An opera podcast where the sacred is subjective.
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About Decanonized
Why are the greatest operas in the world the greatest operas in the world?
While opera doesn’t have an AFI 100 list or an IMDb ranking, many of the “first time at the opera” guides or other rankings gather many of the same works time and again. In the spirit of Unspooled, I’ll be taking a look at the top 100 operas as determined by Henry W. Simon’s 100 Great Operas and Their Stories(a mainstay in many opera gift shops and marketing departments).
Every other week, I’ll be joined by a guest who is just as obsessed with opera (including singers, composers, and critics) to discuss one work in-depth and ask the simple question: Is it actually great?
Classical music is guided by the idea of canon, but nothing is truly sacred. And that’s a good thing.
About me
I’m Olivia Giovetti, a writer and cultural critic with about 20 years of professional experience in opera, and about twice as much personal experience. When I was 4, I dressed as Mephistopheles from Gounod’s Faust and corrected all of my grandparents’ neighbors who thought I was simply the devil. Later, I learned that some of my paternal ancestors played in Verdi’s orchestras and it all made sense.
Since then, I’ve covered opera for the London Review of Books, Financial Times, NPR, Los Angeles Review of Books, and more.
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