The environmental aspects of opera and opera research were discussed at an international conference for the first time

6.4.2022 0 Like 0 kommenttia Karoliina Pirkkanen

The Environmental Opera Research Conference was organised at the Sibelius Academy on 18 March 2022. The conference brought together opera scholars interested in an ecomusicological research approach.

The researchers presented perspectives on exploring the relationship between opera and nature through seven presentations and a keynote speech. Some of the scholars were present in the Black Box of the Helsinki Music Centre, while others attended online.

The event was opened by the presentation of Juha Torvinen, who is a pioneer in ecomusicological research in Finland and a university lecturer at the University of Helsinki. Torvinen structured the principles of ecomusicology based on the pioneers in the field, Aaron S. Allen and Jeff Todd Titon. While Allen defines ecomusicology as a field interested in the study of music, culture, and nature, Titon steers the focus of ecomusicology on the study of music, culture, sound, and nature, especially in an era of an ecological crisis.

Crisis awareness was also a key undertone at the conference – the spirit of which was also palpable in the international premiere of Uljas Pulkkis’ and Glenda D. Goss’ opera All the Truths We Cannot See: A Chernobyl Story (2021), which was internationally premiered at the time of the conference.

In her opening remarks, Liisamaija Hautsalo highlighted the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident as an example of one of the major environmental crises of our time. As an artform depicting great drama and matters of life and death, opera is excellent in dealing with the social issues that shake our existence. However, Hautsalo realises that even operas of a smaller scale, such as children’s operas, can in many respects be particularly socially critical and nuanced in their relationship with nature.

In Western cultural history, nature has typically been regarded as a stage for human activity. In the keynote address of the conference, Professor Joy Calico (Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, Nashville, USA) applied so-called blue humanism to the study of water issues, especially the marine theme, with an interest in the impact of water and maritime surroundings on culture. Water and waterways have their own symbolism, vocal presence and meaning in the storytelling in operas.

As an example, Calico mentioned Kaija Saariaho’s opera L’amour de loin (2000), in which the sea has a strong stage and symbolic presence and a mission that takes the story forward.

Watch the recording of Joy H. Calico’s keynote presentation on Youtube

Ecocritical research refers to the 21st century as a so-called “time of awakening”, a time of waking up to the extent of climate change and species extinction. Central to the arts research at the time of awakening is an explicit critical attitude towards human activity during the so-called anthropocene.

A kind of awakening is also underway in opera research, and the Environmental Opera Research Conference is reportedly the first international scientific conference on the subject. The conference presented challenges for the future of opera research. Questions arose about, among other topics, the relationship between opera and location as well as about the power to make a difference through this art form. Can opera truly be ecocritical in giant productions of large opera houses? An alternative to the productions of opera houses could be an opera dedicated to different nature locations and their well-being. And how can a large-scale production form like opera be developed to become more ecologically sustainable? Is it enough to deal with the human relationship at the level of symbols and concepts, or should the art form itself be renewed to apply more ecologically sustainable practices?

Sini Mononen

The author presented at the conference together with Milla Tiainen, University Lecturer at the University of Turku, about Wood Opera (sav. Anna Ķirse, 2019) as a cross-class collaboration.

The Environmental Opera Research conference was organised by the MuTri Research unit and the Sibelius Academy’s opera degree programme together with the Academy of Finland-funded research project Politics of Equality in Finnish Opera (2017–2022).