Opera and the Silver Screen

Opera Holland Park returns to the Elgar Room with an exploration of Opera and Silver Screen, hosted by Petroc Trelawny and featuring some of the company’s top soloists.

Opera Holland Park’s latest show is an exploration of the variety of arias used within popular films of the 20th and 21st centuries – from Vesti la giuba in The Untouchables to the Letter Duet in The Shawshank Redemption.

The mixing of these two art forms has become popular among filmmakers as a means of evoking and heightening emotions as well as developing plot, and symbolising themes and motifs.

Over the years, opera has made its mark in numerous hit films such as Pretty Woman, Philadelphia and The Godfather to name a few, where the on-screen drama and music has created iconic, classic moments that have left a lasting impression on its audiences.