Unconventional Beats
by Swing Opera
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Swing Opera, first, thank you for accepting our invite for this interview. How do you describe la raison d’être of Swing Opera? Swing Opera developed organically from a combination of factors: we began as a group of friends who dreamed of making music our profession. Each of us then took a different path in pursuing this dream, Accordi Disaccordi in jazz and Chiara Osella in the opera world. After some years, when our artistic careers were established and apparently at odds with each other, we met again and felt we wanted to do something together. We wanted to start something just for the sake of it, for pure pleasure. What made you realize that the world needed the offerings you provide as Swing Opera? It was an almost random experiment in early 2017. At the launching of the new Accordi Disaccordi album we included an opera aria arranged in a swing-jazz version. This experiment was greeted enthusiastically, beyond our wildest expectations. The audience was a very mixed crowd, who were also caught by surprise. We therefore realized pretty quickly that we had something big: the opportunity to create something new. It felt like it was something that nobody had ever thought of and it was a concept that could break down the barriers between musical genres. |
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We are driven by the idea of making an extraordinary repertoire accessible to a new audience. It is a repertoire that is so important in the history of music and beyond. But sadly, it sounds obscure to younger generations and is often viewed as unapproachable because it seems stuck in an environment that is reserved for a few aficionados or insiders.
Who have been your biggest supporters thus far?
Everyone who has had the opportunity to hear us! Accordi Disaccordi are now established in major international jazz circles. They started on the streets always return there. It is all based on the strong belief that if people stop to listen to you as they go about their busy day, it means you are doing something right.
We were keen to take the same path with Swing Opera: we went onto the streets, and much to our amazement, crowds were moved by opera arias and, at the same time, they were clapping their hands to a swing beat! The next step was busking on the streets of Perugia during the world-famous Umbria Jazz Festival. Here too, we received an enthusiastic reception from people of all ages...
Who make up the core audience of Swing Opera? What are your plans to extend your reach?
People are intrigued by opera, but often fear they are unable to understand it. Members of our audience often tell us something like "I would have liked to follow opera, but I have never had the opportunity" or "I thought opera was boring!"
Swing is a very direct style, in particular the manouche version created by Django Reinhardt, who played very humble venues. This project of ours addresses everybody; perhaps a little ambitiously.
We would like to pass on the message that nothing is out of anybody's reach, that everything is possible, as long as one has the courage to pull down barriers.
What is your repertoire of choice?
We had no doubts about our first piece: the Habanera from Carmen. Bizet created a melody that is familiar to everybody, a bit like a popular song. Everybody has heard it at least once, and it has an almost hypnotic kind of magic. Then, we decided to proceed step by step.
So, we are combining arias that are embedded in the collective conscious-ness with others whose musical structure is suitable for a jazz arrangement.
The long-term goal is that of increasingly performing less familiar tunes from the endless and extraordinary opera repertoire.
Who have been your biggest supporters thus far?
Everyone who has had the opportunity to hear us! Accordi Disaccordi are now established in major international jazz circles. They started on the streets always return there. It is all based on the strong belief that if people stop to listen to you as they go about their busy day, it means you are doing something right.
We were keen to take the same path with Swing Opera: we went onto the streets, and much to our amazement, crowds were moved by opera arias and, at the same time, they were clapping their hands to a swing beat! The next step was busking on the streets of Perugia during the world-famous Umbria Jazz Festival. Here too, we received an enthusiastic reception from people of all ages...
Who make up the core audience of Swing Opera? What are your plans to extend your reach?
People are intrigued by opera, but often fear they are unable to understand it. Members of our audience often tell us something like "I would have liked to follow opera, but I have never had the opportunity" or "I thought opera was boring!"
Swing is a very direct style, in particular the manouche version created by Django Reinhardt, who played very humble venues. This project of ours addresses everybody; perhaps a little ambitiously.
We would like to pass on the message that nothing is out of anybody's reach, that everything is possible, as long as one has the courage to pull down barriers.
What is your repertoire of choice?
We had no doubts about our first piece: the Habanera from Carmen. Bizet created a melody that is familiar to everybody, a bit like a popular song. Everybody has heard it at least once, and it has an almost hypnotic kind of magic. Then, we decided to proceed step by step.
So, we are combining arias that are embedded in the collective conscious-ness with others whose musical structure is suitable for a jazz arrangement.
The long-term goal is that of increasingly performing less familiar tunes from the endless and extraordinary opera repertoire.
How do you feel about presenting and promoting new music especially knowing that Chiara Osella has performed several world premieres of works written especially for her?
Swing Opera works because it is a show that suits our personalities perfectly, this is our strength. Chiara Osella is an opera singer who is a little outside the box: her kind of work, her artistic resume, are difficult to be pigeonholed in set categories. Before coming to opera, she was involved in other roles in music and the theater, such as actress, director, playwright...
In her opera career, as well as the classical repertoire, she has also tackled contemporary works in which the voice is treated as any other musical instrument, or baroque music, where technical rigor is essential.
All these skills merge and are combined in Swing Opera, creating new sounds but with a traditional feel to them. Had we not had such a peculiar background, Swing Opera would never have been born.
What do the members of Accordi Disaccordi bring to the performances with their previous gypsy jazz repertoire and their own compositions and arrangements?
Accordi Disaccordi are also eclectic: they pass with incredible ease from the beats of swing standards to classical sounds, creating unique moods like those on the new album, which is composed entirely of new material. Their style is very recognizable, and their freshness enables them to tackle different musical genres with their distinctive personal style, a key part of which is definitely their virtuosity.
