From the first steps of an emerging singer to the final bow of a celebrated soprano, 'PRIMADONNA OR NOTHING' follows three relentless women who sacrifice everything to be an opera star.
Retired school principal Pak Tsin-ngam has returned to Hong Kong from Canada. He goes to the familiar location of Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, which has been redeveloped, to look for certain sopranos whose voices keep resonating in his head. When Tsin-ngam and his friends finally find these singers, it turns out that life experiences have transformed the men into pathetic middle-aged men. They must find their youth to take the stage again.
Opera confronts us with extremes of emotion, sometimes delivering unforgettable, life-changing experiences. Fuoro sacro (‘Sacred Fire’) seeks out singers who have the power to pierce our hearts, presenting three of them at work in the most intimate details of their rehearsals and preparations. Ermonela Jaho, Barbara Hannigan and Asmik Grigorian are watched closely as some of their secrets are revealed: how they inhabit their roles and transform words and notation on a page into that intangible but powerful magic being communicated to audiences from the opera stage. Over 90 minutes of extras are included featuring vocal warm-ups and live performances accompanied by pianists Evgenia Rubinova, Reinbert de Leeuw and Francesco Piemontesi.
