One-Pager: Editorial
Opera has always been a classic staple of the world of fine arts. Going out to the opera in our grandparents’ era was a night as special then as, perhaps, traveling to NYC to see a musical on Broadway is now. Maybe more so. However, the world of Opera is dying out with the younger generations. Tastes are changing and as hard as opera house try to appeal and reach out to younger crowds, the harder we pull away. The result may be the death of an entire musical genre.
The editorialist begins by describing her interest in opera and juxtaposing it against the rest of her generation’s disinterest. Being an opera fanatic in this day and age typically does not gain a woman a date or a flirtatious chat in the lobby. The crowd is generally composed of middle aged and elder people, such as retirement home groups, who seek to relive the joys of their youth. Opera houses are fighting to bolster interest, though. By “hawking discounted tickets and free lectures for newcomers, inviting audiences to dress down” they hope to attract a younger audience and to propagate the appeal for opera. However, when competing against more conventional entertainment such as Facebook, Nintendo Wii or American Idol, operas are fighting a losing battle. The editorialist concludes that, despite disapproval from many young people, “certain things [such as the opera] never get old.”
I had heard about this tragedy a couple months ago during a trip to the New York Metropolitan Opera with my Grandma. She remarked how the opera had once been such a premier destination for young girls but it had recently dipped not only below the radar but nearly completely off the charts. Despite efforts to appeal to younger crowds, operas are failing to attract new enthusiasts and many are facing financial difficulties. Without greater public interest, this classic form of entertainment tragically may fall obsolete.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The link for this article is http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/30/AR2008053002561.html.
I also think that it is really sad that our generation does not have the appreciation for something so classical. All we ever want to do is watch TV or listen to our ipods or play video games. We are so wrapped up in technology that we can’t see the simple beauty in a classical art form. I too would most likely log in on facebook than spend quality time at the opera.
But, as the times change, so do peoples’ preferences. In the future, it is probable that something that we feel passionate about will fade into oblivion. It is just how the world works.
Post a Comment