The State of the Art

Seasoned Opera Singer Bruce Baumer talks about the state of opera and its current industry in New York City.

“The power of music; of art at the highest level — is overwhelmingly extraordinary,” said professional opera singer Bruce Baumer. “No matter what, I know it will live on.”

Born from a love of music — his father was a trumpet player and his mother was a singer, and they met at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music — Baumer was raised on classical music. Growing up, he spent countless hours watching the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra play. It was opera, though, that truly enthralled him. Baumer ended up pursuing an undergraduate degree in German Studies, and an additional degree in Finance, but the operatic arias that floated from the throats of silvery Beverly Sills and mighty Eileen Farrell left him with an unrelenting itch. He took his first voice lesson at twenty-one, and that was that: opera was his calling.

Now fifty-nine, Baumer has performed over 40 roles as a principal artist with more than 20 different opera companies across the United States, including the New York City Opera. At this stage in his illustrious career, Baumer has planted roots in New York, where he is teaching the next generation of singers entering an industry that — he admits — is not what it used to be.

Is opera in New York different from the rest of the world?

I can only speak from personal experience, but I’ve sung opera all over the country and New York is at the center of it all. All the big-name operas play here, and so many new operas make their name here. It’s a city of artists constantly presenting old art and producing new art, and that is reflected in the opera scene. On a worldly level, opera is everywhere and has been for centuries. I think the appreciation for opera dates back further in Europe. Many of the famous composers are from Europe, and — though money for the arts isn’t what it used to be — opera in Europe is largely funded by the government. It’s a bit strange to use the term “scrappy” to describe opera in the U.S. and New York, but it really is compared to Europe because we don’t have the funding. New York had to work to gain an appreciation because all of its funds almost exclusively had to come from private donors. Opera in New York has relied on philanthropy and famously wealthy families like the Astor’s. But the younger generation of people — particularly people with a lot of money — aren’t as giving toward arts institutions. The American lens of the performing arts is different, and not always in a good way.

There is heavy critical debate of whether or not opera is an elitist art form. Do you believe that opera is elitist, or do you think this is a misconception?

I think opera is considered “elitist” for a couple reasons — both of which I disagree with. Some people think opera is intellectually elitist because it’s in a foreign language and the musical language is more sophisticated — that if you’re interested in that, you’re pretentious. But in today’s world of Google, you can look up the plot of any opera in advance, and numerous opera performances are subtitled. If anything, there are many benefits of being exposed to something we don’t understand at first but might learn from. Some people think opera is financially elitist because it has a history of being funded by the wealthy elite — but if that’s the arguing point that would make all the arts and everything that’s privately funded elitist. And look at the prices of Harry Styles and Taylor Swift tickets. I mean, people are paying a thousand dollars to see a Broadway show. No — I don’t understand why there is a debate about whether or not opera is elitist. The term itself is paradoxical to me.

What about this art form moves you?

I think it’s the ability of the music — the vocal line, as well as the orchestra — to create an almost heightened sense of what a given emotional state is. It presents in a heightened, deeply felt and played out manner that is inside of all of us. But we’re not necessarily aware of it. And opera makes you aware of it — of that potential inside of human beings to feel that deeply. It opens that door. To me, that aspect of the art form will never change.

How has the opera scene changed since you first became involved in it? Do you think the change has been positive or negative?

On the positive side, there is an increased effort to make opera more accessible. The Met broadcasts live performances to movie theaters and radio stations worldwide. Because interest in opera has decreased over the years, the industry is trying to modernize. Big houses like The Met will still, of course, do the chestnuts of their repertoire — the Mozart’s, the Verdi’s, and the Puccini’s — but they are starting to host world premieres of brand new operas, and it’s exciting. The industry is adapting, but still paying homage to what came before — which is important.

But on the negative side, it’s harder to make a living in the industry now. When I started thirty years ago, you were generally paid a fee per performance at the bigger levels, and at smaller levels you were typically paid weekly. The fees have dropped significantly. All the major companies have reduced their seasons due to a lack of funds. They’re no longer hiring principal artists like myself to understudy lead roles — they’re using young apprentices instead because it saves them money.

If you could change one thing about the current opera scene, what would you change?

The treatment of the artists. The industry has become capitalistic in order to survive, and more commercial to try and meet public desire — and is doing so on a minimal budget. I mean, the National Endowment for the Arts is pathetically low — there is just no government funding for opera. So, companies within the industry are hiring less-experienced young artists willing to work for a lot less than they deserve, and they’re put through the vocal wringer before they have the technique and stamina to do so. There should be more of a focus on the fundamental technique of singing and leading people to the correct role at the correct time. There should be more coaching at the major opera houses. The singers should be treated more like they were in Margaret Harshaw’s time — like you were part of a family. They brought you through the roles; they moved you from one hole to the next, and coached you properly and it was not too rushed. And it wasn’t this constant flying all over the globe. You can travel, but you should have time to recover. Everything should be in the proper time because the voice is in the body. And your body is your career. And you only get one. It needs to be cared for — and the current state of the art is not supporting that need.