First opera short film in virtual reality

With the first films and video games already using virtual reality to bring the consumer as close as possible to the action, the first opera is now being produced in virtual reality. "360° Figaro" shows a 20-minute sequence of scenes from the second act of Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro".

The events of the 360° opera are understandable even without a larger context. The audience is positioned in the centre of the performers to give the impression that the opera is being staged just for them. To underline this, the scene was conceived from the outset for a 360° camera and is to be recorded with live singing and binaural sound, i.e. sound that only appears natural via headphones, with precise directional localisation. The soloists are Jacquelyn Wagner as Rosina, Olena Tokar as Susanna, Matthias Hausmann as Count Almaviva and Valentina Stadler as Cherubino; the producer is Jan Schmidt-Garre. The project is being recorded by Arthaus Musik, Pars Media and digital images in a studio in Halle that was previously used by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. 360° Figaro" is supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the Fraunhofer Institute.

In the field of classical music, there has so far only been one ballet recording from the Royal Opera in Stockholm.

Source: Klassik magazine