By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
DANDENONG opera singer Eugene Raggio is singing the praises of his art.
He says the soothing tones of Hansel and Gretel’s musical script is not so grim and even helps young children’s development.
Mr Raggio has conducted choirs for 14 years and said landing the role of Father Peter in the Opera Australia Brothers Grimm production has been “a real treat”.
“It feels like I’m coming home going to work – the kids really respond to opera and the experience so far singing for them has been really rewarding,” Mr Raggio said.
The 50-minute show allows children to ask questions and Mr Raggio said the young audience clearly enjoys the music.
“I can say they respond in a really literal way.
“I was exposed to opera quite young and, like all things, kids take in what they are ready to take in but it is really important they start appreciating more sophisticated music at a young age which can help in all areas of their development,” he said.
Mr Raggio said a child’s ears are more likely to develop to a more sophisticated level at a young age, “especially in the first four years of their development”.
“If this performance of Hansel and Gretel is the only exposure they’re going to get it’s a very important one and it’s a very accessible storyline,” he said.
The highly visual children’s opera will travel around Victoria introducing the high energy stage show for the first time to many people.
Having travelled to the UK with his career, Mr Raggio said opera is much more accessible than people realise.
“Opera doesn’t have to be an inaccessible thing. It’s a sophisticated art form but it’s an accessible one.
“I think before we had movies, opera was a way of having a visual, confronting and cathartic experience.
“Our development over the past 500 years has changed things but there’s still a need to express stories and music and opera is a way of building the emotional gap and it takes you into the emotion of the characters through a spectacle,” he said.
Mr Raggio encourages all parents and schools to be brave and introduce opera as a way of heightening their child’s development.
“I really love performing to kids, I love hearing how they respond to the show, you don’t expect them to laugh at things they laugh at – they take it at their level and seeing them laugh always gives me joy,” he said.
