Is it a physiological possibility?

If a single woman is in search of a man at the opera, she is likely to have a most unfortunate time. Operas are crawling with gay men. But what is the reason? Are we drawn to the formality of the event? The upper-class connotations attached to it? Such are the questions that this post endeavours to explore.

Given that the subject of this topic is culture, I wish to begin by looking at the portrayal of opera in other cultural forms.

The first of those is the 2011 French film The Intouchables. In this great scene here, we see the carer of the upper-class man unable to resist bursting into laughter at the sight of a tree-dressed performer singing in German; the pretense of fine art shattered by the absurdity seen through eyes that are new to the experience of opera – an absurdity that ought to be seen by everyone. This scene therefore serves to break down the carefully crafted social barriers established to divide.

To cite something that branches (pun intended) a bit more into the realm of high culture: the following excerpt from Tolstoy’s outstanding novel Anna Karenina.

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‘Where am I coming from?’ he replied to the ambassador’s wife’s question. ‘No help for it, I muss confess. From the Bouffe (the lowly-regarded common persons’ comedic musical). It seems the hundredth time and always a new pleasure. Lovely! I know it’s shameful, but at the opera I fall asleep, and at the Bouffe I stay till the last moment and enjoy it. Tonight . . .’
He named a French actress and wanted to tell some story about her; but the ambassador’s wife interrupted him in mock alarm:
‘Please, don’t talk about that horror.’
‘Well, I won’t then, the more so as everybody knows about these horrors. And everybody would have gone there, if it was as accepted as the opera,’ put in Princess Miagky.
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In my own point of view, it is perfectly fine to be enthralled and passionate about opera. To pretend to enjoy it just to appear in society however, and look around the theatre, though perhaps a pathway to a genuine appreciation of opera, is more on the lamentable side of things.

While I am no great opera connoisseur, I do greatly enjoy the work of Wagner. I got interested in his work through his personal life story – that of a great artist who was nevertheless indebted to and constantly fleeing from his creditors, a financial turmoil relieved by King Ludwig II, under whom he flourished, but was later driven out of Munich to Bayreuth anyway. And I subsequently attended a performance of ‘The Flying Dutchman’ during the festival in Bayreuth, which was great. But I cannot claim to know or like opera across the board.

When we talk of rock music – of which music originally created since the 60’s is much more comprised – we don’t often speak with sweeping generalisations of the genre, but refer to specific artists. For example, if somebody tells me they like rock music, my first question will be ‘which bands?’ Because some of my favourite bands, e.g. Pink Floyd, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Veils, might differ greatly to other rock music others listen to.

My hope is that people speak more specifically about what opera appeals to them and why, in the same tendency that is followed in regard to rock music. That would be a step away from attending opera simply due to the cultural significance granted to it, and a step towards a genuine appreciation of opera as an art form. That would also be a step away from the conversations I hear and the profile texts I read on gay dating websites wherein no such discrepancies are made.

Most people know this piece by Vivaldi due to its frequent use in films and television. Sure, it’s a concerto among his many operas, but the point is that it can be widely recognised due to its inclusion in more contemporary culture. So, let us celebrate and propagate that!