Mobile Enters Upper Echolons of Culture

This is adequate for the more thoughtful pre-Christmas period where everyone reflects a bit more and focuses on culture a bit more: mobile phones have finally gone beyond the meagre mainstream, knocked on the doors of this most high-brow piece of (dare I say it) entertainment and gained access to the cast list of a Wagner opera no less!

It might only be a little sideline but here it is: a Samsung G800 is featuring in the latest iteration of the children's version of Wagner's "Nibelungenring" at the Vienna State Opera. The "world" premiere (is Vienna not part of it?) will be in Tokyo.

The SGH-G800 is a leading member of the cast, it is reported: it fulfills not only one but several roles in the play, the most important one being taking a picture of the sleeping Bruennhilde; "it" then shows the picture to Siegfried and is therefore essential for the progression of the story...

And for the cultural barbarians amongst us here's the explanation of the director, Matthias von Stegmann: "This independent play is meant to spark children's interest for Wagner's world. With Samsung's unique camera phone we're able to give a mobile phone an active role in an opera for the first time and thus create a link from virtual mythology to today's reality."

Samsung of course worked "in cooperation" with the Vienna State Opera on this and is understandably proud of its achievement.

So keep your eyes open! The first to spot one in Bayreuth, perhaps even in the hands of Wagner descendant Nike will win a price...