Kiri Te Kanawa under fire for Hayley Westenra comments

xcept

First the Story - from Stuff.no.nz

The gloves (long, velvet) are off. Ladies, take your corners - the battle between singers Hayley Westenra, 20, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, 64, is heating up.

Dame Kiri rips into Hayley Westenra

Yesterday, the New Zealand Herald reported Dame Kiri slamming the "pop opera" style of the young Christchurch singer: "Have you heard Hayley? She's not in my world, she's never been in it at all."

The diva wouldn't discuss the story - which also quoted her saying Westenra's ilk were "new fakes for the new generation" who had to sing with microphones - but it has incensed some in the local entertainment industry.

Ian Magan, Pacific Entertainment promoter, said Dame Kiri was "appallingly rude".

"All I can do is suggest that she's greatly out of touch and is showing extremely bad manners for one who purports to be a loyal New Zealander.

"I'm both a friend and an admirer of Hayley, and I think for a girl who started singing professionally at 14 and has now sold hundreds of thousands of records in the world's toughest market - well, you've gotta say the kid's got what it takes, plus some."

Magan, who has been in the industry for 33 years, promoting the likes of Pavarotti, Elton John and Ray Charles, says he admires both women's work.

"I see Kiri's job to encourage other artists, not do this sort of thing. She makes comments about the songs Hayley sings? Well she sings all those great Broadway hits, just like Hayley does. A third of their repertoire is probably quite similar.

"This business that she has to have a microphone? Well, Miss Te Kanawa has to be reminded that [outdoors] so does she."

Broadcaster Paul Holmes, who interviewed Dame Kiri recently and found her the "softest and most relaxed" he's ever encountered, is a fan of both singers.

"I think Kiri is being a little hard on Hayley. But I can see where she is coming from. Across Europe, the opera houses of North America and Asia, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is god.

"But Hayley is not a five-minute wonder. She has come from nowhere and worked really hard and done her best to advance her career and has had tremendous success.

"It's a little bit like the giant whacking the small person." Holmes says Dame Kiri "shouldn't persist with this expression of view ... because Dame Kiri is loved by us - but so is Hayley."

As a site obviously promoting the Classical crossover genre this isn't a story we would normally feel the need to cover - But it has raised some important issues and everyone has an opinion. It would be great to hear yours.

Are comments like Dame Kiri's part of the snobbish image problem in classical music?

Are those in opera/classical circles kidding themselves when they think they can make opera popular?

Clearly some of the artists they work alongside resent the recent 'dumbing down for the masses' and accuse them of selling out simply to make money in recording sales.

Do todays popera artists dusting down the classics and making them accessable to all generations deserve some credit simply for widening the appeal?

Love it or hate it - do you think that classical crossover artists and lets face it the fans who buy the music, will always be looked down upon by those who would rather the music was being sung correctly by professionals - and listened to by those with a more discerning ear?

xcept · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:31 am Post subject:

My opinion is that Hayley to my knowledge has never claimed to be an opera singer. She is however a very hard working, talentened young lady with a very professional attitude to her singing.

I have been relieved to see that she has not responded to these comments in the press. Her level of maturity and respectful silence in the matter have served her well.

I can only hope that although Dame Kiri may not enjoy the recent rise of classical crossover artists and music, that she can at least appreciate that they can all happlily co exist without competition or conflict.

It has often been said that many who are introduced to popera music move on to 'weightier' compositions eventually - so isn't Dame Kiri benefiting in the end? Wink

Both ladies are very talented and well loved. I hope there is a peaceful resolution to the issue very soon.

xantha · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:16 pm Post subject:

It is an interesting debate I agree.

I remember interviewing Hayley for Classicalx a while ago and she said that whilst she loves Opera, it is not something she intended to go into.She enjoys singing her own music and doing Classical Crossover but has developed a great love for Opera through her training and is flattered by letters she receives from fans saying that her music has opened up a whole new world to them.

Personally I have always loved Classical music but only really developed a love for Opera after hearing groups like Amici Forever and particularly after meeting artists like Nick Garrett and Alfie Boe. Having heard them all perform many songs from operas in their concerts, it makes it more enjoyable when you go to an opera and find that some of the songs are familiar to you.

I think all of the artists featured on here have had some form of classical training and those that I have interviewed like Alfie, do not see classical crossover as singing a pop song in an operatic way, or vice versa, but bringing classical music to a wider audience.There are quite a few artists on here that still do both Opera and more easy listening types of songs and do them brilliantly. I think that there is room for both genres and whilst some might think that crossover artists "dumb down" the music, I do think that they are helping to bring this music to a more wider audience.

divinecomedy · Joined: Nov 22, 2007 Posts: 1

I like popera because it's light and catchy, real opera isn't
Real opera is too much complex and hard for people around my age to understand and appreciate, we're the generation that wants everything easy and not complicated
Who here wants to listen good opera? No one, all the greatest composers of the past never imagined that one day human beings would become so lazy to the point we are today, we don't appreciate anymore what was really good in the past
I prefer to listen Hayley than Kiri because she does a kind of music that doesn't requite thoughts and don't require any kind of mental activity, opera demands all these things
Opera is all about how much good singer you're without technology and microphone around, popera obviously isn't
No popera star will be able to handle opera simply because wasn't trained to do that

Something else, I'm not a big fan of Hayley and popera, I prefer to listen heavy metal influenced by classical music and the vocalists are sopranos like Nighwish and Visions Of Atlantis