewicki, Bunker 1995).

75 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE therefore, foreign viewers were not habits – preferences related to genre included. The PAPI (paper-and-pencil) (music theatre, theatre, dance productions, technique was integrated with face-to-face other); visiting frequency for each genre interviews, based on the recommendations separately and factors that affect visiting in the handbook for UNESCO’s Framework frequency; preferences related to location for Cultural Statistics (FCS) in regard to and the reasoning if possible; socio-demo- ‘combining quantitative and qualitative graphic data including TV channel prefer- approaches, bringing measurement and ences, whether the viewers defined them- understanding together’ (Bollo et al. 2012: selves as opera connoisseurs or not, and 12). In order to obtain a complete picture of educational backgrounds (music school, the audience(s), it was important to include private lessons, surrounded by musicians, the largest possible number of visitors. To etc.); expectations for mediated/unmedi- achieve this, everyone entering the hall for ated performances; whether the respond- an operatic performance was personally ent relates some aspects other than the invited by an interviewer to complete a PAPI mediated/unmediated performance; questionnaire (thereby making it harder to attendance habits – dress code, compan- refuse). The technique justified itself as the ions, planning. And finally, what audiences tools could be transported, distributed and distinguish and see as the similarities and collected easily; it did not require any spe- differences between ‘live’ and mediated cific (e.g. computer) skills; each guest had opera performances. the opportunity to fill in the questionnaire Altogether, 427 completed question- right away since the tools were available naires (which represented 26% of the entire on-site; and it also ensured that the view- audience which attended the performances ers’ impressions were fresh. Also as people during those days) were received, and the arrived and saw many others participating, entire survey sample is based on adults they became interested and wished to par- (aged 18 or over). Only the main results ticipate. The subject sparked such interest are included in this article. The audiences that most respondents volunteered to add were divided into two sets based on venue personal comments. (theatre or cinema). The responses of the The questionnaire could be com- cinema and theatre audiences were completed either before the performance, dur- pared using a two-tailed Spearman’s rank ing the break or after the performance. correlation test, which was used for the The same questionnaire was provided to answers to the questions which allowed for all the audiences that participated in the only one possible answer. The answers were research. It included 27 questions, some of coded and a total of 150 variables were which were multiple-choice questions and defined, which include dichotomous and some included freeform sections, where ordered variables. The statistical analysis the respondents could add personal and and calculations were done using SPSS 22 qualitative information. The qualitative data software. Spearman’s rank correlation coef- added relevance and helped to obtain an ficient was significant at the 0.01 level in overview of how and why people choose to 30 cases of 36. In this article, the collected engage with the arts, their motivations for qualitative data is used only as illustrative doing so and the barriers that may prevent material. them from engaging with the arts (Keaney The questionnaire allowed for the 2008: 100). different preference dimensions of opera To explore the differing expecta- connoisseurs and random visitors to be tions of these audiences and discover how distinguished. Four preference dimensions tuned into the topics related to the opera were categorised in relation to context (fes- they were, the protocol covered the follow- tive atmosphere, sense of being personally ing social and personal dimensions: the invited, exciting to observe, uniqueness of respondents’ theatre attendance performance; influence of the dress code,

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Live performances Mediated performances

Performance location Estonian Vanemuine Forum Forum Forum National Theatre Cinemas Cinemas Cinemas Opera Hall 1 + A. Le Coq Suite

City Tallinn Tartu Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn

Date 10 January 23 April 1 November 2 November 1 November 2015 2015 2014 2014 2014

Number of seats in the hall 708 696 553 112 150

Hall occupancy 689 (97%) 593 (85%) 216 (39%) 91 (81%) 85 (57%) Submitted questionnaires 137 (20%) 121 (20%) 58 (27%) 57 (63%) 54 (64%)

TABLE 1. Information about the survey conducted for the research.

