Making Opera: The Creation Of Verdi's La Forza Del Destino

Have you ever wondered what goes into the making of an opera? Me neither. But Making Opera tells us and what's more it makes it pretty darn interesting too (for opera). The film follows the action of the 21 clays of rehearsal prior to curtain call. The opera is Verdi's La Forza del Destino (which, roughly translated, means La Forza del Destino), and it's being put on by the Canadian Opera Company with a handful of international stars, such as Stefka Evstatieva, Allan Monk, and Judith Fiorst, under the direction of John Copley. While Copley works out the major scenes with his ensemble of singers, conductor Maurizio Arena works with the musical score. This may sound simple on paper, but in reality we're talking about 500 people here trying to create something in a 21-day period, 500 people who each believe in at least a corner of their heart that he or she is a suffering artist. Pretty incredible that they manage when you think about it. Making Opera cleverly intercuts scenes from the completed production with scenes from the rehearsal, allowing viewers to see how the long hours and hard work result in a smooth, polished production. Whether it's fine-tuning the tenor's vocal chords or wig fitting, the program captures snippets of it all, and is probably more fun to watch than the opera itself. Highly recommended. (See the LOOK AND LEARN series for availability.)