Are
you familiar with famed singers Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli? They are two
of many who became stars in the classical crossover arena during the 1990s,
around the same time the Three Tenors made their debut. This type of crossover
music has been referred to as “Popera”-- the fusion of pop and opera
characteristics. Popera is marked by operatic voices that sing popular
arrangements. It is known to use amplification, a large orchestra
accompaniment, and to be performed in more popular venues rather than
traditional concert halls.
With
the Three Tenors performance in the early 1990s, the door opened wide to many
who followed. This new genre made the idea of opera, which had always been
labeled as elite, or for the musically educated, accessible to the masses. Many
Popera stars have had no problem topping the Billboard charts with their work.
Below
you can watch “Time to Say Goodbye.” This duet sung by Brightman and Bocelli
became one of their best known performances.
There
are quite a few other names that come to mind when I think of Popera. Can you
think of any? What is your opinion on this type of music? Does it lessen the
art of opera? Or do you find it to be a positive factor in furthering the
appreciation of opera by mass culture?
