Massenet for the Masses? The Opera Virgins Project

Simulcasting is a nascent phenomenon (just over a decade old), but it has already exerted a significant influence on the exhibition and cultural status of opera. Aggregating the total, virtual audience of my research partners at the Royal Opera House—including viewers of international cinema simulcasts, online streaming, and home video—leaves no doubt that far more people watch ROH productions on the screen than on the stage, with what I will call “opera cinema” comprising the largest distribution channel.1 The emphasis of academic research has been on the aesthetic and commercial dimension of simulcasting: how it transforms opera, and how it affects the operatic ecology. What has received little attention to date is the experiential dimension—a dimension this article seeks to address. After briefly laying out some of the theoretical scaffolding of my research, explaining my methodology, and introducing my focus group participants, the article introduces data from an ongoing audience project, investigating subjective engagement with opera cinema.