Dear Rolando:
I recently read your post "Playing it Safe: Art's Most Formidable Enemy" with interest. I have a selfish curiosity I suppose, since I am the Artistic Director of a mid-sized opera company that's not in New York City. Given those facts, I have to say, I don't think I'm motivated by fear. At all.
It's not fear that drives me to program Figaro or Boheme or even Carmen. Hell, no!
I happen to think they're great operas. Great entertainment. Brilliant music. Vivid characterizations. There's a reason audiences come back year after year to see this stuff.
Oh, sure, I'm all for programming new work. I happen to do it more often than my closest advisors might prefer. But I believe in striking a balance. Yes, you're right, Rolando. We all have a responsibility to lead our audiences to appreciate new work. At our little company we do this in part through our very popular Talk-Back series in which composers and/or directors are introduced to audiences directly post-show. But I'm convinced the audiences wouldn't nearly be able to appreciate the new stuff without it being balanced by the classics. The classics give us context.
We abandon them at our peril.
