The Colón Theater, considered one of the most beautiful and important in the world, not only stands out for its imposing architecture, its excellent acoustics and its rich history, but also for the artistic quality of its operatic productions. Throughout the decades, this emblematic scenario has witnessed a transformation process where technology occupies an increasingly decisive role in scenic creation.
Although tradition is breathed there, the creations that are gestated have been able to adapt to the digital advances that redefine the show. The integration of projections, special effects and LED screens in the scenery allows to transcend the conventional limits of representation, enhancing the visual and sensory experience of the public.
This incorporation of new technologies reconfigures the way in which the functions in the 21st century are conceived and represented, achieving a balance between the majesty of the past and the creative possibilities of the future. This could be seen in the recent functions of “Billy Budd” by Benjamin Britten, with a scenic direction of Marcelo Lombardero and design by Diego Siliano, an undisputed reference in this type of work.
History
The origins of these advances date back to the rise of contemporary opera in the 1970s. Although then the devices were not as developed as today, directors as the American Robert Wilson began experimenting with the light and integration of audiovisual content on stage. An emblematic example is his collaboration with Philip Glass in “Einstein on the Beach”, where he used retroprojes to create abstract and minimalist landscapes that generated symbolic atmospheres and greater visual fluidity.
From the 1990s, with the advance of the digital video and the computerized scenographic design, the figure of the Canadian director Robert Lepage, a pioneer in the intensive use of multimedia scenery. In his vision of “Fausto’s condemnation” by Hector Berlioz for the Metropolitan Opera in New York, singers interacted with video images projected in 24 translucent cubicles that showed dynamic scenes of nature and human figures. Thanks to infrared sensors and cameras, the animations responded to the movements of the interpreters: the grass grew under their feet or the fire increased with the force of their song.
Precursor
In the Colón Theater, the architect and scenographer Emilio Basaldúa was a pioneer in the integration of digital resources. Regular collaborator since 1971, in the 1990s he participated in several assemblies where he incorporated visuals in real time. One of the first examples of this use in the Columbus was its version of the dramatic madrigal “Il fighting di tancredi e chlorinda” by Claudio Monteverdi. There, the projections ceased to be a mere ornament to integrate into the drama: Tancredo, Christian gentleman, combat at night to a Sarracene crusader without knowing what is chlorinda, the woman who loves. After the fierce battle, he mortally hurts his beloved, and the images amplified that tragedy integrating as another narrative element.
Closer in time, since 1995, Diego Siliano was consolidated as a reference in the articulation of plastic resources with the entire theatrical creative process. For him, the scenery is a group art that investigates and deepens multimedia techniques, creating virtual and 3D designs. “Always the changes in the scenographies occur with the different eras and adapt to the existing options. At the dawn of the theater Los Griegos used the mēchanē to raise characters to heaven. It was an adaptation of the crane of construction of temples. In the 18 They used catechesis with candles, curved lenses and painted glass, ”synthesizes.
Odds
“Particularly, I remember as if it were today ‘Ascent and fall of the city of Mahagonny’ in the ’80, directed by Jaime Kogan in the Luna Park, with Tito Egurza scene that used three lenses projectors. I was fascinated because he opened a door to infinite possibilities,” he recalls about a key moment. For Siliano, the challenge of working with projection is more aesthetic than a technician: “I always wonder if necessary for the setting and what it can contribute. Sometimes it helps to place the viewer in a certain place and time. Sometimes I use white screens or screens to develop a cinematographic aesthetic or LED screens that provide urban visual support. The essential thing is that it contains and enhances the dramatic action, dialoguing with costume and acting movement ”.
In its most recent design for “Billy Budd”, the visual composition creates the feeling of a movement in motion, with the sea, the twilight and the arrival of the boat with the recruits, immersing the viewer in an immersive and poetic environment. Among his most remembered works is also his dazzling “Parsifal” of Wagner, released in 2015 with Regie de Marcelo Lombardero.
Processes
“All development was worked for ten months before the premiere with five illustrators and videos to prepare the contents that would be projected, in addition to the physical construction carried out by the theater technicians. The projection in this case approached us visually and emotionally to that musical magic that Wagner wrote in 1882 and that the director required for his vision of the work,” says Silian A.
In short, the incorporation of technology not only represents a visual renewal, but also an evolution in the way of telling stories. Thanks to a set of new techniques, the operatic universe becomes more dynamic, immersive and accessible, without losing the essence that defines the Columbus as a lighthouse of creativity and artistic excellence. The real challenge lies in finding the perfect balance between the historical legacy and the infinite possibilities of innovation.
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