Selling art

I've been too absent from these pages and I'm sorry for that. My only explanation is that I've been spending a lot of time writing, for work. We are about to open our season and there have been many things I've had to accomplish. I explained to a neglected friend recently that for the first time since I've owned a computer (and had access to such a thing as email) I haven't been spending much time online at home.

One of the things that I find difficult in transitioning from an artist to the administrative side of opera is commoditizing the art form. I've had to deal with a number of situations recently, where I've had to deal with opera in terms of real numbers, rather than in the rarified world of pure art. It's been difficult. Not that I don't understand the realities of financing music, but sometimes I find it hard to reconcile what I have to accomplish in terms of dollar amounts.

Rather than a salesman, I view myself as an evangelist for opera. I don't want to just sell tickets (although that is something that I have to accomplish), but I want to persuade audience to enjoy the work. I want people to appreciate and fall in love with what goes on onstage. I don't want to cheapen the art form by gimmicks and gags, but on the other hand I also recogize the need to get people's attention, in order to get the bums in the seats.

I hope in future entries to talk about things that go on in real terms. But I'm still grappling with what is appropriate from a professional point of view and in respect to my current position. I want to be honest, but not jeopardize what I do professionally. So I hope you'll excuse me if I hesitate and sputter a bit.

Birgit Nilsson

1918-2005

2 x 4 Libretto Meme

Ariadne Obnoxious has tossed me her 2x4 Libretto Meme. I have to admit that I really don't feel equal to the task, but I will give it a stab and hope that I don't embarrass myself.

Four people currently living most likely to produce an interesting & stageable brand new opera plot & libretto (ie, you would go to see it!):

1. Stephen Sondheim – who has already written several
2. Aaron Sorkin – Based on Sports Night. I see a comic opera with a lot of patter
3. Richard Curtis – a romantic comic opera.
4. Tom Clancy – lots of special effects

Four books you could buy at a regular bookseller's like Borders, Barnes & Noble or on Amazon, that, if re-worked, would be most likely to produce an interesting & stageable opera libretto, (ie, you would go to see it):

1. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow – certainly there is an operatic character if ever there was one. Ends with a duel
2. Daisy Miller by Henry James – I read it in high school and it immediately said opera to me. I believe its been done, but I don't know by whom so it certainly requires another attempt.
3. February House by Sherill Tippins – La bohème for WWII with Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Carson McCullers, WH Auden and Gyspy Rose Lee as characters.
4. The Last Prima Donnas by Lanfranco Rasponi – who would play Callas or Cigna?