77 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE etc. were categorised); the cast and audi- undergraduate or graduate degree in music. ence (human) factor – (familiar casts, pro- Fourteen percent of the cinema respond- fessional artists, renowned director, profes- ents said they had a higher music education sional orchestra, cultivated audience, etc.), (a BA or higher) compared with only 10% of and technological mediation and proximity the theatre respondents). (opportunity for close-ups, sound qual- If we take into account the frequency ity, lightning effects, etc.). In a way these of attendance at performances, it appears dimensions of the consumer-interest study that the respondents from cinema and preferences are comparable to the con- theatre differ significantly. In the current sumer decision-making styles, the latter sample, 34% of the cinema visitors said is broadened by additional factors that are they went to theatre performances more related to being a member of a culture- than ten times in the last year; among the consuming audience, for instance, the theatre visitors only a tenth of the visitors sense of joint participation. In the results indicated the same rate of frequency. The section, the differences between the thea- interest in music is especially high among tre and cinema audiences have been high- the cinema guests. Twenty-two percent of lighted. the theatre respondents indicated that they rarely went to musical performances, while RESULTS AND FINDINGS only 9% of the cinema respondents said Several surveys have pointed out that opera so. This allows one to claim that decision attendance patterns are related to age and styles for cinema and theatre audiences education – opera attendance is most pop- when attending opera performances differ ular among over 55-year-olds (Statistics significantly. New Zealand 2003, Guider 2007, Ministry of Culture 2011, NEA 2015, Toronto Art Stats Opera theatre audience stood out for 2015). In the current sample, the average their loyalty to own opera house(s) age of the cinemagoers was 53, while the The audiences at Estonian opera theatres average age of the theatre audience was are in great part loyal to the local opera 46 years. Visitors between the ages of 61 companies, and only 28% of theatre (and and 70 years most often described them- 56% of cinema) respondents indicate that selves as opera fans, while most of the they would prefer more guest soloists respondents who indicated that they had and new names. Many of the theatre visi- no particular interest in opera, despite their tors indicated that they do not favour the presence at a particular performance, were employment of guest soloists as they con- under 30. sider it logical that Estonian opera houses If we compare the gender structure of take care of Estonian opera singers. Forty- opera guests in Estonia to other geographic two percent of the theatre (and 21% of the areas, the female representation in Esto- cinema) respondents stated that they were nia is significant. Twelve percent of cinema pleased with the Estonian soloists. And respondents were male and 88% female 50% of the theatre (and 29% of the cinema) (in the theatre, 19% male and 79% female). respondents noted that they were satis- In other countries, the genders are more fied with the opera repertoire offered by equally balanced, e.g. in the Czech Repub- Estonian theatres. One-fifth of the theatre lic, the audience of MET’s Live HD cinema respondents said they would favour even broadcast was 71% female and 29% male; more active involvement by Estonian solo- in North America, the audiences are 53% ists in the theatres, and some even com- female and 47% male (Tahal, Stríteský mentated that it should be a priority, justify- 2016; Van Eeden 2011). ing their argument by saying that Estonia Many opera guests have a back- has paid for the professional education of ground in musical education and 75% of the Estonian soloists and they are a vital the respondents in current sample had an part of our cultural heritage.

78 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE Going to the opera is not only a ques- compulsory literature studied at school, tion of enjoying a fine cultural experience. and in these cases, only a very interesting Especially in the case of Estonian theatre production or an especially attractive cast audiences, one can also talk about the (guest soloists, someone you know on the dimension of the attendance and the con- stage, etc.) will attract an audience. firmation of cultural identity. Estonian The theatre and cinema respond- soloists are seen as the primary promoters ents pointed out that they were bothered of Estonian culture by theatre audiences. by overlapping productions in the reper- Attracting such patriotic-minded visitors to toires of the Estonian National Opera and cinema broadcasts would probably be quite the Vanemuine Theatre. The respondents a challenge for the cinemas. thought that local opera theatres should take into account that since the distances The Met Opera HD Live audience in Estonia are relatively short, and easily yearns for rare productions traversed, opera connoisseurs clearly visit The members of Estonian target groups both theatres.11 who attended the Met’s broadcast at Forum Although the productions, casts and Cinemas had a rather more global cultural other factors may differ quite a bit in dif- orientation. They actively keep track of ferent productions of the same work, opera the cinema schedule via the internet and connoisseurs generally choose one (very search for information related to opera often the nearest opera house in order to events independently, since most of the cin- save on resources, including money and emas’ advertising is focused on movies with time; and very few go to see both produc- larger target audiences. People with a deep tions). Therefore, this constitutes a loss for interest in opera tend to search for perfor- both opera houses and it would probably mances that are rarely broadcast, or have make more sense to coordinate the reper- never been staged, in Estonia and many of toires in order to create a network of perfor- them find their way to the Met’s broadcasts. mances to attract opera audiences from all According to the latest surveys in Esto- over Estonia. nia, there is a general tendency to prefer Furthermore, although the Estonian works that require immersion on the part of opera houses often hire guest soloists for the audience and are avant-garde in nature more important roles, those who are seek- (Kommel 2008). Both qualitative and quan- ing novelty still tend to choose the Met’s titative results revealed that Estonian opera mediated productions, which are highly val- fans10 are eager to attend operas that are ued since the Metropolitan Opera is world not necessarily box office hits, as they value famous for its soloists, its international the opportunity to broaden their knowledge team and as a brand name. Many respond- of the genre through an extensive reper- ents also believed that the Met has better toire (see Figure 1). Several respondents sound quality, orchestral resonance and explained that Estonian theatres frequently directors, not to mention the excellence of present classical operas (such as Carmen the artistic company, including the soloists [Georges Bizet, 1875]) that evoke the (see Table 2). The cinema audiences’ contacts 10 In his study, Claudio E. Benzecry has described opera with opera are not limited to broadcast fans as fanatical devotees, aiming to dissect the social performances at the cinema, since these and psychological components of a passionate devotion to the opera (Benzecry 2011). In this article, people tend to search for other informa- it must be considered that, in case of the audience tion sources in order to stay updated with survey, the questionnaire does not contain information about any concept, making the feedback more valuable developments in the opera world, such as since it also provides information about how the special TV channels, the internet and other respondents understand the given concepts, and whether or not they see themselves as falling into these categories. Therefore, in current context it is more 11 The distances between Tallinn and other Estonian justified to consider opera fans as people who are the major cities are Jõhvi 165 km, Tartu 186 km, Pärnu most devoted and long-standing audience members. 128 km, Kuressaare 218 km (Statistics Estonia 2016).

