Berlin swimming pool hosts underwater opera

Dunya News

The opera, Aquaria Palaoa is the brainchild of Claudia Herr, who also plays the lead role.

An especially composed opera premiered in a Berlin swimming pool with singers performing in and out and even under the water.The opera tells the story of a young woman looking for the elixir of eternal youth and in her quest she comes across a killer whale and a choir of seals.Claudia Herr dives into the Stadtbad Neukoelln pool in her green evening dress and with the help of oxygen tanks strapped to her back.Claudia sings underwater, with the whale-like sounds she produces, transmitted onto speakers situated around the swimming pool with the help of special microphones.Her voice and those of other singers who also sing underwater but without oxygen tanks were mixed with sounds recorded 100 metres under an ice shelf in Antarctica.Claudia said that she first had the idea for the opera when she visited the art nouveau Stadtbad Neukoelln for the first time 10 years ago for a swim.The opera runs from May 1 until September 17.