Backstage: Vienna State Opera is a brilliant documentary that tells the story of how twelve-hour shifts, that can last for months, are an everyday occurrence for the people at the Vienna State Opera. They work around the clock organizing performances that aim to amaze and inspire audiences. This music performance documentary platforms hundreds of craftspeople, musicians, directors, actors, designers, producers, and more. Experts in their craft work together to produce over 50 remarkable performances a year, at one of the largest and most well-known opera houses in the world. Backstage: Vienna State Opera gives a behind-the-scenes observation of the drive, ability, and commitment found at the opera house.
The opening scenes give a fine overview of how a workday starts at the Opera House. A wonderful moving shot sequence from top to bottom of inside the building shows the viewer the many layers of this great structure. Ingenious transitions between explanations by designers, actors, etc., and the actual performances give viewers a sense of how the final concepts are manifested on stage. Special attention has been paid to focus on the work and process that make way for the performances of the Opera. Many elements come together melding in an organic way making the storyline feel seamless.
Most of the focus of the documentary is on the Opera Samson Et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns, which is one of the furthermost grand performances of the Opera. However, other performances such as Le Nozze di Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais, are outlined. Each performance is meticulously put together involving many different moving parts as well as constant steadfast decision-making.
Backstage: Vienna Opera House does a very good job not only showcasing the theater and emphasizing each of the processes that make the theater run and make the performances happen. The documentary puts together a beautiful narrative that engages the watcher in the story of the people that work there. It also underlines the love and appreciation the workers on every side of the isle have for their craft. Each of the people that work at the Opera House has a distinct personality that brings something unique to the place. They recount their stories of how they came to work there, their experience doing the work, and what the Opera House means to them. I found this to be very compelling because it demonstrates the appreciation and love the workers have for their craft. You can get a sense of the community that has been created around the Opera House.
The film is a record of the preservation of musical heritage that has survived the test of time. This documentary is a good educational resource for teaching film in different academic settings, for example, music performance, musicology, ethnomusicology, music history, music education majors, set design, and performing art administration. It can also be used through unique public library programs that focus on music history and appreciation. I highly recommend it.
Get to Know the Opera House here:
https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/staatsoper/the-opera-house/