79 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE available sources (see Figure 2). The well- by the operagoers’ desire to book the best known opera channel Mezzo is watched by seats (a factor that does not play a signifi- 68% of the cinema audience and only 30% cant role in cinematic productions12). There of the theatre audience. On the other hand, is also a fear of the tickets selling out13 as just as many theatregoers as cinema goers audiences have seen that the tickets for watch ETV, the Estonia’s public service TV the best productions may often be sold out, station (ETV2, which appears on the chart even several months in advance (Sibrits below, is the second programme of the 2014). This problem was also noted in the Estonian PSB), despite the fact that opera additional comments by the respondents broadcasts on this channel are quite rare. and in the interviews. The survey revealed Amongst the Russian speaking audience, that 68% of the attending operas at the the Russian cultural channel Kultura is also theatre would like to attend performances popular (in addition to Mezzo and Arte). more often. Twenty-two percent of the cinema respondents (and 10% of the theatre Cinema audience with deeply respondents) said that in order to experi- rooted interests ence ‘real’ quality opera performances they The survey shows that the cinema and thea- prefer to visit theatres abroad (Europe and tre audiences’ opinions can be diametrically Russia were mentioned) or attend the Met’s opposed regarding the advantages that me- performances at the cinema (76% of the diated/unmediated productions offer. Each cinema respondents; 6% of the theatre side gave the benefits of their preferred ver- respondents), while searching for opera- sion higher ratings (see Figures 3–5). The related information on the internet was main tendencies revealed that the cinema also mentioned. audiences appreciated the factors related to the experience of world-class opera perfor- Members of the mediated opera mances, while the theatre audience appreci- audiences plan their visits further ated the live-performance environment and in advance atmosphere, as well as Estonian own theatre The results of the survey indicated that the and its efforts to keep the opera genre in cinema audiences are far more purposeful Estonia alive and in the repertoires. in their attendance at performances and The tendencies related to the human plan their visits further in advance than factor (see Figure 3) show that the mem- theatre audiences. Eighty-five percent of bers of the theatre audience are quite well- the cinema respondents (76% of the thea- acquainted with the cast members of their tre respondents) planned their visit at least local theatre and also appreciate the local two or more weeks in advance, and only orchestra. They sincerely believe that they 4% (10% for theatre-goers) bought their are in good company when it comes to their tickets on impulse. This tendency to plan fellow operagoers. The members of the cin- their attendance far in advance can be ema audience consider everything related explained by the limited number of perfor- to the professionalism of the cast to be of mance broadcasts per cinema, as there are utmost importance. It should also be noted usually only one or two broadcasts of each that the members of the cinema audience opera performance, and most of the tickets were much more appreciative of the theatre are sold out weeks before the broadcast is screened. 12 In cinemas, the seats are arranged on a sloped floor, There are also several reasons for so the sightlines are generally quite good. Cinemas also have consistent sound systems, which eliminate the procuring theatre tickets early, as theatres problem of a singer’s voice not reaching the back rows, arrange marketing campaigns that prompt which may occur at the theatre. 13 The Met’s Carmen was not totally sold out in Tallinn, patrons to buy tickets several months in as the opera was broadcasted in two halls simultane- advance at very good prices. Purchasing ously, and in addition, the theatre had already added two re-transmission broadcasts to the schedule so theatre tickets in advance is also motivated enthusiasts had already taken this into account.

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60% Cinema 50% Theatre 50%

40%

29% 30% 27% 22% 20% 20% 13%

10% 5% 6%

0% Satisfied with the Generally satisfied I look forward to Disturbed by the repertoire and the with the repertoire, more lesser-known overlap in the selection is adequate but the selection operas, not box repertoires of the is too small office hits Estonian National Opera and the Vanemuine Theatre

Audiences in Audiences in cinema (n=169) theatre (n=258)

Excellent soloists can be seen in the cinema 73 20

Excellent soloists can be seen in the local opera houses 4 43

Orchestra with perfect sound can be heard in the cinema 47 9

Orchestra with perfect sound can be heard in the theatre 15 61 Seeing the performers up close is possible in the cinema 84 20 Seeing the performers up close is possible in the theatre 2 63

Note: All differences are significant at the 0.01 level.

FIGURE 1. Satisfaction with the opera repertoire of the Estonian National Opera and Vanemuine Theatre. TABLE 2. Assessments of the opera (%).

81 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE experience than the theatregoers were of roles, and liked to keep up with world- the cinema. famous names as well as the local opera Considering the aspects of techno- scene. At the same time, 18% of theatre logical mediation, the theatre audience audiences did not make the effort to follow appreciated the proximity of the perform- soloists or the casts in Estonian theatres, or ers and the possibility to actually be in the their local theatres, and admitted watching same room with them. However, the cinema an opera simply for enjoyment and amuse- respondents indicated that they have even ment. The cinema audience, in contrast, greater proximity, since interviews with cast was very deeply interested in all kinds of members take place during intermission, information about the cast members and which provide a very exclusive experience 62% of respondents pointed out that they (see Figure 4). And it is also important that appreciated the interviews with cast mem- the theatre respondents place greater value bers. Since these were screened during the than the cinema audience on the possibil- intermissions, they usually did not leave the ity to decide who and what to observe dur- hall, despite the fact that this cut into the ing the performance – some respondents time to relax between the acts. The main pointed out the advantage of using opera response of the cinema attendees was that glasses, while in the cinema one is depend- The Met’s Live in HD broadcasts provide ent on the shot (close-up, long shot, etc.) an opportunity ‘to see performances they that is being transmitted. would otherwise not see because of a lack For the theatre audience, contextual of resources, like distance/time/money’. factors (see Figure 5) are also quite rel- The results suggest that the cinema evant, e.g. a festive atmosphere and pres- audience is more flexible and more open tigious place, excitement of watching real to innovation because they just want to people act – the performance is born right enjoy as good an opera experience as pos- in the moment, making it unique. People at sible. In the cinema, 76% of respondents the cinema appreciated the possibility to had visited at least one unmediated opera observe a world-class performance without performance during the last 12 months. feeling the need to worry about anything They visit performances frequently to keep trivial like a dress code, etc. track of everything that is going in the A summary of the responses provided opera scene (including locally), so that they an overview of why a specific target group can compare and confirm where the best makes the choice to attend a cinema or performances are taking place, and make theatre production, indicating a difference informed choices as to what they like most. in the hierarchy of motivators. The factors Some of the cinemagoers, and also theatre- that attracted respondents to attend medi- goers, pointed out that another reason for ated opera productions in cinema included: attending performances at the local opera being an opera fan (79% of respondents), theatre is when relatives or acquaintances the cast members (25%), appealing synop- are performing in the cast. sis (10%), invited to come along (9%) and Indicators of a deep interest in opera other motivations (8%). The ranking of the were much lower among the theatre audi- theatre visitors’ motivators was different, ences. Only few of them had experienced and included: being an opera fan (31%), the Met’s mediated opera broadcasts or had attending for other reasons (30%), not nor- regularly visited these cinematic perfor- mally attending opera productions (17%), mances: 14% of theatre audiences had vis- the cast members (13%) and invited to ited at least one opera performance during attend by others (13%). the last 12 months. Therefore, opera fans are The majority of the cinema respond- represented in both the mediated and the ents attended the screened performances unmediated opera audiences, but the people because they were interested in opera, with a more profound interest in opera tend enjoyed following cast members in different to attend the mediated performances.

