Last Sunday, Meadows Opera Theater finished “Le Nozze di Figaro” or “The Marriage of Figaro” by W. A. Mozart. I was pleasantly surprised that out of four performances, all had a nearly full house. Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s performances were sold out.
As a music major, I am often disappointed by how underexposed my generation is to classical music, opera in particular.
It is quite rare for me to meet another person my age who has seen an opera.
When I tell someone that I am an opera singer, the most common reaction is either, “I’ve seen Phantom of the Opera!” or “So, are you going to sing on Broadway?” (Both of these are references to musicals, not operas).
It is easy to attribute this misunderstanding to a lack of interest on the part of today’s college students.
However, I believe that a large part of the problem lies within today’s opera companies and professional musicians.
I have experienced apathy when it comes to operas myself. After a long day at school and rehearsal, the last thing I want to do is get dressed up, pay exorbitant rates for parking, a concert ticket. A small plate of pretentious cheeses and fruits and then sit quietly in a dark hall watching an opera.
But opera today is not what it was at its conception. In the 17th century, opera emerged as a sort of side entertainment for rich patrons.
Think of having the television on at a dinner party, where your guests can talk and eat, tuning in and out of the program at their leisure.
After many reforms, opera became increasingly populist. By the mid-19th century, Wagner advocated gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork) in opera, and he expected his audiences to sit absolutely reverently and silently through his long productions incorporating all of the arts. Watch a good production of a Wagner opera and you’ll see that the quality of his opera deserves such attention.
But today, classical music seems intimidating and stodgy to some who didn’t grow up attending classical performances. Etiquette can be strange — don’t clap between movements of a piece, even though there is a pause. The high prices required to produce an opera are reflected in ticket prices, which also deters the common man.
Orchestras and operas should be cognizant of their impression on younger audiences.
The average age of audience members of the Metropolitan Opera is currently 57.7 years old, which is an improvement over the previous 60.4 years old, but opera companies must draw younger crowds before their audiences become extinct.
The Met launched a great new program in 2006, broadcasting live operas to movie theaters around the world. Tickets are under $30.
On April 28, the Dallas Opera will broadcast “The Magic Flute” at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on the largest HD screen in the world.
The best part? Parking and tickets are free.
Hopefully, programs like these will pique young adults’ interests and keep a beautiful form of art and entertainment alive. If nothing else, opera should be more accessible.
I’m all for serving beer at intermission, and I’m not talking micro-brews. Let’s leave the evening gowns at home and come in jeans instead. I attribute part of Figaro’s success to the cheap tickets and casual atmosphere of Meadows’ Opera Theater. There is no reason why one shouldn’t enjoy a beautiful musical drama and be comfortable at the same time.
Paul is the opinion editor. He is a junior majoring in voice performance.
