Zukunft der Oper und Co. – Abgesang oder Aufbruch? Kommentar und Reflexion
Hauptsächlicher Artikelinhalt
Abstract
Based on the lecture series Opera and Co. for the Future!? (University of Bayreuth, winter semester 2023/24), this paper examines the future prospects of opera and music theatre beyond linear narratives of progress. Three central areas of discourse are analysed: institution and space, technical progress and digitality, and artistic research and new formats. The article shows how, on the one hand, independent production methods and flexible spatial concepts are establishing themselves in response to institutional consolidation, while on the other hand, since the pandemic, digital media have become effective not only as an extension but also as independent presentation formats. In connection with ethical questions of access, responsibility, and the relationship between humans and machines, the focus is also on the controversially discussed artistic research, in particular Borgdorff's concept of research "in art," whose potential for future opera production is critically examined.
Finally, the article problematises the influence of right-wing populist cultural policies on experimental forms of music theatre and advocates institutional flexibility, reflection on media ethics and a critically anchored artistic practice as prerequisites for the genre's future viability.