In America today there is a strange anomaly: more and more young men and women studying to become opera singers and a decline in subscribers to opera companies. I specify subscribers even though single-ticket buyers are down, too, because opera companies live off of the committed subscriber. Though the recession is over, most company's bottom lines do not look healthy, yet the flood of singers … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2015
THE REIGN OF THE DIRECTOR
Recently I wrote a blog complaining about the lack of focus on the singers in many reviews, and suggested that critics should spend time on whether the singer really brought over the meaning of the words and the emotions of the character. Even when the writer concentrates on the production he or she rarely mentions whether the director has connected his ideas to the opera’s music or words. Often … [Read more...]