Menotti Meeting Millennials
The collaborative research project supervised by Dr. Caryl Clark began with the World of Opera course where students were required to view a University of Toronto production of Menotti’s double bill operas The Telephone and The Medium and then write a research paper based on their impression of the performance as well as utilizing a selection of writings and theories about the effects of technology on society. Many of themes highlighted in Menotti’s works resonated particularly with the writings of communications theorist Marshall McLuhan.
In both operas Menotti employs satire and irony while exploring themes involving the effects of technology on the human condition and further explores the negative repercussions on human relationships.
In this research collaborative project we argue that Menotti’s double-bill operas communicate directly in stimulating and thought-provoking ways to contemporary audiences. They illustrate opera’s relevance for modern society—including tech-savvy millennials—providing a rich and satisfying complete aesthetic experience while raising relevant and challenging contemporary questions.