Vatican's New "Rock" Opera

May 19, 2007 1:00 PM

Dante's The Divine Comedy (trailer/text) has inspired an opera by the Vatican's music administrator, the choirmaster of St John Lateran, Monsignor Marco Frisina. The premiere is scheduled for fall of 2007. Although traditional orchestral music predominates, Monsignor Frisina says that he is using punk, rock and jazz to represent the Devil because its "violent and rebellious tones help create a hellish atmosphere" (The Clash, Straight To Hell YouTube).
posted by sluglicker (8 comments total)

Awesome, non-ironic characterization of rock as devil music.
posted by grobstein at 1:14 PM on May 19, 2007

I've had The Inferno sitting in my to-read pile for about a year now. I suppose I should get around to reading it.
posted by jake3456 at 1:56 PM on May 19, 2007

Straight to Hell is hot!
posted by vronsky at 2:18 PM on May 19, 2007

I'd be interested to know how Maestro Frisina proposes to maintain the viewer's interest past the first opera? The Inferno's got all the exciting bits; the Paradiso is one long snore.

Also, if the Vatican is staging this, presumably they'll have a problem with the number of Popes and churchmen Dante places in hell.
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:21 PM on May 19, 2007

mohawk!
posted by vronsky at 2:25 PM on May 19, 2007

I just kept on clicking on the You Tube Clash bits. Rock!
posted by Mojojojo at 3:58 PM on May 19, 2007

While I applaud the idea of punk, rock, and jazz in a classical opera, I hope that Frisina has the chops to pull it off. It sounds like he's versatile from the web page though, so good sign.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:18 PM on May 19, 2007

You wanna play mind-crazed banjo
On the druggy-drag ragtime U.S.A.?
In Parkland International
Hey! Junkiedom U.S.A.
Where procaine proves the purest rock man groove
and rat poison
The volatile Molotov says-

PSSST...
HEY CHICO WE GOT A MESSAGE FOR YA... SI...
VAMOS VAMOS MUCHACHO
FROM ALPHABET CITY ALL THE WAY A TO Z, DEAD, HEAD

Go straight to Hell, boys
Go straight to Hell, boys
Straight to Hell
posted by vronsky at 7:42 PM on May 19, 2007