Acting up | 17 January 2013

There was a time when the major objection to operatic performances, by those who were wondering whether or not to give them a try, was the level of acting in them. That was in the days before ‘elitism’ and other excuses had been invented. I haven’t heard much about that lately, though of course there are complaints about specific singers and performances. But 30 to 40 years ago people who were used to going to plays would regularly contrast the level of acting in them with the alleged level in opera. So I’m led to wonder whether there’s a general feeling that things have improved. My own feeling is that they have got more complicated, with many more factors to consider.

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