[Tango-L] a little about modern opera music

[Igor Polk]

An internet newspaper ( pretty insignificant ) in Russian language
published an interview with Montserrat Caballe:
http://www.utro.ru/articles/2006/08/18/575713.shtml

In the light of recent discussion about music, I'd like to translate a
little except from the article the best I can.
Igor.

Newspaper: There are many talks that World is fading away in cultural way:
art is diminishing, becoming a business. Being one of the titans of the
modern art, do you agree with such an opinion?

Montserrat Caballé: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_Caball%C3%A9 :

[She speaks about classical vocal music in this interview - Igor]. In 21st
century and at the end of the last one, 20 century there was development of
mediocrity. There are very little of creative desires. Music was never a
laboratory product. Music is always inspiration, spirituality, and spirit of
a composer. Nowadays, there are very few composers who create with their
spirit. On the other hand there are hundreds, I would say, thousands
laboratory composers. We are talking about opera composers in this case,
about those who make opera music. These composers do not feel calling, a
need to create real music and devote to it completely. Rather they need to
receive many contracts to make money and become famous in a year. Maximum in
five years, but better in a year. Choreographers and those who make
staging - art directors ( not everyone, of course, but most ), - are
inclining to making, say, a film, overlaid upon music and call it opera. It
is as if for example paintings of Rubens or Goya or Velazquez, which instead
of the simple frame, because this painting is so beautiful that does not
need any decorations, put in a pretentious frames and decorate with
additional details, light, lamps, and so on.

That is what is going on on stage now, when they try to renew, as they say
now, opera. Usually these are the people which are not favored with God's
light gift. They are not able to create something truly fantastic. Therefore
usually they try attract attention with low lying values.

Now it is custom to say: "Aida" of mister X instead of "Aida" Verdi. They to
not say now: There was opera "Don Juan" of Mozart staged. They say: Opera of
mister Smith was staged. But fortunately, there are great conductors and
musicians who refuse to participate in this circus. I applause to them and
very thankful to them. And there are singers following them. They call my
respect - opera is not dying. Becuase of them it is still alive and these
people know how to save it.