Classical music fans are in for a treat as opera glasses are going digital with augmented reality (AR) glasses being introduced during performances at the Düsseldorf Opera. The AR glasses offer viewers information about the music and soloists as well as a look into the orchestra pit. Viewers can also enjoy supertitles in German and English or different camera perspectives of the performance. The AR glasses have been introduced as part of a pilot project aimed at attracting new audiences to classical music. This project is the result of a collaboration between the Opera and telecommunications provider Vodafone, and utilizes the super-fast new 5G mobile network. The AR glasses are linked to a smartphone and controlled via head movements.
The premiere of this pilot project, which is part of a strategy by the Opera to facilitate access to opera and ballet through digital offerings, will be on Sunday, April 16. Thirty viewers can rent an AR glass at no extra cost for the next six performances. The glasses are also set to be used at the Bayreuth Festival in a “Parsifal” production this summer.
Through the AR glasses, the viewer can get a unique, immersive experience of the performance. The AR glasses open up new target groups who previously had little contact with classical music. In the words of general manager Christoph Meyer: “Our digital opera glasses combine live experience and immersive technology to enable new, low-threshold access to the analog world of music theater.”
This move into the high-tech age could very well set a new precedent in the opera world, offering new audiences an opportunity to experience classical music in a truly modern way.
