Stop the presses!!!
I don't want to blog about any of that. In fact, if you really want to read something revealing about the Iraq War I'd suggest a book called "Blood Money" by T. Christian Miller instead. Despite the horrible title it's actually a pretty interesting read about our efforts to rebuild post-Saddam Iraq. Of course, if you're one of those happy taxpayers who isn't much concerned with how your tax dollars are being spent and trusts that those folks in Washington will keep careful tabs over every penny you send them, then this book is not for you. On the other hand, for those of you living in the real world and wondering just what has happened to all those hundreds of billions of dollars we've been spending on this little nation building adventure of ours, the book will answer at least some of your questions.Believe me, it ain't pretty.
It is interesting though. For example, have you ever wondered what a bunch of eskimos has to do with a Southern California telecomm company getting a contract to build a cellular phone network in the middle of a Middle Eastern desert? Me neither, until I read the book. (Hint: Eskimos=Alaska=Sen. Ted Stevens=Pork Barrel politics=No bid contracts=? Well, you figure out the rest.)
But that's not the news of the week. The big news is that the Metropolitan Opera is going Digital!!! Yep, the Met sent me an email announcing that they now have their own channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. And, if you've been paying attention, you'll know that the Met has also announced that they'll be doing live simulcasts of some of their operas at selected movie theaters around the country, and that they will also be offering archival recordings of past "Live From The Met" performances on the Rhapsody Music Service. And, as if that weren't enough, there are rumors of still more digital ventures to come.
So what does all this mean? Does it mean that Sirius listeners will be abandoning Howard Stern for Placido Domingo? Does it mean that teenagers will be telling their parents that instead of a birthday party they'd rather go to the opera with their little brothers? Does this mean that America is finally ready for fat women with big voices?
Yeah, probably.
No, just kidding. However, it might mean that the old farts who are running things in the arts world are finally catching on to the fact that the audiences of tomorrow aren't just passively listening to their radios anymore. It might mean that they realize that if you want to reach those audiences then you have to go where they go. That is, you have to be on their computers and their Ipods and their satellite radios and wherever else the technology is taking them.
Of course, when I talk about opera or the arts I'm not talking about the mass audience. Unfortunately the mass audience is not very interested in the arts, particularly the performing arts, and most particularly of all the musical arts. I suppose that's because of the peculiar nature of music and it's strong influence on a person's social identity. I don't mean to get all anthropological on you here, but I've always felt that musical tastes are intricately linked with tastes in clothes, and friends, and language, and just culture in general. A love for Shakespeare, for example, doesn't necessarily dictates what a person wears, but a love for a certain kind of music can, and often does.
Anyways, it's unlikely that classical music will ever reach the mass audience, at least not in the age of mass media and mass culture and the three minute song. That's ok, classical music doesn't need to reach the mass audience, but it does need to reach a new audience. Every art form needs that if it is to survive, and that's why I'm so excited that the Met has decided to have a presence in this new digital age. Just being there and reaching out to those looking for something musically meaningful and satisfying is important, and I feel confident that once a person discovers opera and listens to it, they'll become a lifelong fan.
How large an audience? Hmmm, that's another question. I would hope that the Met would take advantage of this opportunity and try new things instead of being tied to the past, but I know that audiences here in the U.S. aren't always eager for new music and might revolt if things get too modern. Then again, I was young once, you know, and I remember that back then what I was most interested in was the new, not the centuries old. Wouldn't it be nice if classical music audiences could get over their fixation with the past? Wouldn't it be nice if a few visionary souls could persuade them that maybe the greatest masterpieces have yet to be written? Ah, it'll never happen, but I think new music is what the younger audiences crave. That's what pop music is all about, isn't it? You'll never hear a teenager thinking that the best songs are the ones their parents listened to. They're always looking for something new, and that's what gives pop music it's energy and drive to explore new things.
That said, one of the Met broadcasts this year will be Tan Dun's new opera "The Last Emperor". That's a start, and hopefully they can follow up with vintage recordings of other new works they have premiered over the years. Lord knows I'm no expert on what's hip these days, but John Adams and John Corigliano seem to have attracted a following among younger music fans. Who knows, maybe it'll strike a chord. I just hope that the new Sirius channel doesn't devolve into the 24 hour Mozart/Verdi/Handel channel.
That'll be fine for the blue hairs, but as for me I think I'll take a snoooozzzzzzzzzzzzzzze...
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