Conducting an opera like 'flying a jumbo jet,' says WSO conductor

​Even if you can't put a name to it, you've likely heard the music of Mozart's comic opera, The Marriage of Figaro. From movies like Trading Places and The Shawshank Redemption to Tom and Jerry cartoons, the iconic notes have been prominent in popular culture. 

This weekend, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) will present a concert version of the well-known opera at the Capitol Theatre.

It's a scaled down version — no elaborate sets or period costumes —  and the length of the opera will be cut down to two-and-a-half hours, as opposed to its usual three-and-a-half. 

"But you still get all the hip tunes and the complete story," said WSO music director Robert Franz.

Franz told Windsor Morning the part that will be left out of this production is called the "recitativo," the part of the opera between the music where singers recite words to tell the story.

"I will share with the audience what happens between events to move the story along," said Franz.

Franz added the WSO produces one of these "semi-staged" operas every other year.  They audition for these productions in Windsor and London, and cast singers from across Ontario.  

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Putting together voice and symphony

There are some challenges to mixing opera with symphony. 

"Mozart was genius because he was able to write for the human voice in a way that was very natural. Because it's so natural, there's a lot of flexibility built in, and the flexibility singers use is really quite different from the flexibility instrumentalists use," explained Franz.  "That flexibility is great for us to develop our skills, and keep ourselves thinking in a different way."

The big parts are getting the jet up in the air and landing the jet. There's lots of places in the middle where you can just sort of relax and enjoy the ride.- Robert Franz, WSO music director

And, the opera is in Italian. Since most of the orchestra members don't speak Italian, there needs to be translation so the instrumentalists can get the gist of what's going on.

Ultimately, though, Franz said, conducting an orchestra, especially conducting an opera, is similar to what he thinks it would be like to fly a jumbo jet. "The big parts are getting the jet up in the air and landing the jet. There's lots of places in the middle where you can just sort of relax and enjoy the ride." 

Saturday's performance is sold out but there is a dress rehearsal tonight that is open to the public. That starts at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre. 

Selling out more regularly

This is not the first time the WSO has opened up dress rehearsal shows to the public. Beethovan's Symphony No. 9 and the Star Wars concert both sold out, so the WSO decided to invite the pubic to a rehearsal.

Franz attributes some of the success to people enjoying seeing the symphony at the Capitol Theatre. But he said the real change is in how much time WSO musicians spend out in the community.

"We perform at retirement centres and in schools and we do work all throughout the community, and I think people are starting to see that this orchestra is really for me, too."