An opera in Tondo? Italy brings Giacomo Puccini’s play to Manila’s slum

FILE PHOTO: Residents of a small apartment building in Tondo, Manila, do their house chores outside their units. On March 23, 2024, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will perform an Italian opera meant for Filipino youth at the covered court of the San Pablo Apostol Parish in Tondo. During a sit-down interview with reporters and editors from Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday, March 1, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Mario Clemente disclosed that they are bringing “Gianni Schicchi,” a comic opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini to the district. REUTERS

MANILA, Philippines — An extraordinary – and rather strange – event is set to happen in Metro Manila’s largest slum, Tondo.

On March 23, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will perform an Italian opera meant for Filipino youth at the covered court of the San Pablo Apostol Parish.;

During a sit-down interview with reporters and editors from Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Mario Clemente disclosed that they are bringing “Gianni Schicchi,” a comic opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini to Tondo.

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“It’s such a unique thing [that’s why] Italian media want me to send them information because they are very curious about this experiment. It’s a social experiment to bring the opera to the people –  in a playground, in a place where they play football and basketball. They mount a stage, there will be the orchestra, there will be seats, lights, sound system,” he said.

In jest, he coined the slogan “A Strange Thing Happened in Tondo” – a phrase to describe the opera, which he admitted to be a rare event. Clemente said he thinks of it as an “empowerment” because it could give the audience – in this case, the youth – the possibility “to be exposed to something” new.

According to Clemente, an opera is a very complicated and elaborate form of art.

“That’s why it’s not often offered in this country because it is expensive and it’s elitist. That’s the other problem. People consider opera elitist without knowing that before movies and cinema in the 19th century…people go into the opera as they go into the movies now,” he explained.

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He noted that opera is expensive because it is costly to make one as well.

Thus, Clemente stressed, it is important to instill to the people that despite its cost, an opera is also “very entertaining,” and  “empowering” as it gives artists the opportunity to work.

Opera house in Manila?

Emphasizing the need to develop an awareness on opera in the Philippines, Clemente floated the idea of building an opera house in Manila.

“Because if there is a container. I know the answer could be there is the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), but the CCP is not the opera house. It’s just a theater where you perform musicals, drama, and concerts,” he pointed out.