from Peggy
>Just because something isn't mass taste doesn't mean it's going extinct. I
>don't think opera ever has been a mass taste, so the only difference, I
>think, is it's
>size/popularity in comparison with the hugeness of the popular music scene.
Dear Peggy.
I'm with you Peggy. I watched Mikado of about 1969 at 3am the
other morning, ( the date was hard to read with black letters on a
deep red background) it was a Masterson version and so good I
couldn't drag myself back to bed. Lo and behold it was immediately
followed by the dear little Church child in concert. I'd never seen or
heard her before and what a grand setting with chorus and orchestra,
but what a sad performance. The contrast between the two programmes
was startling. The G&S was like a grand meal to be appreciated and
savored while the little girl was fairy floss, though nicely served.
For me this was an excellent educational experience without any
domestic distractions.
I also sat through a McDonalds operatic concert some months
back where, in my opinion six of the ten singers shouldn't have been
on the stage. The fact was that they had competed and were being
used to pad the programme. This also seems to sell the once a year
type audience on accepting lower standards, which is not good.
Still more faces drag in more followers, which means more money and
more publicity for McDonalds, when the four top singers with three
of four songs each would have been totally adequate.
Still I imagine McDonalds had a say in the programming.
The most amazing thing about this group, was how, in spite of
critically faulty techniques they persevered in doing whatever was
necessary to get by. The result to me was excruciating when they
fell into the category generally described when the announcer
may have said " due to the standard of performance, no prize
will be awarded." I think that's become politically incorrect but I'd
have put the dear little Church child into that group too.
Regards Reg.
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