# CBS News interviews Peter Gelb on the future of opera (at the Met)



## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

An interview from last week:
CBS News interview of Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Met

I've said some of this on another thread but it is relevant to this interview, so I'll repeat it. It's productions like the LePage Ring that keep the Met alive and me a donating member. The Met is putting on 7 new productions this year, 16 repertory productions, 3 Ring cycles, and a holiday opera, of which most are the old standbys. But we have the Tempest (which I will see tomorrow) which is another LePage production, and other innovations among the new productions, to keep things from going stale. Gelb is certainly keeping the Met out there as one of the best opera companies in the world.

I split my time between US and UK (I work in US and wife in UK) and so I go to productions here and those in Covent Garden, and I definitely find the Met fully competitive with European opera companies. As a member of the Met for 19 yrs, I have no complaints with either it or Gelb.

I want to contrast my positive perception of Gelb and the Met with my negative perception of the Washington National Opera (WNO). I was a long-time season ticket-holding member of the WNO, but it steadily declined under Domingo until I could no longer stand to subsidize them. I think the bankruptcy was the best thing that happened to them and am looking for WNO to get some new life now, and perhaps dig their way out of being a 2nd/3rd rate opera company. I've gone to two productions this season as a non-member now--Anna Bolena and Don Giovanni, and felt one was ok and the second was good. But there, you had a case of an excellent performer (Domingo) who obviously couldn't manage an opera company worth a darn, unlike (in my book), Gelb.

I attend operas so I can clearly see with my own eyes how the audience is graying over time. If opera is to survive, we need more General Managers like Gelb in our opera houses.


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

But are they advertising it to a non-opera going audience?


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Gelb, good and bad.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012311110110

http://www.soundsandfury.com/soundsandfury/opera/


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Vaneyes said:


> Gelb, good and bad.
> 
> http://www.soundsandfury.com/soundsandfury/opera/


Yep- rabid rant.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

obwan said:


> But are they advertising it to a non-opera going audience?


My opinion is no. If they were, they would do freakish things like use English translations of the libretti (e.g., Hansel und Gretel in English), etc. Gelb is pushing real opera--just updated for this century. As an example, the Tempest is real opera (and even more challenging than something from the canon). That said, they clearly they want to get younger people turned on to real operas. This is a good thing in my book for the art form.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

tyroneslothrop said:


> My opinion is no. If they were, they would do freakish things like use English translations of the libretti (e.g., Hansel und Gretel in English), etc. Gelb is pushing real opera--just updated for this century. As an example, the Tempest is real opera (and even more challenging than something from the canon). That said, they clearly they want to get younger people turned on to real operas. This is a good thing in my book for the art form.


Here in NYC there are ads for the opera up in many subway stations and on bus stop shelters - they're advertising the opera to EVERYBODY, at least in the city.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

tyroneslothrop said:


> My opinion is no. If they were, they would do freakish things like use English translations of the libretti (e.g., *Hansel und Gretel in English*), etc. Gelb is pushing real opera--just updated for this century. As an example, the Tempest is real opera (and even more challenging than something from the canon). That said, they clearly they want to get younger people turned on to real operas. This is a good thing in my book for the art form.


They do do Hänsel und Gretel in English. As well as an abridged Zauberflöte in English.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Aksel said:


> They do do Hänsel und Gretel in English. As well as an abridged Zauberflöte in English.


I wasn't aware of the latter. But I know that Hansel und Gretel in English is the holiday opera for the children. That is not really what I meant. But perhaps if Zauberflote is also in English, then I am wrong and they are trying to democratize opera after all. Since I'm a member, I must have missed the Zauberflote in English in my bulletin. Checking now.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

tyroneslothrop said:


> Since I'm a member, I must have missed the Zauberflote in English in my bulletin. Checking now.


I see no Zauberflote performance for 2012-13 at all. Was that a one-time performance? It doesn't appear to be repertory.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

tyroneslothrop said:


> I see no Zauberflote performance for 2012-13 at all. Was that a one-time performance? It doesn't appear to be repertory.


As far as I've understood it, the Zauberflöte used to be done at Christmas, as a children's performance, similar to how they do Hänsel und Gretel these days. It's the Julie Taymor production. It's on DVD, I believe. It's not long ago since they did it the last time around.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

It's this one. I rather like it, it's visually very entertaining:


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

From about a week ago:

2012 Newsmaker Peter Gelb

_(Also mentioned Levine's special podium elevator.)_


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