2019年经济学人 阿曼马斯喀特皇家歌剧院(2)

 

Oil has fuelled the opera boom, but Western expertise¹ has helped. Jasper Hope, formerly² of the Royal Albert Hall in London and now chief executive of Dubai Opera, has introduced a spin-off from the bbc Proms. Umberto Fanni, the well-connected director of the rohm, has attracted prestigious³ artists to Oman. Plácido Domingo has sung there; a new production of “Rigoletto” by Franco Zeffirelli, a legendary⁴ director, is due to open in Muscat next year.

石油推动了歌剧的繁荣，但西方的专业知识也有所帮助。贾斯珀?霍普曾在伦敦皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅工作，现任迪拜歌剧院首席执行官。乌姆贝托?范尼是罗姆画廊人脉广泛的总监，他吸引了许多知名艺术家来到阿曼。普拉西多·多明戈曾在那里演唱过；传奇导演佛朗哥·泽菲雷利的新作《里戈莱托》将于明年在马斯喀特上演。

Still, adapting a mannered—and often bawdy—European art form to local tastes is a challenge. “The risk is that you disorientate audiences,” says Farid Rahi, ceo of Opera Lebanon (itself founded in 2015). “You need a very simple theatrical⁵ language.” Sex and religion cause particular problems.“When we staged ‘La Traviata’ [Verdi’s opera about a Parisian courtesan], we had water instead of wine,” Mr Fanni recalls. The production in Muscat emphasised the heroine’s “dignified journey to death rather than her libertine⁶ lifestyle.”

尽管如此，要让一种欧洲艺术形式适应当地的品味仍然是一项挑战。“风险在于你会让观众迷失方向，”黎巴嫩歌剧院(成立于2015年)的首席执行官法里德?拉希如此表示。“你需要一种非常简单的戏剧语言。”性和宗教造成了特殊的问题。“当我们上演威尔第的歌剧《茶花女》时，我们喝的是水而不是酒，”范尼先生回忆道。在马斯喀特的制作强调了女主人公“有尊严的死亡之旅，而不是她放荡的生活方式。”

As well as European classics, the ROHM offers works from the Middle East, such as “Antar and Abla”, an Arabic opera commissioned by Opera Lebanon. Mr Fanni’s ultimate aim is to replace the imported shows that have hitherto dominated the repertoire⁷ with in-house productions. The Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa provided the chorus and musicians for “Lakmé”, but the ROHM made the sets. Mr Fanni hopes soon to mix Omani musicians with the foreign players who occupy the orchestra pit now.

除了欧洲经典作品，马斯喀特皇家歌剧院还演绎来自中东的作品，比如黎巴嫩歌剧院委托创作的阿拉伯歌剧《安塔和阿布拉的冒险》。范尼的最终目标是用国内制作的节目取代迄今主导曲目的进口节目。热那亚的卡洛·费利斯为《拉克美》提供了合唱和音乐家，但由马斯喀特皇家歌剧院制作布景。范尼先生希望不久就能把阿曼音乐家和现在占据乐池的外国乐手结合起来。

The complexion⁸ of the audience is also changing—slowly. When the ROHM was inaugurated during the Arab spring, protesters decried⁹ the project’s profligacy¹⁰. Local interest in opera has risen; but even now, only around 15% of punters are Omani.

观众的群体也在慢慢改变。当马斯喀特皇家歌剧院在“阿拉伯之春”期间落成时，抗议者谴责该项目的挥霍无度。当地对歌剧的兴趣上升了；但即使是现在，也只有15%左右的观众是阿曼人。

1 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

3 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

6 libertine   

n.淫荡者；adj.放荡的，自由思想的

参考例句：

• The transition from libertine to prig was so complete.一个酒徒色鬼竟然摇身一变就成了道学先生。
• I believe John is not a libertine any more.我相信约翰不再是个浪子了。

7 repertoire   

n.(准备好演出的)节目，保留剧目；(计算机的)指令表，指令系统， <美>(某个人的)全部技能；清单，指令表

参考例句：

• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。
• He has added considerably to his piano repertoire.他的钢琴演奏曲目大大增加了。

8 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

9 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 profligacy   

n.放荡，不检点，肆意挥霍

参考例句：

• Subsequently, this statement was quoted widely in the colony as an evidence of profligacy. 结果这句话成为肆意挥霍的一个例证在那块领地里传开了。 来自辞典例句
• Recession, they reason, must be a penance for past profligacy. 经济衰退，他们推断，肯定是对过去大肆挥霍的赎罪。 来自互联网