Another Discussion on TV / Stage in Today's Opera

One thing I have noticed coming up in this class a lot so far is the discussion about how effective operas we have studied are as televised / movie productions. Willie Stark has proven to be yet another candidate for this debate. If the reviews we read are any indication, it appears that Willie Stark has become one of the most successful candidates for television or the movie theater.

Two reviews were presented to the class, one a review of the stage production at Houston Grand Opera while the other was a review of the televised PBS special. Reading these two reviews is like night and day in the way the critic receives the production. Henahan's April 27, 1981 review of the stage production takes searing shots at Floyd's score, one of the most telling being "Fortunately, Mr. Floyd's music did not often demand a place in the foreground." This sentiment actually falls in line with an opinion that seems fairly widely held among our class: the music itself is not as stirring or memorable as other operas. Many students have said something along the lines of 'I would not go out and a buy the CD.'

I myself agree with Shelley's assertion that the music is just one integrated part of this work. With all the parts presented together, Willie Stark is a compelling and effective production. I believe that the second review, that by John J. O'Connor, reflects this idea. He discusses the Prince staging, the dramatic aspects of the performers, and comes to the conclusion that the show was truly enjoyable and poignant. And it seems that the show found it's balance in this made-for-tv version, as it underwent editing that resulted in nearly 50 minutes of the stage version being cut. Whatever reasons caused the cuts to be made for a TV production, they apparently enhanced the show immeasurably from the perspective of the critics. This would suggest that the show actually works best as a televised production.

This semester, I had an interesting balance of old and new opera by having this course, where we look at some of the latest in opera, as well as Opera Literature 1, which looks at the very start of opera. I have found that videos of the older operas, while entertaining, almost always feel like they are missing something. In contrast, I have found that the more recent operas seem to work much better on film. While I of course prefer live opera, it seems that operas created in our television- / movie-driven society stand up to being presented in this medium more effectively than their predecessors.