2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I love opera. The singing is the best there is, the music is usually of very high quality, and the shows themselves are better than most movies. The combination is irresistible. I am thrilled to be able to go to Eugene (I live in Corvallis) and see HD simulcasts of New York Metropolitan Opera. The first season only 3 were offered, in 2007-08 there were 8, and Met Opera has said they will offer 11 live simulcasts in the new season. It is hoped that those who appreciate these will also make the effort to go to Portland to see truly live performances.

I have a few ideas as to how to attract more people to opera. 1) Take it on the road. Portland is not convenient for Corvallis residents. 2) Music teachers could play it for their classes, in small doses. Englebert Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" is in English and would be very appealing even to grade school students. The opera "Carmen" by Georges Bizet would thrill high school students with its hot love affair between the two principles. However, only the very best productions should be shown or played, and only in small doses. I am well aware that amateur opera singers whose voices are difficult to listen to do more damage than help in attracting fans. 3) OPB could play small excerpts from operas, and I mean the vocal parts, and again, only from the best voices, to acquaint listeners with the beauty and variety that opera offers. 4) Both music teachers and OPB could also play popular music sung by opera singers. The Three Tenors have become enormously popular and they sang some non-operatic songs. I have popular music recordings by such stellar artists as Kiri Te Kanawa, Kathleen Battle, Jessie Norman, Placido Domingo, and Rene Fleming that transcend the singing usually heard in popular songs, and that surely would appeal to others. And 5) More local theatres should air live simulcasts offered by the Met and other U.S. opera houses, creating larger audiences and more revenue for the opera houses.

Thank you for this opportunity to add my comments to your show. Molly H.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
view in context