last Night, some had to rub their eyes more than once in London to believe what they saw: Maria Callas singing in the concert held at the London Coliseum. The fact that impossible was made possible thanks to the diva, who died more than 30 years ago, he returned to appear on stage in the form of a hologram. In addition, it was not something punctual. The celebrated soprano, whose bones rest in the cemetery of Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, started his tour of Europe that will continue in America, after tested in the united States and Mexico.

MORE INFORMATION Comes to light a previously unissued song of Amy Winehouse Maria Callas confesses

As I was saying, the blond child of the spirits that came from the beyond in the film Poltergeist, the concerts in holograms are already here. The play of the imagination of many people, and even of isolated experiments with more or less achieved in the last few years, has now gone on to a reality. Maria Callas is not the only artist zombie that will be on tour. The next year Amy Winehouse, died in 2011, will travel the world in the form of a hologram and accompanied by a live band. Behind these resurrections is the company BASED Hologram, which yesterday was presented in London its production.

“Those who worship maria Callas, and who sigh for not being able to listen to it live —and I don’t think that they are many living today who have that experience— they’re going to have that opportunity,” said Martin Tudor, ceo of BASE Hologram. Tudor is not afraid of the skepticism or the rigor with which can be accepted their new show, Maria Callas in Concert, among opera lovers or critics of poetry. In fact, the also executive producer of BASE Hologram believes that there is nothing similar to what they have created: a show with the great diva, on stage in a hologram projected with laser high-tech military and accompanied by 50 musicians of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

it Has been a complex and costly task. A double has rehearsed for weeks, the movements in the scene of maria Callas to be able to project the recreation that is closest to the real character. While, through a laborious technical process has managed to isolate the most pure as possible the voice of the mezzo-soprano of the historical recordings made in the studios of Abbey Road, in London. “Something enormously complicated,” explained Tudor. “In the first place, because they were recording in mono, with no tracks, with all the mixed sounds. But above all, because the tone of maria Callas was almost perfect. It was extremely difficult to separate, for example, the sound of the violin, when both sang the same tune. Were not distinguishable,” he said.

The English have an expression to define that moment, in the theatre, in which the spectator renounces all that he knows from before and let it involve emotionally by the content of the story: suspension of disbelief (the suspense of disbelief). Tudor stated that the combination of live musicians and the perfection attained by the technical staff of your company to recreate the Callas convinces the public, that throughout the show they forget that what is before them is a fiction. “The people who have already seen interact in a way emotional, they actually believe that you are hearing again,” he said.

Roy Orbison resurrects

BASE Hologram has already performed a first show of this type with the figure of the american singer Roy Orbison, while the first production would be in the concert world zombies was in 2012 when rapper Tupac, who died in 1996, appeared in the middle of the Coachella festival, which is held in California. Since then, there have been recreations spot one night and not more than an hour as Billie Holliday and Whitney Houston. They even came to propose the reunification of The Beatles for the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games in 2012. However, the difference now is that the tours of musical stars have become a business model. “One more form of live entertainment for the future”, in the words of the ceo of BASE Hologram.

Resurrections famous Roy Orbison, in his recreation as a hologram in London last April 19. BASED Holograms

Tupac, the rapper died in 1996, was the first musician to appear by hologram during the Coachella festival in 2012.

Billie Holiday, who died in 1959, presents a concert of 40 minutes in a theatre in Los Angeles specializing in holograms.

Whitney Houston, who died in 2012, he also rose in 2017, although the developers acknowledged that the technology was not ready.

Roy Orbison, who died in 1988, has made a tour of 10 concerts this year in different cities of Uk.

Amy Winehouse, died in 2011, will turn the next year all over the world, thanks to its flip among the young audience.

In this way, the tickets for the concerts of Callas cost close to 80 euros, as one standard of a world star. And, in turn, Warner Music, owner of the major recordings of maria Callas, has partnered with BASE Hologram and has released the album of the show, which includes arias memorable as Casta diva, from the opera Norma, Bellini’s, or Vissi d’arte, from Tosca, by Puccini.

In Spain have not yet been introduced to this type of actions, but it is a matter of time. So acknowledge Roberto Grima, president of Live Nation in Spain, the largest concert promoter in the world. “In fact, we already offer this type of tours. Will influence the type of artist, but it might make sense to show pop. For example, could be understood in terms of Michael Jackson, who has already had a musical”.

The same ensures Neo Hall, president of Doctor Music, which brings artists such as Bruce Springsteen or The Rolling Stones to Spain. “It’s like science fiction, but with the technological resources of today becomes a reality. It seems to Me very interesting and eye-catching as experience. I think that the possibilities are enormous”. Room ensures that you have offered them the new concert with a hologram of Frank Zappa, and presents a highway of possibilities in this format. “The future of truth in this field will come when artists active today are beginning to record themselves on video, high-resolution 3D, already thinking of a show of yours with hologram for when they are dead or when you have an age that no longer can or want to do tours”.

The debate is served. While, some of you already fabulan with concerts of Amy Winehouse along to Aretha Franklin and others, simply throw up their hands to the head, terrified or outraged.