We are starting to see full length, made for streaming content appearing rather than the rather variable quality, mainly amateur efforts of a few months ago. Here a couple of examples:
- Jeff Crompton’s new chamber opera based on the life of jazz musician Buddy Bolden was due to premiere in Atlanta in June. It’s now been recorded and mixed with visuals for an online release on October 16th. It’s a 45 minute piece for five singers and saxophone trio. More details here. I think this one is free. I checked out bits of the free press preview and it seems interesting and well produced.
- Decameron Opera Coalition; a collective of nine smaller opera companies in the US have come up with an innovative idea for a series of opera evenings. It’s based on Boccaccio’s Decameron, which tells of ten people who, in time of plague, isolate themselves and tell stories (some of them quite naughty as I recall). So, in our time of plague, each company has created a short opera plus there’s a collective intro and ending. They will go online on four Friday nights in October (9th/16th/23rd/30th) and stay available for a while. This one isn’t free. A ticket is $15 (US presumably) and covers all four shows. More details.
Also coming up is a presentation and panel discussion hosted by Opera America on Managing the Challenges of the Inherited Repertoire. There’s an impressive set of panelists including the one and only Aria Umezawa. It’s an important discussion that’s too often hijacked by a band of noisy zealots who think attempting to tell old stories in new, possibly more relevant, ways, is akin to publicly burning hecatombs of holy texts. Hopefully there will be some thoughtfulness here. Any way it’s on September 14th at 2pm (EST) and 3pm on September 16th. It’s free but registration is required.
There are still some of the early producers going strong. I’m still following Against the Grain, Tapestry and Opera Revue; all of whom have new or upcoming content or both on Youtube.
operaramblings 
Another online opera to look forward to is Miranda: A Steampunk VR Experience. It re-imagines world-class opera for a socially distanced age. Using Virtual Reality (Oculus Rift or HTC Vive), live motion capture, face tracking (Matt Gill, Enhance VR), and real time mixed audio, a talented cast will bring to life custom 3D characters in a fully immersive world (Diego Martinez, Quarantine Interactive Studio).
Kamala Sankaram’s score, adapted and reimagined for this innovative format by Stage Director Alison Moritz, and conducted by David Bloom, balances apocalyptic pop beats with the lush lyricism of classic opera, recounting a tale that explores themes of class, bureaucracy and self-determination. Following the murder of a wealthy heiress, Miranda (Leela Subramaniam, soprano), a trial by opera facilitated by D.A.V.E. (Quinn Bernegger, tenor) asks a jury (you, the audience) to sift through recounted memories in which Miranda’s fiance Cor Prater (Trevor Martin, Baritone), mother Anjana Challapattee Wright (Tahanee Aluwihare, mezzo) and father Izzy Wright (Timothy Stoddard, tenor) are considered suspects. Tony nominated Sound Designer, Cricket Myers, will be live mixing the singers and orchestra into the experience.
Get ready to immerse yourself in the real time interactive narrative with a VR headset (Oculus Rift or HTC Vive), on your PC, or via YouTube during our live showtimes September 24-26th, 2020.
Reservations are required for Virtual Reality (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive) and desktop interactive viewing options. A unique login key and software information will be provided ahead of your selected showtime. Reserve a seat in the jury and receive exclusive behind the scenes looks leading up to showtime!
YouTube reservations are not required, but are highly encouraged. Reserve a time block for a live Youtube viewing, and receive exclusive behind the scenes looks leading up to showtime!
LIVE SHOWTIMES
Thursday, September 24; 6:30pm, 7:45pm, and 9:00pm EST
Friday, September 25; 6:30pm, 7:45pm, and 9:00pm EST
Saturday, September 26; 6:30pm, 7:45pm, and 9:00pm EST
Presented through a collaboration by Tri-Cities Opera, LUMA Projection Arts Festival, Enhance VR and Opera Omaha.
ADDITIONAL INFO: http://mirandavr.com