Beethoven in Virtual Reality, directed by Francesca Zambello. Tamara Wilson and Russell Thomas perform two masterpieces from Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio—including Leonore’s aria “Komm, Hoffnung” (Come, Hope)—accompanied in 360-degree audio by the Washington National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Principal Conductor Evan Rogister. In a secret underground cell, political prisoner Florestan suffers under tyrant prison governor Don Pizarro. But a light in the darkness is breaking: Leonore, Florestan’s wife, has disguised herself as male guard Fidelio for the ultimate undercover mission. By infiltrating the very system that oppresses her husband, can she be the voice that overthrows it? Beethoven premiered this story of resistance, freedom, and dissent during a time of complete European upheaval. If his “Ode to Joy” declares the universal triumph of peace over war, then his Fidelio is an inspiring ode to love’s transcendent power over tyranny.
Pretty unique experience, that works. This is the first time I've seen VR theatre actually work well. The resolution is excellent with no blurry pixelation or flat-360 video feel. The single stable viewpoint allows the staging to work in 3D - things are the right size and you can watch the performance as if you're there. The actor video integration is seamless, although the scenes selected are quite limited solos, maybe because of technology capacity. Of course the 360 audio has to be perfect here, and it's pretty good given the headset capabilities. The results are much more impressive than the 360 video performance recordings you see e.g. in Horizon worlds, or overly gimmicky tech demos that distract from the work itself. It's interesting where this could go - I'd love to be able to have VR front row seats at a variety of other performances.
Library of Realities.com review:. Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, tells the story of a woman who seeks to rescue her husband from death in a political prison. Performed by the Washington National Opera, this virtual reality experience includes two costumed and set-dressed scenes recorded in 360° video featuring the talents of singers Tamara Wilson and Russell Thomas.
One scene from each of the two acts is included in the production, with each piece running around eight minutes in length. Rather than being filmed on stage, the two performances are set in small rooms and captured by a fixed single 360° monoscopic camera. We're more accustomed to opera performances in vast concert halls, so it seems unusual to have such large voices in such small sets, and this is compounded by a mismatch of the accompanying soundtrack that was clearly recorded in a much bigger space. Further affecting the experience is the lack of dynamism to the pictures, which appear to be due to a lack of color grading and leveling of the recorded image.
Tamara Wilson standing in a drab office room. Tamara Wilson performing "Komm, Hoffnung" (Come, Hope)
Fidelio's user interface is well-implemented, and the menu includes some helpful introduction to the work of the artist and performers. Blocking of the performers is well positioned, too - the viewer's gaze can comfortably follow the singers' actions without the need to rotate from a seated position.
Overall we found Fidelio to be lackluster in terms of presentation and performance, and few of the benefits offered by virtual reality are utilized employed here. The mono video doesn't provide depth to images and the app's vaunted 360° audio wasn't noticeable to our ears. We would likely have enjoyed the viewing more as a traditional flatscreen viewing with better cameras and better post-production techniques.
A bloodied Russell Thomas clutching his wrist in a dirty prison cell. Russell Thomas acts and sings a piece from Act 2.
Quest
Rift
4人
