Evening star., 1948-06-27
Opera Needs
Face Lifting,
Business Ideas
By Alice Eversmon

| Inc opera Jlnx operated LII WASH
ington again last week. True, 1t took
the outward form of bad weather
to begin with, but it ended up with
the same old tale of financial diff
iculties and trouble in the COM
pany. The performances Of the
Chicago Opera Company at the
Water Gate, with their postpone
ments due to rainouts, caused a
great deal of confusion among the
patrons who were not advised
through the ordinary channels as to
what would take place or what opera
would be given and when. The Ma
tion's Capital is used to this sort Of
thing for the pattern has repeated
itself time and again. But 1t in no
way helps to forward the sincere
desire to have opera part Of the
musical season or encourages young
singers to select this form of music
for career. *
1t is amazing that, in this alert
and progressive country, nothing
has been done to eliminate the
faults and hazards of opera pres
entation. The giving of opera Is
business and should be conducted
on business basis. This means both
sides of the financial ledger must
balance and no risks should be un-
dertaken without reserves. In spite
of these known factors, people are
inclined to be tolerant of careless
management as regards the arts.
The arts do represent. however, a
large investment of money besides
the hopes, ambitions and sacrifices
of many. 1t is only fair to demand
that the exploitation of talent be
accompanied by secure and ade-
quate return.
Desire Overc0mes Prudence.
While especially true of opera. the
desire of young musicians to try
their wings. and of teachers and
families to see them launched on q
career. tolerates the present state OF
affairs. Opportunities in all branches
of music are few for the aspirant
or those more experienced yet not
firmly established. and so they are
willing to take a chance IN order
to be heard and to gain practice in
public appearances. The occasions
to hear opera are so few and far
between that the mere announce
ment is enough to stir the wish to
hear it. And inevitably, 1t all ends
the same way.
| A change in the financial man.
agement is not the only one neces-
sary for opera to gain sure foot
hold in this country. A little more
vision and originality in its pres
entations would help great deal.
What is needed is not only COM
mon sense but an application OF
good theater principles. BY no
stretch of the imagination would 1t
seem natural for villagers, imper-
sonated by the chorus. to line up
in a row if they had something
to say. Yet in all the operas when
such scene occurs, the singers
stretch in a straight line across tbs
stage and sing their bit with eyes
| fixed unwaveringly on the con-
ductor
What Price Naturalness?
The principal singer who would
have the courage to turn his back
on the audience. the orchestra and
the conductor, while singing IS a
rara avis. Two people, in a highly
dramatic or passionate scene, ma
neuver around each other so that.
when their measures come, they
face the audience. Will the time
ever come when an opera artist
is so sure Of his role, and the con-
ductor so confident that he does
know 1t, that a reasonable verisimil-
itude of natural action might be
INDUCED in? No other division OF
the dramatic stage would permit
the kind of acting seen in opera.
| Granted the opera singer has
many things to think about and
that he is first and foremost
singer Granted also that the opera
plots are of a special kind, not
always lending themselves to nat
ural interpretations. But the same
gestures. the same place on the
stage, the same scene setting has
been in use for years. 1t is time
that some one tried to bring the
mechanics of opera presentation
up to date. It is time that new
singers, after learning the old way,
should use ingenuity to find mod
ern way of expressing the same
sentiments Tradition is hallowed
asset that has reigned too long IN
the great musico-dramatic art Of