Operatica: Shine brings opera to that loosely defined genre known as world music. Pop divas, move over! These are divas with a "D." The music is composed or adapted by Lord Vanger, who assembled the various divas, including Ying Huang, of Madame Butterfly fame, Inva Mula, whose music appeared in the movie The Fifth Element, and one of opera's current bright lights -- coloratura soprano Maureen O'Flynn, as well as Columbian sensation Shakira. Does it work? Absolutely.
Shine is the second Operatica album by Vanger, and shows that there is a substantial appetite for new treatments for operatic material. While I delight in all sorts of vocal performances, I find classically trained voices particularly satisfying, and hearing them in a mix that draws from such a diverse set of traditions is both refreshing and interesting. Every other review of this material has mentioned Vanger's horror when he heard Mula's movie performance, as he'd already begun putting Operatica together, so I guess I should as well. It must be particularly satisfying to have her appear on Operatica: Shine.
The songs are as diverse as the line up. While another highlight, "Lost in Someone Else's dream" is a Vanger original, sung by Jihae, "Kokab" is based on a Persian folk tune, with lyrics by Iraj Janati Ataie, while "Passepied" was written by the French composer Debussy, and "Solvejg's Song" by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, both hailing from the nineteenth century. There's nothing nineteenth century about the accompanying music, though. Folktronica might be an apt description, as the various rifs and accompaniments hail from an astonishing array of contemporary sources.
If you enjoy electronica, world music or opera, this one belongs in your collection.
