Severity and Comedy

Offenbach's 'Tales of Hoffmann'
commended by GREGORY MOOMJY

For opera lovers who are serious enough to even think of a performing career, the path is an arduous one. The modern operatic world is extremely competitive and the audience, while widening due to the recent plethora of audience-building initiatives, is still to an extent comprised of a small portion of the general population who believes in this art form with something akin to religious fervor. The chances of success are small, yet still, the prospect of immortal glory, as won by Joan Sutherland or Beverly Sills, is tantalizing. This is where organizations such as Wolf Trap Opera serve an invaluable purpose in the modern classical music world. Like vocal competitions or alliances between fine art academies and performing institutions, it is designed to outfit participants with the skills to succeed in the modern operatic world...

JACQUES OFFENBACH

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA