As the Met turns 100, the face of opera is changing
In opera, the most passionate and passionately debated musical form, the myth of the golden age remains potent. If opera is primarily about singing—sheer, glorious vocalism over all other elements—then these may be parlous times. Where today is a real Aida on the order of Emmy Destinn, an echt Siegfried like Lauritz Melchior or a true Norma such as Rosa Ponselle? In the Arcadian past, there were giants on the earth. How can contemporary opera possibly compete with its starry past?
This Saturday, as...
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