The Problem With Opera

Why Aren’t youg people going to the opera? “The truth is they are intimidated by the institution, by the ticket prices, by the posh frocks and bow ties, by the champagne intervals, the old operas sung in foreign languages that may have universal themes but by their very nature don’t address contemporary issues. Young people have little reason to make it to Glyndebourne, the ENO or London’s Covent Garden. Glyndebourne, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, sees opera in crisis and is trying to address the fact that, in order to survive, the genre has to progress.”