12 Problems of American Opera Composition.

 

12 Problems of American Opera Composition.

1. Not enough work is produced by Major institutions.  Maybe one a year?  We need at least 50-75 new major works a year, otherwise opera composition is a zero sum game. 

   Instead of all these stage directors rewriting the librettos of the standard rep, why not create a new opera?

    Exclusive commissioning of movie composers (famous, or at least well know) or instrumental composers inexperienced with a lyric form. (also pop stars).  

2. Underscoring is an instrumental form.

3. It does not matter that a work fails, the performance itself is the success.

   So, no way or reason to improve ones work or refine it.

4. Fear of non tonal music has lead to “place holding” compositions where the music is the least important part of the opera.

5. New music theater is not grand opera though we pretend it is, because its the only new activity out there.

6. “Straight” theater is decades ahead of new opera in content and context. Where else but in opera could inexperience be called avant-garde?

7. Too many cooks -that is producing institutions want to “mold” their creations and their composers.

8. Most America opera works are based on Verdi's Falstaff –his last work, or late Wagner which have no arias. So the result is through composed plays.

9. New Music theater is Broadwayish, and squarely in the “third and fourth (pop) stream.”

10. Cultural appropriation? A casual glance at operatic subjects show that cultural appropriation is still central to opera. As are stereotypes.

11. Sexism More women composers commissions please.

12. Oh, did I mention Racism? As for the many forms of racism one could point out; opportunity, pay, visibility, leadership, and content, one could note that Classical music seems hell bent on making itself and its composition tools irrelevant.