Comments on: I went to the opera once and didn’t like it. http://theomniscientmussel.com/2008/06/i-went-to-the-opera-once-and-didnt-like-it/ Classical Music & Culture Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:33:29 +0000 hourly 1 By: <img class="monsterid" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=46884b24d86821dd4d618fd48346ed75&&;size=65&default=http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-monsterid/monsterid/ca3ba0b0b0b7346.png" alt="Michael Monroe MonsterID Icon" height="65" width="65"/> Michael Monroe http://theomniscientmussel.com/2008/06/i-went-to-the-opera-once-and-didnt-like-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1392 Michael Monroe MonsterID Icon Michael Monroe Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:11:10 +0000 http://theomniscientmussel.com/?p=678#comment-1392 Honestly, I don't think that answer is at all compelling. Movies are an integral part of contemporary culture to which most people are introduced at a very young age. Opera is not. It would be quite countercultural to give up movies, and by the time most people see one they don't like, they probably already have many they do like. On the other hand, going to the opera is basically countercultural to begin with, so it makes perfect sense that a bad experience would be a real turn-off. Although I don't always agree with Greg Sandow, I think these "myth-busters" are a great example of his contention that arts organizations just don't get the culture. In spite of what they seem to want people to believe, opera isn't just the same thing as a rock concert, and the language is a real barrier, and the cost is expensive (certainly compared to a movie), and the acting isn't always great, etc. Yes, it's worth it to try to get past these barriers, but offering a simplistic and unproveable statement like "opera offers more goose bumps per song than any other musical form" is just silly. Many who give opera a fair try will not have that experience right away and then feel stupid for not getting it. If only things were so simple. Honestly, I don’t think that answer is at all compelling. Movies are an integral part of contemporary culture to which most people are introduced at a very young age. Opera is not. It would be quite countercultural to give up movies, and by the time most people see one they don’t like, they probably already have many they do like. On the other hand, going to the opera is basically countercultural to begin with, so it makes perfect sense that a bad experience would be a real turn-off.

Although I don’t always agree with Greg Sandow, I think these “myth-busters” are a great example of his contention that arts organizations just don’t get the culture. In spite of what they seem to want people to believe, opera isn’t just the same thing as a rock concert, and the language is a real barrier, and the cost is expensive (certainly compared to a movie), and the acting isn’t always great, etc.

Yes, it’s worth it to try to get past these barriers, but offering a simplistic and unproveable statement like “opera offers more goose bumps per song than any other musical form” is just silly. Many who give opera a fair try will not have that experience right away and then feel stupid for not getting it. If only things were so simple.

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