Another powerful element is their ability to interact directly with a diverse audience, from people on the streets to jazz aficionados, to large festival crowds. This is a key feature of Swing Opera, too.
Do you like challenging yourself or do you prefer going with what feels like safer choices for your group?
Certainly, we like to push ourselves: Swing Opera is already, in and of itself, a risky choice, since anything that cannot be clearly defined may be off-putting and cause misgivings.
But we also have the tools to make choices we know will have a strong impact on the public: very catchy tunes, vocal and instrumental virtuoso parts, frequent interaction with the audience, all of which, however, is carefully proportioned so as to never fall into trite clichés.
What type of emotions do you like to transmit as Swing Opera through your music?
The very same ones that we have realized we manage to create in those who listen to us. When we play we always have a very powerful perception of the audience's emotions: there is an almost mystical silence, ecstatic kids approach the stage, people are moved. Older people who used to listen to opera on the radio have memories rekindled, while young fans of swing, which is very fashionable these days, discover a new experience. In other words, we get the impression that many people like us!
Where are the places you’re looking forward to performing in the upcoming months?
So far, we have been enthusiastically received in jazz circles, and we have already been invited by important festivals, which are attracted by our new and original offering.
But we are ambitious: we would like to reach venues that are more closely associated with classical music, and we are already planning to have an orchestral arrangement of our songs.
Our goal is to tour the world, and why not, bring Swing Opera into the leading opera houses!
For those who haven’t heard your music yet, why is Swing Opera the best newcomer on the classical music scene?
Because we represent a potential "new frontier" if opera houses want a new audience, both in terms of demographics and numbers.
Because we are young and passionate. Because we have high technical and musical research skills. We are fully-rounded professionals dedicated to a project in which we are investing the solid training and experience we have developed.
What makes you happy as a collective group and how do you pass that on to your audiences at your shows?
We have been friends since we were teenagers. We come from small towns, but we have always had great ambition. We have travelled, worked hard, and fought to turn music into our livelihood in Italy, a country which, in despite of its incredible cultural heritage, in no way supports this kind of choice.
We do not care about our careers, but about the content and the passion we put into everything we do. We have a message that we believe is worth conveying to people all over the world. This is what makes us happy.
Swing Opera works because it is a show that suits our personalities perfectly, this is our strength. Chiara Osella is an opera singer who is a little outside the box: her kind of work, her artistic resume, are difficult to be pigeonholed in set categories. Before coming to opera, she was involved in other roles in music and the theater, such as actress, director, playwright...
In her opera career, as well as the classical repertoire, she has also tackled contemporary works in which the voice is treated as any other musical instrument, or baroque music, where technical rigor is essential.
All these skills merge and are combined in Swing Opera, creating new sounds but with a traditional feel to them. Had we not had such a peculiar background, Swing Opera would never have been born.
What do the members of Accordi Disaccordi bring to the performances with their previous gypsy jazz repertoire and their own compositions and arrangements?
Accordi Disaccordi are also eclectic: they pass with incredible ease from the beats of swing standards to classical sounds, creating unique moods like those on the new album, which is composed entirely of new material. Their style is very recognizable, and their freshness enables them to tackle different musical genres with their distinctive personal style, a key part of which is definitely their virtuosity.
Another powerful element is their ability to interact directly with a diverse audience, from people on the streets to jazz aficionados, to large festival crowds. This is a key feature of Swing Opera, too.
Do you like challenging yourself or do you prefer going with what feels like safer choices for your group?
Certainly, we like to push ourselves: Swing Opera is already, in and of itself, a risky choice, since anything that cannot be clearly defined may be off-putting and cause misgivings.
But we also have the tools to make choices we know will have a strong impact on the public: very catchy tunes, vocal and instrumental virtuoso parts, frequent interaction with the audience, all of which, however, is carefully proportioned so as to never fall into trite clichés.
What type of emotions do you like to transmit as Swing Opera through your music?
The very same ones that we have realized we manage to create in those who listen to us. When we play we always have a very powerful perception of the audience's emotions: there is an almost mystical silence, ecstatic kids approach the stage, people are moved. Older people who used to listen to opera on the radio have memories rekindled, while young fans of swing, which is very fashionable these days, discover a new experience. In other words, we get the impression that many people like us!
Where are the places you’re looking forward to performing in the upcoming months?
So far, we have been enthusiastically received in jazz circles, and we have already been invited by important festivals, which are attracted by our new and original offering.
But we are ambitious: we would like to reach venues that are more closely associated with classical music, and we are already planning to have an orchestral arrangement of our songs.
Our goal is to tour the world, and why not, bring Swing Opera into the leading opera houses!
For those who haven’t heard your music yet, why is Swing Opera the best newcomer on the classical music scene?
Because we represent a potential "new frontier" if opera houses want a new audience, both in terms of demographics and numbers.
Because we are young and passionate. Because we have high technical and musical research skills. We are fully-rounded professionals dedicated to a project in which we are investing the solid training and experience we have developed.
What makes you happy as a collective group and how do you pass that on to your audiences at your shows?
We have been friends since we were teenagers. We come from small towns, but we have always had great ambition. We have travelled, worked hard, and fought to turn music into our livelihood in Italy, a country which, in despite of its incredible cultural heritage, in no way supports this kind of choice.
We do not care about our careers, but about the content and the passion we put into everything we do. We have a message that we believe is worth conveying to people all over the world. This is what makes us happy.