WORD- ROOTS

Opera is considered to be something that has firm roots in shows like Figero and The Magic Flute. For those who are looking to reinvent the opera, they are counseled by Brecht to "attack the roots" (41). In some of the modern operas that have been shown at IU, like Too Many Sopranos and The Wedding, they are unable to fully "attack" the roots to innovate, but they are able to take the lowest of these roots, such as musical themes, and place them in a more contemporary plot. In Too Many Sopranos (which played in 2007 at IU), they work at attacking the "roots" through the mocking of stereotypical opera roles, with their classification of the "sopranos". In this modern opera, it invited those who were not ready for the more classical and heavy pieces, such as Don Giovanni, to participate in the world of Opera and to dabble in the roots, so that you might be more interested in future shows.

In my experience with the Opera, I understand what Brecht calls for with the need for newness in the realm of Opera, however, sometimes there are things that need to be rooted. Sometimes just looking at a slightly new interpretation can bring a different flavor to the Opera and help bring out a new aspect to the old classics.