European Opera is Not ‘White’ Music: National Public Radio says about the dumbest thing it could possibly say when it comes to opera

American Thinker ^ | 10/30/2023 | Leah E. Stevens

[SeekAndFind]

In October 2023, an official responsible for programming at North Carolina public radio station WCPE rejected broadcasting several operas being produced this season at the New York Metropolitan Opera. An article, now scrubbed from the net, entitled “North Carolina Public Radio Station Rejects Contemporary Operas” explains that the programmer cited her Christian faith and viewpoint that the operas are vulgar and inappropriate for children as reasons for declining to broadcast them.

The viewpoint intolerance and anti-Christian cultural fascism of NPR and institutions such as the N.Y. Met are fanatical. It was intolerable that a single dissident public radio station would be allowed to decline to broadcast opera believed to be disrespectful to the Bible.

There was a firestorm of outrage against the station official, and her decision was quickly reversed.  From a National Public Radio (NPR) article:

WCPE’s protest came at a time when the Metropolitan Opera is eager to showcase its commitment to recently written operas and works from outside the traditional canon of music written by white men. Three of the operas that WCPE planned to reject in the 2023-24 season were written by Black or Mexican composers. This past April, WCPE also refused to broadcast another Met-produced opera written by a Black composer that included LGBTQ themes.

This victory lap paragraph encapsulates the cultural ignorance, bigotry, and stupidity of the progressive mind and why NPR should not get a penny of taxpayer money.

The first point of ignorance is that race and sexuality are “contemporary” themes. Race and sexuality are the oldest hats on the rack of American culture. These political fixations have been choking the life out of American art and culture for fifty years. Consider the so-called smash hit Hamilton. Its initial casting call was pure racism — no whites could try out.

[SeekAndFind]

By the way, Is there any memorable music from Hamilton ?

I've watched the show where a black man Michael Luwoye played Hamilton, but unlike Les Miserables or the Phantom of the Opera, I can't remember any song from the show.

[BenLurkin]

Are the operas in question vulgar and inappropriate for children?

If so, then why would anyone broadcast them?

[Dr. Sivana]

WCPE’s protest came at a time when the Metropolitan Opera is eager to showcase its commitment to recently written operas and works from outside the traditional canon of music written by white men.

The U.S. WASPs in the Know-Nothing era would not really consider Italians and other southern Europeans to be of the same race.

[nopardons]

BTTT

[Verginius Rufus]

It wasn’t just the Know Nothings of the 1850s. The reason for the immigrant quotas adopted in 1921 and 1924 was to keep out Italians and other southern and eastern Europeans who were considered undesirables.

[cgbg]

You can’t get more “contemporary” than “hate whitey and throw them in the ovens”.

This is what taxation without representation looks like.

[MeganC]

You made me think of this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulJXiB5i_q0

[rktman]

Ewwwrope has its own oprah? Who knew? 😁

🙏🇺🇸🇮🇱👍

[Mariner]

I’ve heard several “black operas” on my local NPR...as broadcast by the Met.

They suck. Musically, they just plain suck. At least the ones I heard.

The only reason they get play time is because they’re black.

The ONLY reason.

[amihow]

Haha. My Italian great grandparents slipped in legally from Mexico. They built up the county to which they came. All its roads, the first radio station, State’s first airline. My grandfather was called a genius because of inventions he built for a mining company. They integrated and they spoke perfect English. Vetting for such builds a country. Open borders destroys

[Sirius Lee]

I really enjoyed “Treemonisha”

[Miami Rebel]

I didn’t look forward Hamilton, despite recommendations from a number of friends.

That said, I was blown away DESPITE there being no
“whistleable” tunes.

The lack of a catchy or memorable melody didn’t take away from a fantastic musical and dramatic production.

I’d compare it to certain operas that have a great cumulative effect even if you don’t remember any “greatest hits.”

Puccini, who wrote many melodies recognizable easily by non-opera fans, also wrote a number of exquisite works without many or even any. La Rodine has a single aria that people might know; La Fanciulla del West has zero but is still perhaps my favorite of his works.

[Miami Rebel]

I haven’t heard many, but I enjoyed Life and Times of Malcolm X when the late, lamented New York City Opera put it on maybe 15 years ago.

[ConservativeDude]

Hamilton is a profoundly conservative work of American art - in the most important meaning of the word, conserving civilization, passing down its meaning, cherishing shared memories.

With regards to tunes, I’d say It’s Quiet Uptown is a memorable melody. And certainly its a poignant portion of the show.

[x]

And contemporary operas that aren’t by black composers?

How many of them are any good?

[ConservativeDude]

there are some great contemporary American operas, however....including Moby Dick, and It’s A Wonderful Life.

I know Kanye did an “opera” a few years ago, and it was not shall we say critially well received....

But...I applaud anyone for trying.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Opera is mostly German (white) or Italian (not white) so really a mix.

(Yes, I know this will upset people. Reality remains)

[Joe 6-pack]

Anybody who ever listened carefully to Verdi's lyrics in the, "We wuz Kangs!" chorus in Aida knew this long ago.

[coalminersson]

I’m humming the US constitution. LOL

[x]

Maybe, but the pause in immigration made assimiliation and higher wages possible, so even the people who were discriminated against weren’t entirely opposed to it.