They're All Thay Way! They're All That Way!

Last time I ventured to give my opinion on the modern state of opera, there was a little bit of a backlash. It’s sort of understandable, I guess. I have been accused of being a dilettante in this area, which could be something of the truth. I don’t have a master’s in voice or anything like that. I didn’t go to Indiana University, nor did I go to St. Olaf. After sitting through a four-hour Wagner, I won’t stay after for the post-show discussion. Nor will I show up early to the pre-show talk on the mezzanine.

But here’s the thing: I really like opera. And therefore, I’d like to remind members of the non-profit establishment that I am your friend.

Here’s a trend I neglected to mention in that old opera piece: The semi-staged opera, generally put on by orchestras in want of cashing-in on the opera trend. Gone are the elaborate set pieces. Stayed are the orchestrations and world-class singers, even some of the enormous costumes. The Minnesota Orchestra’s been doing this all the time–with Bernstein, Puccini, and Humperdinck. Next August, they’ll do it with Carmen, which is just about everybody’s favorite opera these days. But tonight and through the weekend, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is doing it with my favorite opera: Cosi fan Tutti. And I don’t care what the Mozart and Italian scholars of the world have to say about this one–thematically, this is an incredibly ridiculous and misogynistic piece, of marginal merit! But the music is gorgeous, and so I continue to listen. The opera house is not a good place to resolve one’s feminist beliefs anyway.

So my best friend periodically changes the signature on her emails, generally tossing in a quote or two she finds relevant. Before I go on, there are two things about her I must tell you upfront: She’s a foodie, and she is a trained opera singer. Here’s her best quote of all time: “Never eat more than you can lift.”-Miss Piggy. And this is her current quote, and here’s where we get back to the original subject: “People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what’s wrong with it.”-Noel Coward

Never thought I’d say this but I concur with Coward. Now that there’s renewed interest in opera, I think it’s great that there are these few, no-fuss micro-trends trying to reclaim the spirit and relevance of the operatic voice. And let’s be clear here, this is all about the voice.