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80% Theatre visitors Cinema visitors 69% 70% 68%

60%

50% 42% 40% 34% 30% 30% 23% 20% 10% 11% 10% 6% 5%

0% ETV ETV2 Mezzo Arte Others

Cast and audiences / human factor

100% Theatre visitors about theatre Cinema visitors about cinema 90%

80% 73% 70% 67% 61% 60% 58% 57%

50% 47% 43% 44% 40% 31% 29% 30%

20% 19% 20%

10%

0% familiar professional cultivated vocal/orchestral professional renowned casts orchestra audience balance artists director

FIGURE 2. TV channel preferences of theatre and cinema audiences for watching opera on TV. FIGURE 3. Attitudes about the theatre and cinema expressed by the audiences in these venues (%).

83 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION contact to be established with the perform- Audience feedback is a vital tool for devel- ers – and it is not true in the theatres. oping culture, as culture can change only The audience for unmediated opera when the possibility of giving feedback is polarised: some have a profound pas- exists. The present survey involved the audi- sion for opera while others frequent the ence in order to provide a comparison of opera in order to participate in high-end the audiences of live opera performances social events. A large number of the thea- at traditional theatres and those who tre respondents do not keep track of the attend the mediated opera broadcasts, soloists performing at the Estonian thea- which employ the visual communication tres and generally paid little attention to supported at the cinema. It is quite often the names of the soloists or the cast, and speculated that successfully attracting new attended performances for entertain- audiences to screened opera performances ment. Half of the theatre audience had not might attract that audience to unmediated attended any opera broadcasts hosted by opera performances to discover the roots cinemas and most of them lacked informa- of opera, and thereby the two would merge tion about this possibility. Also, they did not and increase the overall opera audience. usually watch opera-specific TV channels. The current study was conducted thanks to They thought that the theatre experience the unique opportunity of having the world- offers more advantages in every respect – famous opera Carmen being presented it has broader opportunities related to con- concurrently in the repertoire of both Esto- textual, human and proximity factors. nian opera theatres and in HD cinemas. The The current survey echoed the results audience members were asked to respond of several previous surveys by pointing out in order to ascertain whether, and to what that opera audiences tend to have a strong extent, the expectations, values and per- educational background and, therefore, are ceptions of the two audiences differ or over- more sophisticated than the average audi- lap and what they perceive as being similar ence (NEA 2015). This educational rating is and different in the live and mediated opera even higher among the cinema audiences. performances. The feedback in the current survey The findings revealed that, because provided by the theatre respondents indi- the hierarchy of motivators of the live and cates that a large proportion of the visitors live-in-HD target groups differ, the medi- is ethnocentric and has a domestic brand ated and unmediated opera performances bias. They are very loyal to the Estonian each fulfil different expectations. There- opera houses, which contribute to a rather fore, there is little evidence that theatres conservative national identity. These peo- will gain new attendees from the cinema ple have faith in and love for their theatre; and vice versa, since their target groups their belief in the local artists is so strong do not coincide to a great degree. The and trusting that many of them are not theatre audience appreciates the theatre interested in the novelty of discovering new performances because of the contextual media. They prefer to stick to their tradi- and proximity – important factors include tions and habits, which conform to the cus- the festive atmosphere, prestigious place, tomer loyalty patterns described by several authentic experiences, proximity of the cast of the authors cited here (Stratigos 1999, and the other audience members. On the Reichheld 2003). Other factors worth men- other hand, the cinema visitors focus on tioning included habits, nostalgia, patriotic the technological quality and professional feelings, the possibility of supporting one’s performance of the mediated events. They own theatre, the environment, entertain- appreciate the fact that in the cinema the ment and participation as a matter of pres- context does not require any prescribing tige. Some attend to see artists from their correctness or dress code. Additionally, the own country, in addition to the problem of technology enables a close mediated overcoming the linguistic obstacles caused

84 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE

100% Technological mediation and proximity 93%

90% 86% 84%

80% 78%

70% 70% 68% 63% 60% 54% 53% 50%

40% 40% 40% 35%

30% 26% 25% 23% 19% 20%

10%

0% proximity good opportunity witnessing opportunity opportunity lightning hugh to artists acoustics to observe errors to choose for close-ups effects sound counductor (ef false observable quality note) object

