Even though an opera is a theatrical form expressed within the theatre environment for centuries, the opera film is a rather new form of art. Until recently, the opera's composer would be passing his instructions to the cast. There was only one Carmen, or one Magic Flute. However, not that long ago, the stage director became increasingly important. With the introduction of an Opera Film, the opera world has become an increasingly complex art form.
To enjoy it, the audience must recognize opera as a multidimensional art performed by singers not actors. The director must remain true to the work, to the composer and the musical language used. This is a three-dimensional art not attempted by many.
Directing an opera film, the director must show the full appreciation for the talents, principal singers, dancers, chorus and stay true to the visuals. We find that not only the stories, but the music and the very form itself has to be reinvented.
It perhaps takes a special kind of courage to perform at Malta’s National Theatre, Manuel Theatre, built in 1731 by the Knights of St. John, in one of the oldest working theatres in Europe, as a young 18-25 year old artist staging a Maltese production. There they are, handling a space and expectation of audience that has seen arguably the greatest shows of Malta, but still working with amazing 'but we think we can make an extraordinary piece of music theatre...’
Manuel Theatre 9th April 2022 Dancers Opera Ciklu, Photography by Karl & Camille Fenech
Introducing tales from 21st Century women, set to lyrics, music and dance highlighted contemporary social issues. Without using the obvious, subtly but significantly tweaking the story interpretation, reunited with the nuclear family in the production. Led by their teacher’s motto: “There is nothing more beautiful than giving your soul to the audience:” the performers were able to zoom in and out and tell a bigger story of individuals and about community
We were invited to join a 70 minute journey through various life struggles as the young cast of opera singers and dancers experimented with contemporary youth opera and dance, inviting the audience to join the conversation.
As ancient worlds consciousness researcher, Serbian/Maltese author and businesswoman Natasa Pantovic and I sat knee to knee from one another, she spoke proudly to me of her several accomplishments throughout her life.
Since I had previously researched that she had written up to ten books as an author, several of which had taken years to write, I began with my first question:
“I researched that you’re an author that has written up to ten books within your career, this doesn’t sound like much of an overnight process, so how many years did it take you to write them, and when did you begin?”
“It is a lifetime Journey isn’t it?”
She answered, laughing gently before continuing. “I have published my very first book in 1993 in Serbia, a very long time ago, I’m actually at the moment fifty four years old, so I had a huge amount of years to do all of this.”
The archaeologists identiied amazing 120 Starčevo settlements in the region around the rivers Sava, Danube, and Drava.
"Late Neolithic Culture Vinča sites" is the term now used to identify the archaeological complex of people, and cultural heritage that belonged to ancient civilization settlements in Serbia, western Bulgaria and southwestern Romania.
Early Neolithic settlements in the northwestern Balkans were usually located in valleys of major rivers, on fertile land. Archaeological evidence indicates that, during the Early Neolithic, settlements were relatively small. They consisted of small rectangular houses made of wattle and daub.
In western Romania, more than 300 Early Neolithic sites have been identiied, in the region of Šumadija in Serbia, around a 200 Starčevo Culture sites have been noted, while in tHungary, there are 230 sites. The site size varies from 0.2 ha to as large as 12 ha.
So far, only a few Early Neolithic settlements have been excavated.
The excavated settlement in Serbia, called Biserna Obala-Nosa near Subotica is from the Starčevo-Körös Culture, with several houses and as many as forty storage pits. Pit walls were covered with clay. The Neolithic community using this settlement was sedentary, and the settlement was long-lived.
Their above ground houses were diferent from the traditional Neolithic architecture in southern parts of the Balkans. Within the Starčevo settlements the majority of ovens, fireplaces, were located in the open. Various zones for comunal or ritual purpose were identified. Distinct areas represent houses, spaces for production of pottery, or stone tools, food storage places had been also identiied.
The setting up of the Starčevo Culture settlements in Bosnia are linked to the exploitation of the salt mines.
At first, these were settlements which today look like hills of various sizes. In Sesklo in Thessaly (Greece) the excavation of the hill of Kastraki has revealed a tell type settlement from the Early and Middle Neolithic. In the history of archaeology, archaeologists of all nations had explored these artificial hills.
The prominent position of the hill and their history, including the social memory, have in Balkan's countries revealed the Neolithic communities and their ancient settlements.
The tells and flat settlements often had coexisted, surrounded with an established social and economic network, and bound by identity.
The collective identity of Neolithic groups is evidenced, bound by a trench, or a dry wall, in south-eastern Europe, during the Neolithic, fortiications were rare. Putting up fortiications as defence against wild beasts also has a symbolic role, separated nature from culture.
Archeologists and sociologists emphasize that the houses were set in a circle surrounding a public space or a large central dugout or fireplace.
Archaeological excavations in Slavonski Brod, measured areas of 6200 m², in Galovo over 2200 m², and Tržnica in Vinkovci, over 12000 m². In Galovo, radiometric measurements indicate that the construction of the Neolithic settlement was done in several phases, while in Tržnica in Vinkovci, the evidance suggest a single layer settlement In Vinkovci, another house from the Starčevo Culture has been excavated.
At the famous Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in central Anatolia, we find a different story, dating from 7400 - 6 200 BC, houses were built like honeycomb – they shared walls. The way in was an opening in the roof, which was also the only source of light.
In contrast to the Near East and Anatolia, in Vinča, people favoured timber as the construction material. With mudcovered wickerwork, with a north-west to south-east orientation and dozens of metres between each house. The area surrounding the long houses was used for production of pottery, used as gardens, farm yards or places in which other daily activities were taken place. The area adjacent to the houses was sometimes used for burials, usually children.
On their Radmilovic estate at Vinča Serbia, the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Agriculture had built a replica of the prehistoric fishermen's village within Mali Dunav (Little Danube). The houses were reconstructed on the basis of archaeological and etno-archaeo data. The project was managed by an architect, a master builder in traditional materials, an archaeologist, & the curator of the Belgrade City Museum. For the reconstruction of houses a traditional mix of clay (30%), sand (40%), and chaff (30%) was used.
a monhtly interview series from Nataša Pantović that examines what are the thoughts of the people we admire, the ideas that define us, with the ancient history explored.
Nataša Pantović & Physics Teacher Jasminka Cuculović | Ada Safari Podcast #1 Parenting Teenagers or Taming a Dragon (full)
#AdaSafari podcast where Nataša spoke to Jadranka Cuculovic - a Physics Teacher, about parenting teenagers troubles.