Venice is looking to cultural tourism to reverse the fortunes of its opera house with an extended season, a limited repertoire and an ultimatum to performers.
AS CRISTIANO CHIAROT points out, an opera house’s choir and orchestra are not just a cost, they’re an asset. That is hardly a brilliant insight: no opera house can function without its musicians. But Mr Chiarot is general manager of La Fenice in Venice, and in Italy these days opera-house bosses faced with declining government funding are cutting costs wherever they can. Last autumn Rome’s opera sacked its entire chorus and orchestra, and Bari—the country’s fourth-largest opera house—simply cancelled a large chunk of its season. In Venice, by contrast, La Fenice’s chorus and orchestra are busier than ever... Keep reading on The Economist
AS CRISTIANO CHIAROT points out, an opera house’s choir and orchestra are not just a cost, they’re an asset. That is hardly a brilliant insight: no opera house can function without its musicians. But Mr Chiarot is general manager of La Fenice in Venice, and in Italy these days opera-house bosses faced with declining government funding are cutting costs wherever they can. Last autumn Rome’s opera sacked its entire chorus and orchestra, and Bari—the country’s fourth-largest opera house—simply cancelled a large chunk of its season. In Venice, by contrast, La Fenice’s chorus and orchestra are busier than ever... Keep reading on The Economist