Opera houses everywhere are faced with cultural, management, financial and governance issues. The cultural stakes are high. Are opera houses becoming museums or institutions whose mission is to preserve rather than create? Up to what point are they creative?Why do they deserve so much public and private funding? Most operas were composed over a century ago, when labour was cheap. Today, production costs are so high that just one-half to a quarter of the costs are paid for by those who attend the performances.In this unique study, Philippe Agid and Jean-Claude Tarondeau explore the increasing problems opera houses and companies face in managing an established and historic art form in a modern business environment.
By making international comparisons, the authors find that the solutions are related to historic, local and global factors.