Opera Wars: Inside the World of Opera and the Battles for Its Future

This lively debut from librettist and former opera singer Vincent takes stock of the current state of opera and the challenges facing it. She unpacks debates like whether directors should revise classic opera scores (which traditionalists often treat as “carefully preserved antiquit[ies]” but are closer to the product of “centuries-long game of Telephone,” according to Vincent) and production companies’ reluctance to take risks on less popular operas. Sharp insights are also offered about directors’ attempts to breathe new life into classics—on the one hand, fresh stagings can be less impactful for audiences unfamiliar with the original, but traditional stagings raise questions of their own (an extreme example being the continued use of blackface and yellowface in some corners of the opera world). Drawing on personal experience and a wealth of interviews, Vincent paints a clear-eyed picture of an art form constrained by massive costs, shrinking audiences, and bygone traditions, while also giving due to its beauty and resilience. Longtime opera lovers and newcomers alike will be edified. (Jan.)