Even the most passionate opera fans tend to admit that opera isn’t the most accessible of the musical genres. In fact, you could argue that it’s the marmite of the opera world – you either love it or hate it.
That is what Komische Oper are trying to put right using pop-up operas all over Berlin. In this video, one of their stars, Johannes Dunz, performs Largo al factotum from Rossini’s famous opera The Barber of Seville in the middle of Brandenburg airport.
It’s an unusual location, but the watching crowd seemed delighted by the diversion while waiting for their flights. In addition to Dunz’s spectacular singing, the performance included Juri Tarasenok on the Bajan accordion, Deniz Tahberer on the violin, Arnulf Ballhorn on the contrabass and dancers Paul Gerritsen and Michael Fernandez. It’s a wonderful spectacle that anyone watching the video would wish they had been there to see.
Opera meets the city, and the city meets opera. In the Komische Oper Berlin’s pop-up operas, select scenes from the company’s repertoire are performed in urban locations around the German capital, giving its inhabitants the chance to experience this memorable music up close.
The tone and range of Dunz’s voice was a perfect fit for the part of Figaro. Its power meant that even in a busy airport, it could be heard as clear as a bell. It’s no wonder he has performed in many roles, both for Komische Oper Berlin and elsewhere. He also won the Jugend musiziert music competition and took masterclasses with renowned singers and musicians Christa Ludwig, Thomas Hampson, Helmut Deutsch.
He certainly appears to be someone to watch for all opera fans out there. In the meantime, to whet your appetite, check out his airport performance. If you want to see more from Komische Oper head over to their official website and see what they have coming up.