Emilia Pérez (Jacques Audiard, 2024)

[The Curious Sofa]

Grey staged The Marriage of Figaro a few years ago and did some interviews. His production was very traditional, nothing wrong with that, but from the pictures it looks like a Zeffirelli production from the 50s. Today, a real opera director would probably do something much less conservative (even postmodern) with it. His interviews suggest that his knowledge of opera is sincere but shallow, and I'm not surprised that he doesn't seem to be aware of the modernist and postmodern developments in opera since the 20th century.

[Altair]

I would say though - as a regular opera goer in both the UK and US - that 'neoclassical' productions, as you describe Grey's version of The Marriage of Figaro, are still the default opera production and that ''modernist' stagings are still a little unusual (I'm not sure postmodern is the right term here to describe re-interpretations of primarily 17th-19th century operatic productions).

[The Curious Sofa]

I would say though - as a regular opera goer in both the UK and US - that 'neoclassical' productions, as you describe Grey's version of The Marriage of Figaro, are still the default opera production and that ''modernist' stagings are still a little unusual (I'm not sure postmodern is the right term here to describe re-interpretations of primarily 17th-19th century operatic productions).

Here in Germany, traditional opera productions are rare and what is known as Regietheater or Regieoper ( directors theatre/opera) which is considered a part of post modernism, is the norm. Calling these "modern" productions would not be wrong either. When I still lived in London, there was more of a balance, this may have tipped back to traditional productions since the ENO has gone, but post modern productions still are common there and in much of Europe (I gather the US is more resistant to it, though it's also not unknown there) It's popularity since the late 20th century has to do with trying to get younger audiences back into opera houses, to make opera "relevant" to them. It can work but often there is a complete disregard for the text.

https://www.critical-stages.org/21/oper ... critiсism/

There is neoclassical opera, but as far as I'm aware it refers to a style of 20th century classical music, Stravinsky and Britten are main proponents. Í have never heard this being referred to productions, which if done in the style of or for the period they were written, I only know as "traditional" productions.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-a ... w-la-opera

[Altair]

Interesting - I haven't been to the opera in Germany, unfortunately, but I'm not surprised that it hasn't a different approach compared to Anglo-American operatic productions. I think probably terms like 'neoclassical', 'modernism', and 'postmodernism' are probably not as helpful as I initially thought in trying to describe different modes of operatic staging. While Grey's generalisation doesn't withstand scrutiny, it's not surprising that an infrequent opera-goer would imagine that all of opera is composed of period dress Puccini stagings.