Back
For the Met Opera, the Pandemic Could Be a Necessary Reset
Sep 29, 2020
This spring, after the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of performing arts institutions around the world, Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, faced the truth. “It’s transparently obvious that social distancing and grand opera cannot go together,” Mr. Gelb said in a New York Times interview back then, as he announced the cancellation of the Met’s fall season. In short order, other New York institutions followed that lead. On Sept. 23, in the latest blow from the crisis, the Met announced that the cancellation would extend to its entire 2020-21 season. It’s hard to see how the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall and other musical organizations — not to mention Broadway theaters — can open their doors safely any time sooner. To his credit, Mr. Gelb is looking at this period as not just a pause but a reboot. He has realized that if the Met is going to rise again after the virus subsides, it must do things differently, to prove itself more essential than ever. The work it presents must matter — and how the company presents itself must matter, too.
Relieved from the demands of daily performances, the Met — like the nation’s other arts institutions — must take time to think about its place within larger societal currents, especially the roiling issues of racial injustice and police brutality that have inspired nationwide demonstrations. Black classical artists and administrators have spoken out powerfully about systemic discrimination within the field. Latest Updates: The Coronavirus Outbreak 3h ago With cases rapidly rising, the Netherlands adds new restrictions. 3h ago The pandemic is far from over, experts say, despite Trump allies’ claims. 3h ago Canada faces a surge in cases, and other news from around the world. See more updates More live coverage: Markets To that end, the ambitious 2021-22 season Mr. Gelb unveiled as he announced the current season’s cancellation is also a statement of purpose that seeks to address multiple oversights in the Met’s history. If all goes according to plan, the house will open on Sept. 27, 2021, with Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” which had its premiere last year at Opera Theater of St. Louis. Based on a memoir by Charles M. Blow, a Times Op-Ed columnist, and with a libretto by Kasi Lemmons, it will be the first work by a Black composer ever presented by the Met. “Fire” had already been announced for a future Met season, but Mr. Gelb rightly saw that this spot — the Met’s comeback offering — was the right time and platform.
0Shares
0Comments
1Favorites
1Likes
Say something to impress...
Loading...
Comments
Hot

No content at this moment.

Relevant people
The New York Times
37313 Followers
Best news coverage from the best media.
Related