Theatre visitors about theatre 98% 100% Contextual factors Cinema visitors about cinema

90% 81% 79% 80% 71% 70% 67% 66% 64%

60%

50% 44% 45% 42% 40%

30% 24% 23% 22% 21% 20%

10% 3% 3% 0% festive feel to be uniqueness exciting to prestigious better comfortable proper atmosphere personally of observe place view dressing ticket called performance price

FIGURE 4. Aspects that the cinema and theatre audience related to cinema or to theatre (%). FIGURE 5. Aspects that cinema and theatre audience related to cinema or to theatre (%).

85 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2017 / VOLUME 5 / ARTICLE by surtitles.14 Considering the specifics of and Russia were mentioned). This finding operatic singing and the resulting limita- coincides with the results of the survey car- tions in pronunciation, it is no wonder that ried out by the English Touring Opera (ETO), sometimes audiences even need surtitles which found that the majority of cinema in the mother tongue to understand the attendees were already experienced opera- words (Stewart 2015, Tommasini 2008). goers (Steichen 2011: 454) who chose to The surtitles in the theatres are usually go to the filmed production rather than the in Estonian, while in the cinema, they are ‘real thing’ for reasons of cost, accessibility most often in English or another foreign and comfort (Richens 2014, Service 2014). language. Therefore, it is understandable Despite the fact that the number of why cinema audiences are more educated broadcasts presented by the Met is quite – the foreign-language surtitles mostly small15 compared to the number of produc- attract opera connoisseurs who speaks tions offered by Estonian theatres (ETA foreign languages, and ‘at the individual 2015a, 2015b and 2015c), for the Estonian audience level, competence, the ability to opera fans, mediated performances still speak or at least understand the language represent the possibility of increasing one’s of the broadcast is an important ingredient knowledge, developing a heightened sense in audiences’ selection’ (Straubhaar 2003: of taste, comparing local productions and 82). So, in a way that is also why older audi- international ones, raising one’s level of ences remain loyal to the local opera thea- expectations to meet higher standards, and tres. At the same time, the loyal part of the even daring to ask for more. This phenom- audience operates as a sustaining force for enon has been described as a metamorpho- Estonia’s own opera production, since they sis, as the rise of a new, hybrid opera genre buy tickets to the Estonians’ opera theatres (Cachopo 2014), or a new artistic medium in order to support them, which is crucial for (Žižek, Dolar 2002: 198). According to Walter small ethnic cultures. Benjamin ([1921] 1996: 254), one should The results of the comparison between talk about the afterlife (überleben) or con- the cinema and theatregoers reveal that tinued life (fortleben) of performances. most of the cinema audience is critical From this point of view, perhaps one will and demanding with very high competence come to see the Met’s HD broadcasts as and expectations about opera. They are opera changing and adapting to meet new generally very well informed about what institutional and economic circumstances is happening in the world of opera (both in (Steichen 2011). Estonia and the rest of the world), and they Thus, I must agree with Yuwei Lin and visit opera houses as well as follow opera- Alan E. Williams in that specific TV channels. In order to experience high-quality opera performances, one-fifth the provision of operas through prefer to visit theatres abroad (Europe streaming may result in a difference in audience type. However, whether 14 Surtitles, also known as supertitles, are translated audience groups can be differentiated or transcribed lyrics/dialogue projected above a stage or displayed on a screen, commonly used in opera or perhaps depends on the distance / other musical performances. The word ‘surtitle’ comes proximity of the sites where ‘real’ ope- from the French language sur, meaning ‘over’ or ‘on’, and the English language word ‘title’, formed in a similar way ras are staged, and the screens where to the related subtitle. The word surtitle is a trademark the streaming versions are displayed. of the Canadian Opera Company. Surtitles are different from subtitles, which are used more often in filmmaking (Lin, Williams 2012: 9) and on television. Originally, translations would be broken up into small chunks and photographed onto slides that could be projected onto a screen above the stage, but most companies now use a combination of video projectors and computers. Lotfi Mansouri, the general director of the Canadian Opera Company at the time, introduced this innovation during the January 1983 production of Richard Strauss’s Elektra (1909) 15 In season 2015/2016, there were ten live broadcast (Dewolf 2001, Skantze 2002). performances.

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