Operas add a desi twist to woo audiences in India
The year is 1510. Zephoris, a young fisherman in Goa, gets to be king for a day. How does he manage to win over his beloved, Princess Nemea? That’s the plot of If I Were King, an opera by the 19th-century French composer, Adolphe Adam. In a sign that the Slumdog spirit lives on, it has been given a “Bollywood” twist.
As Zephoris’ location suggests, the Indo-French effort, which will be performed in New Delhi on January 12, 14 and 15 as part of the ongoing Bonjour India festival, is not just another European opera. It has been carefully adapted to the Indian ethos. “When we introduced opera in India in 2002 with The Fakir of Benaras, we decided to make operas set in India and the subcontinent our USP (unique selling proposition),” says Francis Wacziarg of Neemrana Foundation, which is producing the opera.
Opera, a dramatic work in which all or most of the words are sung to music, are not quite the social and romantic rendezvous they are in the West. However, more and more of them have begun to come to India, and have begun to acquire distinctly desi hues. Carmen, for instance, which came in 2008, was modified to fit an Indian gypsy ambience.
It is a challenge to introduce something that is not part of the culture here, but Wacziarg says Indian audiences have been able to relate to it because the productions have been Indianised and made contemporary.
If I Were King is the sixth opera India has seen in the last couple of years, and the grandest yet, with close to 200 performers, many of the musicians having been flown in from France, Sri Lanka, Kolkata and Mumbai.
Also Read
“It’s really a big human, musical adventure to work with people from so many cultures. But at the end of the day, directing an opera anywhere works the same way, with similar production hassles, familiar people problems. It’s quite a feast,” says Jean Francois Vinciguerra, the director of the opera, who is here from Paris to lead the production.
At the British School auditorium in New Delhi, rehearsals are in full swing. A mid-week afternoon sees a bunch of school children scurry in and line up for choir practice. “Haiyya re haiiyya ho! Jaago re (Buck up! wake up!),” they sing in chorus, the pitch close to perfect. The kids have been given a special part in If I Were King . “We have invented a part for children to encourage interest in opera from an early age,” says Wacziarg.
Behind the choir lie parts of the opera set, which will be moved to the Siri Fort auditorium in the city closer to the performance date. The sets are large and colourful, reminiscent of the opulent Mughal style of architecture.
“The costumes, some of the music, instruments and lyrics are Indian. With every production, we try and bring in as many Indian performers as we can. There is growing interest in opera here because all our shows always go house full. We are also trying to create space for people who are learning opera singing in India,” says Wacziarg.
Neemrana Foundation remains the primary organiser for operas in the country. However, this month the Embassy of France in India and Culturesfrance organised Lyric Opera Concert by French soprano Marion Baglan at the Alliance Française.
An opera, however, can rarely be financially viable without state support. If I Were King will cost approximately Rs 2.5-3 crore to produce, with close to Rs 9 lakh spent only on lighting, props and costumes. Sales of tickets, priced at Rs 250 and Rs 500, will recover only 5-10 per cent of the budget.
“Operas across the world survive mainly on state support,” says Wacziarg. The Neemrana Foundation, for its latest opera, has received financial support from ICCR, Delhi tourism and the Sangeet Natak Academy.
Alternatively, small-scale operas with two-three performers can be cost-effective, a strategy Neemrana Foundation plans to put into action in the coming months. Kolkata and Puducherry will see a smaller production of an opera in March this year.