Opera Is Cool: Debunking Myths
Let’s face it: opera has gotten a bad rap. In reality, opera is one of the most glorious art forms in the world. Come debunk some myths with me! (Hint: it involves Beyoncé.)
Opera is one of the oldest, most exquisite, and most dynamic art forms in the world, and yet one of the most misunderstood, especially among young people. The prevailing perception is that it is inaccessible, difficult to understand, and irrelevant. These ideas are far removed from reality, as can be found if skeptics would just take the time to attend an opera. Short of that, lend me your ears as I debunk the most pervasive opera myths.
First, opera is not inaccessible. At New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the cheapest tickets are 35 dollars, and most companies have huge discount programs for young people, which I adore. According to SeatGeek, the average Celtics ticket costs 561 dollars. I don’t hear the Celtics being persistently labeled as inaccessible and unaffordable, do you? The Met shows a selection of their operas each season in movie theaters worldwide, which is how I saw my first opera at age nine, and was irreversibly hooked.
There’s no dress code at the opera; the fact that people are always dressed to the nines in movies doesn’t mean that most people don’t attend in casual attire. A T-shirt and jeans will do quite as well as an evening gown. That said, for what are you saving that nice dress or suit collecting dust in your closet? Opera is called elitist a lot, which neglects the fact that opera used to be the equivalent of pop music. And while we’re on that, if you think that opera is boring, try listening to the Queen of the Night. Also, I highly recommend bawling your eyes out. It’s incredibly cathartic.
Opera isn’t difficult to understand. Yes, most operas are in foreign languages such as Italian, German, or French, but most opera houses have English subtitles or supertitles projected above the stage, or in the case of the Met, subtitles in multiple languages on the back of the seat in front of you. And even if you can’t catch a syllable, you can pretty clearly get it when someone’s flirting, despairing, or dying. It’s not hard to understand life when you see it. To quote Mafalda, an Argentine comic strip figure, half the world loves dogs, and nobody knows what “woof” means.
Last, it is beyond a doubt relevant to today. Like Shakespeare, who turned life into art, opera covers the most universal and relatable themes of life. Love, family, death, loneliness, jealousy, selfishness, selflessness, poverty, to take a few. La Bohème is about a ragtag group of flat-broke artists. Carmen: a femicide driven by obsession. Tosca: abuse of power. In Die Walküre, Wotan gets mad at his teen daughter Brünnhilde because she didn’t listen to him. Don’t tell me that’s not relatable. And if that’s not relevant enough for you, modern composers are churning out operas like clockwork about the LGBTQ community, boxing, drone warfare, death row, Malcolm X, and the Nativity. Plus, opera has definitely made its way into popular culture. The musical Rent? A retelling of La Bohème. Pretty Woman? Basically La Traviata. The music of The White Lotus’ season 2 finale is from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Beyoncé sings a segment from a classic operatic concert aria, “Caro mio ben,” in her new album Cowboy Carter. That’s right, opera has the Queen Bey stamp of approval.
To sum it up: opera is accessible, affordable, understandable, democratic, relevant, Beyoncé-endorsed, and just. so. cool. Opera is for everyone! Please open your mind to a new world and give it a try. Or else…
The curse of La Forza del Destino will descend upon you. Don’t risk it.
