Opera is an exuberant art form, full of big gestures, huge emotions and seemingly ridiculous plots. How does one cope with it?
Opera is an exuberant art form, full of big gestures, huge emotions and seemingly ridiculous plots. How does one cope with it? This lecture suggests some survival techniques as we unpack the disconcerting sides of opera-the acting style, the spectacle, the sheer noise of the experience -and its gripping theatricality. We also discuss why 19th century heroines die, but 18th century ones do not.
THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Miss Sarah Lenton
Sarah Lenton has spent her working life in the theatre, principally at the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and English National Opera. She writes programme articles and websites, she gives lectures on the operas and ballets in the rep. and does live opera broadcasts and podcasts for BBC Radios 3 and 4. She has written and directed many shows, including more than 20 for the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio Theatre and for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. She is also a cartoonist.
OTHER EVENTS
The Ridge
The stories are highly entertaining but they also tell us a great deal about key issues in art history
The Ridge
A great deal has been written about the Grand Tour in the 18th century, but very little of the music experienced by the travellers as they settled for a while in Italy.