Why do we stage operatic works from the past? The most immediate answer might be because they continue to generate new meanings for modern audiences, who bring their own 'horizon of expectations' to bear upon the operas of yesterday. Rather than being a repository of fixed, timeless meaning, an operatic work embraces a variety of interpretations which reflect the changing relationship between object and observer. A different answer could be out of sheer historical curiosity: to discover why certain pieces exerted such fascination for previous audiences and to reflect, in a self-conscious fashion, upon how popular tastes and expectations have changed over time. We might wonder, however, whether these two positions can be reconciled and if we can honour the different tastes of a bygone era yet still entertain and engage the…
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