Welcome to the festival of shattered opera dreams

An opera personage, writing on the Schmopera site under conditions of anonymity, is about to set off on the annual season of auditions – possibly for the last time.

Too many rejections, too much unnecessary advice, unwarranted abuse. Time to call it quits? Or one last go…?

If it satisfies to continue along this path, go forth and let none of the idiots hold you back. Similarly, why feel compelled by guilt or a misplaced sense of shame to stay in the hunt when in brings about nothing but misery? Quit with pride and do something better for the world and for yourself.

Whatever you do, you oughtn’t give a damn about a callback.

The business of opera is at times wonderful and at other times loathsome. It is, sadly, mostly run by the ill-informed and the ill-equipped. It is therefore oftentimes arbitrary and frivolous though it can sometimes be sublime.

What it should never be is your whole life.

At this time of year, regardless of what happens, it’s worth remembering that and finding a little bit of perspective.

Happy Feast of the Shattered Dreams to you all.

Read the full article here.

Much of it hits nails hard on the head.