Editorial: Tensions at Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liège Reveal Questionable Leadership from Stefano Pace

(Credit: © Jacques Croisier-Opéra Royal de Wallonie) This article was written in collaboration with Editor-in-Chief David Salazar. In February 2021, the Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liège was shattered by the premature death of its General and Artistic Director Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera. Mazzonis di Pralafera held the position for 14 years, and thus inevitably left a considerable stamp on the opera {…}

Dec 17, 2020

Opinion: How Opera Companies Can Use Streaming to Engage Teenage Audiences

In the past eight months, many opera houses have used streaming to reach audiences around the world. This is a format that is new to many companies; however, some of the most prominent opera houses, such as the Metropolitan Opera, have been using this format for years. And while the aim with this format is to maintain companies relevant in {…}

Sep 16, 2018

Editorial: The Importance of the Metropolitan Opera Restructuring The Schedules For Future Seasons

The news that the Metropolitan Opera would be starting to present operas on Sunday afternoons came as a massive surprise for a number of reasons. On the one hand, the Met has never done this and has retained a rather conservative approach to its scheduling throughout its history. This, of course, is the result of the company working with a {…}

Feb 3, 2018

Editorial: Updated With Retraction – Peter Gelb Must Apologize to John Copley Lest He Damage Credibility in #MeToo Movement

Editorial Note: Per a recent report from the New York Times, Copley’s remarks were aimed at the chorister and were largely inappropriate. Of course, the dispute rages and there seems to be much debate about who or what was said. Some of our own investigation has yielded similar contradiction. As such, we do note that until the clarity of the {…}

Jan 27, 2018

Editorial: Is It Time To Change How Opera Reviews Are Done? And Is It Possible?

Back on Jan. 4, I published this piece of criticism on this website. Entitled “Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Tosca: Yoncheva, Grigolo, Villaume Not Ready for Primetime,” it was clearly no ringing endorsement for the major performers of this hotly anticipated Met Opera production. In fact, it was scathing takedown in some ways of everyone involved, done in the greatest {…}

Sep 19, 2017

Editorial: Enough with the Dead White Men in New Opera

Opera Philadelphia’s new commission based on Peter Ackroyd’s “The Trial of Elizabeth Cree” came as a breath of fresh air; when I heard the announcement of its coming, I jumped in excitement at the opportunity for a female title character in a new opera. While the traditional canon of opera has plenty of operas named after their lead female characters, the contemporary repertoire {…}

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