Opera has been around since before the 1600s, making it one of the most antiquated forms of entertainment in the western hemisphere. In the late 1800s, opera houses were huge social hubs and the place to be seen; but as as anyone who has been to an opera in the last decade will tell you, this is no longer the case. The average audience of an opera today is probably old enough to remember the Eisenhower administration; in fact, young people attending operas are such a rare phenomenon that theater ushers have repeatedly assured me I was lost when I have been in opera houses.
With so little appeal to younger audiences, many logically assume that opera will die along with its few remaining fans and slowly fade into obscurity. But before we dismiss opera as what my little brother would call “the boring kind of singing in a language I can’t understand,” I would like to argue that opera is as exciting today as it was 150 years ago and that it still has a lot to offer to young audiences.
For most of high school, my dream was to become the next big Mezzo Soprano diva of the opera world. While other aspiring young singers were dreaming of performing at a Super Bowl or singing a duet with Beyonce, I was imagining myself in an exquisite red dress singing the title role of Carmen at Lincoln Center; a dream that arose out of my love for opera as an art form. To me, opera combines a unique style of singing with dramatic stage performance to create an experience like no other.
The first aspect of opera that hooked me was the music. Operas are centered around dramatic arias, solo pieces performed by characters at key plot points and moments of extreme action. These pieces are written to show off the vocal abilities of the singer, allowing audiences to bear witness to an amazing display of human talent. The technique required to sing an operatic aria is so vast and difficult that one cannot help but be in awe of the singers that have mastered it.
Legendary Soprano Anna Netrebko singing the role of Aida in Salzburg, Austria
The second element of opera that made me fall in love were the plot elements. Though often fantastical and outlandish, operas tell real human stories that have yielded emotional reactions from audiences for generations.
In Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci, which was written in 1892, a circus performer’s wife cheats on him with one of their friends, causing the man to become so overcome with sadness that an actual break is written in the music for him to cry and leave the stage. This opera brought me to tears the first time I saw it, surprising me with how much the story resonated with my own experiences of love and loss.
As a final note, the operatic industry has been modernizing along with with the times. In 1937, German composer Alban Berg wrote the opera LuLu, the first opera to ever feature an LGBTQA+ protagonist. As LuLu became increasingly popular, it started a movement within the opera world to incorporate more LGBTQA+ singers, composers, directors, and themes.
Similarly, George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess, which features an exclusively African-American cast, has become a smash hit among opera fans. Hailed as the best American opera written to date, this story of an impoverished South Carolina fishing community has been performed all over the world. Similarly, my hometown of Houston, Texas premiered the first ever exclusively Mariachi opera last year with great success.
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Porgy and Bess
Operas in the 21st century continue to address important themes like the Holocaust, the death penalty, and racial injustice, making opera a medium of change and reflection. Those that dismiss operas as dated and behind the times have clearly not done their research.
The technological revolution of the 21st century has led to operas becoming more accessible than ever. Even in a small town like Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, local theaters like our very own Majestic show live broadcasts from America’s premiere opera company, The Met, every month. For less than $20, you can help save this beautiful art form from suffering an untimely death. Let us all do our best to keep opera alive and inspiring the world.