'u' — the First Authentic Klingon Opera On Earth

j0ris writes "The Klingon are passionate opera-lovers, but little is known about their highly evolved form of musical expression. Floris Schonfeld is the initiator and director of 'u', the first authentic Klingon opera on earth. He studied Klingon music theory for over a year, and together with several experts developed various indigenous Klingon instruments. The Terran Klingon Research Ensemble has been set up to further develop a coherent Klingon musical practice amongst human musicians. 'u' premieres on September 9 in The Hague, Netherlands. An invitation by Klingon language expert Marc Okrand has been sent to Kronos, home planet of the Klingons, via radio telescope."

Uh huh

[Quiet_Desperation]

The Klingon are passionate opera-lovers, but little is known about their highly evolved form of musical expression.

I imagine so, what with them being fictional and all.

Re:Wow

[natehoy]

It must be terrible for you to suffer your inferiors who don't enjoy your specific type of nonproductive entertainment, and instead have discovered their own types of nonproductive entertainment that are unlike your own obviously superior one.

Re:Wow

[Abstrackt]

Translation: get a jersey, hat, pennant, and bumper sticker with the logo of your local sports team. Wear all of the aforementioned items and glue your ass to a recliner for the next several hours while drinking beer, eating chips and yelling at the little men inside the TV like a normal male because that is clearly a healthier hobby.

Re:Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

I think you are supposed to watch the video clip, like you would watch any star trek episode. If they don't perform this in a genuine way, it becomes a joke to watch, rather than something that sparks the imagination. I do hope that the people are just doing the theater without holding the expressed views as actual belief. If so, they did an excellent job, it was inspiring to watch. Although I couldn't help but laugh at some parts.

Re:Really now?

[gorzek]

Just like anyone who writes opera, or music, or books, or does anything remotely creative, huh?

Do you know any Klingo Opera?

[GodWasAnAlien]

Surely you must know at least one theme from "Aktuh and Melota".

Re:Uh huh

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's similar to "Genuine Nerf [wikia.com] Leather"

Re:Wow

[natehoy]

If they're trying to do this "in universe" then they have to trace it to part of the canon.

Says who? "Canon" is itself a work of fiction. You yourself stated this was all fiction and no one should take it seriously, now you're stating that the equally-fictional canon is some sacrosanct concept that should be taken seriously? It's all made up. I'm happy for you that you enjoy it, and Paramount's accounting department is probably even happier. But you've already bought all the books, and they are looking for more people willing to part with their money.

I think the people who own the copyrights and trademarks to the various aspects of the Star Trek universe can pretty much do whatever they want with it. As long as these jamokes pay their licensing fees to Paramount, it's all good, people will have a little fun, and money will be made. That's entertainment.

Actually, the thought just occurred to me that this all could have happened in the new Universe that JJ Abrams created with the whole "red matter"/Universe split/"nanner-nanner-nanner canon does not apply to me any more!" thing in the latest movie. In THAT canon, none of your resource materials apply, so you'd better go get yourself a new bookshelf if you want to continue following "the universe", because it's all changed now.

Or you can just sit back and enjoy the entertainment in all of its fun forms, choosing the ones you like the best, and ignoring the others.

"Indigenous Klingon instruments"

[dangitman]

I'm curious as to how there are "indigenous Klingon instruments" in this, when there's the small fact that KLINGONS AREN'T REAL.

Intriguing

[Araneas]

So it begins. A group of fans takes some fictional, but well grounded, movie dialogue, expands that out into a language. The language gets tacked onto a particular Con culture and both grow with some vigour. With this opera, we are seeing the creation of a fine arts and by extension, philosophy. A hundred years from now when we have followed Hawking's command to get off the planet to survive, will humankind see Klingon enclaves on Mars? Are we in fact creating our own antagonists? Add a little religiosity to the mix and a future Terran space navy could find itself fighting D7s manned by biologically Human but culturally Klingon beings. Gene would be happy he got the appearance right the first time. Or perhaps this is what he was getting at all along - we are Klingons.

Re:Wow

[gknoy]

It doesn't matter how good that fiction is, to treat it like it is real is retarded. Klingon is an invented language, a clever one indeed actually designed to buck as many linguistic norms as possible, but to think that some language that was invented for a TV show is actually spoken by extraterrestrial life forms is irredeemably stupid, even as an act.

I just see this as elaborate roleplay -- just as some people are giant Star Wars nerds (/wave) and will talk about the ethical ramifications of the Force, or some Star Trek nerds might speculate on how an economy like that depicted on Star Trek might work (or might fail). They don't need to believe it is real to do this. (Granted, some crackpots might really believe it's real. Many would consider them crazy. OTOH, millions of people believe in invisible all-powerful beings that dictate how we should act.)

An opera is a story, and doesn't need to be about Real People. It could be an opera about magical hamsters, and if the plot and music were good, it could be good. (OK ... magical hamsters? I admit that's pushing it.) The fact is, the (fictional) Klingon culture is one with a rich (imagined) heritage, and has stories and lore and heroes in it which could make potent entertainment.

The libretto of 'u' is based on the epos of Kahless the unforgettable. Betrayed by his brother and witness to his father's brutal slaying, Kahless is pitted against his bitter enemy the mighty tyrant Molor. To regain his honor he must travel into the underworld, create the first Bat'leth, be united with his true love the lady Lukara and fight many epic battles.

I would love to see a hero's journey played out with Klingon characters, exploring Klingon warrior culture, etc -- just as I love watching Kurosawa's films, or watching Lord of the Rings, or playing video games with plots. The libretto of this opera sounds like it could be awesome. Granted, it's quite possible this was all just someone trolling for attention, and the opera (if it exists) will suck, but the possibility of an opera about Kahless would be frickin' awesome. It would be like someone making an opera about the formation of the Rings of Power, and Sauron's rise to power.

Can you imagine a big-budget movie of such a plot? (The story of Kahless, that is.) It would have betrayal, murder, sex, love, regained honor, brutal tyrants, vengeance, and triumph. No wonder Klingons like Hamlet.