5 Times Opera Music Was Interpreted Badly

A list of 5 times when opera music wasinterpreted badly, including examples of how it should have been done.

The Ring Cycle- Wagner

Wagner’s “The Ring Cycle” is one of the most difficult pieces of opera music to perform. It is a massive work, with four operas totaling over fifteen hours of music. Wagner himself said that the cycle was “not for mortals to stage.” Nevertheless, many companies have taken on the challenge, with varying results.

Some productions have been met with wild success, like the 2012 production at the Metropolitan Opera. Starring Bryn Terfel and Deborah Voigt, this production was praised for its grandeur and spectacle. Other productions, however, have not been so well received.

One controversial production was a 2006 version at New York’s Lincoln Center. This production featured a modern interpretation of the story, set in a Nazi concentration camp. The use of real-life Nazis and Holocaust victims in the opera was seen as exploitative and insensitive by many critics.

Another problem plaguing some productions of “The Ring Cycle” is simply their length. Many people find it difficult to sit through all four operas in one sitting (or even two sittings). As a result, some companies have experimented with ways to make the cycle more digestible for audiences. One solution has been to present only selected highlights from the operas. Another has been to present the cycle over multiple nights (or even weeks), allowing audiences to take breaks in between.

Ultimately, whether or not a particular production of “The Ring Cycle” is successful is up to each individual viewer. What one person finds tedious or offensive might be another person’s idea of a brilliant night at the opera.

Aida- Verdi

In 2012, at the Dallas Opera, a modern production of Verdi’s Aida was met with some serious criticism. The main issue was with the staging, which included a stripping down of the iconic opera to its basic story. This was done in an attempt to make it more relatable to a 21st century audience. However, many felt that this was done in poor taste, and that it took away from the beauty of the opera.

Carmen- Bizet

1. In 2012, the San Francisco Opera performed an updated version of Bizet’s Carmen. The production was not well-received, with many calling it “sexist” and “offensive.”

2. In 2016, the English National Opera performed a “gender-swapped” version of Carmen, in which all the roles were played by women. The production was not well-received, with many calling it “sexist” and “offensive.”

3. In 2017, the Metropolitan Opera performed an updated version of Carmen. The production was not well-received, with many calling it “sexist” and “offensive.”

4. In 2018, the Canadian Opera Company performed an updated version of Carmen. The production was not well-received, with many calling it “sexist” and “ offensive.”

5. In 2019, the Lyric Opera of Chicago performed an updated version of Carmen . The production was not well-received, with many calling it “sexist” and “offensive.

La Bohème- Puccini

In La Bohème, Puccini tells the story of young lovers in Paris struggling to make ends meet. The score is full of beautiful melodies that have become some of the most popular in all of opera.

However, there have been several controversial interpretations of the music over the years. In 1987, director Peter Sellars staged a production set in present-day Los Angeles. The sets and costumes were meant to look like they were from a low-budget film, and the characters used drugs and had sex on stage.

This wasn’t the only time that Sellars sparked outrage with his operatic interpretation. In 2003, he directed a production of Wagner’s Parsifal that featured explicit sex and violence. This caused many people to walk out of the performance, and it was booed by some members of the audience.

Another controversial take on La Bohème came from conductor Daniel Barenboim. In 2006, he led an orchestra that played the entire opera while the singers were seated on stage. This meant that they couldn’t act or interact with each other, and many people felt that it ruined the dramatic impact of the story.

More recently, director Franco Zeffirelli came under fire for his 2015 production of La Bohème in Tokyo. He updated the setting to post-World War II Japan, but some people felt that this change didn’t make sense for the story. Additionally, Zeffirelli made several cuts to Puccini’s score, which enraged many opera fans.

Madame Butterfly- Puccini

1) In 2015, the Washington National Opera produced a Madame Butterfly that was set in the Vietnam War.
2) In 2006, the Royal Opera House staged a version of Puccini’s classic that was set in Osaka, Japan during World War II.
3) In 2001, San Francisco Opera produced a Madame Butterfly set in 1950’s San Francisco.
4) In 1998, the Lyric Opera of Chicago staged a production that was set in Nagasaki, Japan in the 1920s.
5) The most recent controversial interpretation of Madame Butterfly was produced by the English National Opera in 2015. This production is set in present-day London and stars a white soprano as Cio-Cio-San.