Opera house performs first post-lockdown concert for an all-plant audience
Next week, Barcelona’s Liceu opera house will emerge from its lockdown-induced siesta by throwing a concert to a rather unusual audience. The attendees will not need masks or gloves, nor will they be required to follow physical distancing rules.
However, they might like to take along a nice comfy pot and some water to prevent their roots from drying out as a string quartet serenades them, fittingly, with Puccini’s Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums).
A total of 2,292 plants will occupy the venue’s seats and listen to the opera house’s first post-lockdown concert when it reopens next Monday. Non-vegetal music fans will also be able to enjoy the performance as it will be live-streamed.
According to the Liceu’s artistic director Víctor García de Gomar, the Concert for the Biocene, played the by Uceli quartet, is intended to help us ponder the current state of the human condition and how, in lockdown, we have become “an audience deprived of the possibility of being an audience”.
For Eugenio Ampudia, the conceptual artist behind the concert, the project will serve to reflect what has happened across Spain and around the world as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to retreat from shared public areas.
“At a time when an important part of humankind has shut itself up in enclosed spaces and been obliged to relinquish movement, nature has crept forward to occupy the spaces we have ceded,” said Ampudia.
After the concert, the plants will find themselves in a new home, with each one of them being donated to 2,292 health workers as thank you for their efforts over recent months.
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“the first rule of opera is the first rule in life:
see to everything yourself.”
-nellie melba
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photo and story credits: the optimist daily
What an interesting event. I hope those who placed the plants practised social distancing. What a feat!
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i’m guessing with all of the planning and attention to detail, they did.
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I’m guessing so too – or at least hoping.
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I’m jubilant with those news…. so very, very well done, friends! I wish I could listen to this – and the photo (montage)…. just glorious. But the dot on the i really is that those plants will be given to carers after the concert. SO MUCH genius, reflection, joy and gratitude in one big gesture.
Thank you Beth, for sharing this piece of news – I am one who suffers greatly too under the lack of music, and singing. We plan a mini concert on 2nd and 12th July…. staying positive is the mantra of each day.
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i so agree, kiki. this was a master class in planning, thoughtfulness, and bringing concepts together, brilliant. that’s great that you have a mini concert to look forward to –
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Great post, Beth!
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thanks, brad, i found the story so interesting
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How unusual. I love the idea of the plants going to carers after the concert.
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yes, so. many good things about this
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Reblogged this on Daniel Kemp and commented:
What an unusual thing to happen
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ty, daniel
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A lovely quote from our (Aussie) Dame Nellie Melba…..
Did you know I was a scientist/industrial chemist, before I became a plumber, and now I’m a poet…
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ah, i learn something everyday, ivor –
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😏💛🤔
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What a great idea!
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i thought so too!
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👌
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What a lovely concert hall. I would think it is beautiful even without the plants but they sure do make a nice audience. They also clean and purify the air so I hope they did their part during the exclusive concert.
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i think it was a win-win –
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What an outstanding idea!
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I thought so too
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The audience needed to learn about the music, Beth. They all were pretty green …
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Plant the seed…)
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What a lovely idea!
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Isn’t it?
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How very interesting, Beth.
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I thought it was a great oairing
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Such a terrific idea! My wife and I were in Barcelona once but didn’t get to enter this building – I will let the stream take me there!
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Stream on-
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Oh my goodness! all that great music the plants are going to grow sooo big! 🙂 🙂
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They will!
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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That’s just brilliant. I have a long history with bringing pleasing sounds to plants.
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This is perfect for you, then –
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perhaps The Roots should have been guest performers, or perhaps Green Day..
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Next time !🌺🌺🌴
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Li Bai, Tu Fu, Li Ho and Wang Wei approve this idea with all their little bean hearts. ❤
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🎶🌱
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What a great idea they have. Super!
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I agree, ute!
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I hope someone puts time lapse cameras on the plants because I know they will be moving!
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Oh, yeah!
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What an awesome idea! This captive audience will be pleasing to the eyes and the air.
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Yes, good for all
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Wow, that’s really cool 😎
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Isn’t it?
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How very, very cool! Perhaps this could become a ‘thing’! 😀
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an annual spring event -?
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Isn’t it crazy how we are changing the way we think? What a fantastic idea!
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Very interesting Mam. Thanks for letting us know about this novel idea.
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you are very welcome
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If possible try to check my blogs. I principally concentrate of social issues.
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That is so great! I saw a bit of the performance on the news!
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ooh!
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Ya!
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Just wonderful!
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Thanks, i thought it was a brilliant ideas
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Definitely!
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Great post! Very informative. 🙂
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So beautiful
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thank you
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