Re: Opera is a white man's game

On Wednesday, Sam Ostrowski’s column made the fairly damning charge of institutionalized racism in one of IU’s most prestigious departments. Ostrowski would do well to examine the history and the heritage of the art form of which he claims to have thoroughly unmasked a seedy, racist underbelly.

Ironically, his own ethnocentrism blinds him to the reality of opera and classical music in general. The reality is that opera is a product of its culture and its time.
This is no different than any other musical tradition or any sort of artistic tradition. Irish fiddling was primarily developed by white people, for white people.

But instead of being racist, it is considered preserving heritage to perform Irish fiddling. The same could be said of traditional Asian and African music, which some argue is expressly developed to preserve the rich lore and traditions of specific ethnic groups. In a different context, it could sound like drivel from the Traditionalist Youth Network.  

Art cannot be solely interpreted in Ostrowski’s own terms, as it results in drawing links where none exist. To think of opera as anything but an evolution of folk tradition is to ironically embrace the idea that Western art transcends the traditions of other cultures and periods.

In that respect, Ostrowski’s English major suffers from the same shortcomings as classical music. Most literary works studied by English majors are written by, in his own words, “dead white men.”

The written masterworks of the past suffer from the same tropes that were prevalent in music, among them Orientalism, sexism and nationalism.

Though a work such as Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is arguably racist, it’s still one of the most widely taught pieces of literature. And Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida,” rooted in Orientalism, is one of the most widely performed operas in the world.

The final straw in Ostrowski’s poorly reasoned article is his assertion of a vast racist conspiracy, where the works of Rossini, Verdi and Wagner systematically oppress others through ticket sales and all-white casts.

Apparently not understanding how economics and arts programming work, Ostrowski said he believes political and racial concerns cannot be divorced from the actual content of art itself.

Though the images of Richard Wagner’s music being synonymous with Nazi Germany might never fade, when we hear “Parsifal,” many can appreciate the work for what it is — a story of brotherhood, heroism, redemption and renewal with sublime music — rather than what it supposedly represents.

The Jacobs School of Music is proud to be a diverse institution and selects its singers based on talent. Just like in Hollywood, Jacobs casts on ability, not appearance.

Though I might not be as dispassionate as Ostrowski about classical music, having studied it for 16-and-a-half years, I firmly believe opera is not the racist institution that he perceives. It is an expressive art form that stands alongside the more supposedly politically correct disciplines.

mjsu@indiana.edu