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Mad Scenes and Exit Arias: The Death of the New York City Opera and the Future of Opera in America
From the Wall Street Journal's opera critic, a wide-ranging narrative history of how and why the New York City Opera went bankrupt--and what it means for the future of the arts
In October 2013, the arts world was rocked by the news that the New York City Opera--"the people's opera"--had finally succumbed to financial hardship after 70 years in operation. The company had been a fixture on the national opera scene--as the populist antithesis of the grand Metropolitan Opera, a nurturing home for young American talent, and a place where new, lively ideas shook up a venerable art form. But NYCO's demise represented more than the loss of a cherished organization: it was a harbinger of massive upheaval in the performing arts--and a warning about how cultural institutions would need to change in order to survive.
Drawing on extensive research and reporting, Heidi Waleson, one of the foremost American opera critics, recounts the history of this scrappy company and reveals how, from the beginning, it precariously balanced an ambitious artistic program on fragile financial supports. Waleson also looks forward and considers some better-managed, more visionary opera companies that have taken City Opera's lessons to heart.
Above all, Mad Scenes and Exit Arias is a story of money, ego, changes in institutional identity, competing forces of populism and elitism, and the ongoing debate about the role of the arts in society. It serves as a detailed case study not only for an American arts organization, but also for the sustainability and management of nonprofit organizations across the country.
In October 2013, the arts world was rocked by the news that the New York City Opera--"the people's opera"--had finally succumbed to financial hardship after 70 years in operation. The company had been a fixture on the national opera scene--as the populist antithesis of the grand Metropolitan Opera, a nurturing home for young American talent, and a place where new, lively ideas shook up a venerable art form. But NYCO's demise represented more than the loss of a cherished organization: it was a harbinger of massive upheaval in the performing arts--and a warning about how cultural institutions would need to change in order to survive.
Drawing on extensive research and reporting, Heidi Waleson, one of the foremost American opera critics, recounts the history of this scrappy company and reveals how, from the beginning, it precariously balanced an ambitious artistic program on fragile financial supports. Waleson also looks forward and considers some better-managed, more visionary opera companies that have taken City Opera's lessons to heart.
Above all, Mad Scenes and Exit Arias is a story of money, ego, changes in institutional identity, competing forces of populism and elitism, and the ongoing debate about the role of the arts in society. It serves as a detailed case study not only for an American arts organization, but also for the sustainability and management of nonprofit organizations across the country.
- GenresNonfictionMusicTheatre
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2018
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228 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 17, 2019
I wanted to perform a death scene on stage while singing a tortured aria, because my heart was so broken after reading Mad Scenes and Exit Arias: The Death of the New York City Opera and the Future of Opera in America. I come from Cincinnati, where our storied opera company used to perform at the Cincinnati Zoo, where elephants once duetting with coloraturas. And a good friend’s son directs our current opera crew, so this totally engrossing account hit close to home.
Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal opera critic, offers a stunning narrative history of New York City Opera’s bankruptcy and what it portends for the future of the arts. Beautifully written and extensively researched, Mad Scenes and Exit Arias views the opera’s demise as not just the loss of a beloved institution, but as a harbinger of what’s to come, with lessons learned about needed change for cultural institutions to thrive. Highly recommended for all opera buffs and those concerned about the future of arts in our country. 5/5
Pub Date 02 Oct 2018
Thanks to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#MadScenesAndExitArias #NetGalley
Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal opera critic, offers a stunning narrative history of New York City Opera’s bankruptcy and what it portends for the future of the arts. Beautifully written and extensively researched, Mad Scenes and Exit Arias views the opera’s demise as not just the loss of a beloved institution, but as a harbinger of what’s to come, with lessons learned about needed change for cultural institutions to thrive. Highly recommended for all opera buffs and those concerned about the future of arts in our country. 5/5
Pub Date 02 Oct 2018
Thanks to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#MadScenesAndExitArias #NetGalley
January 26, 2025
A case study for business management students. Incompetence at the management level, poor leadership, a lack of a clearly defined mission and a Board that never did properly supervise the general manager. Even with flawless excution, it would have been difficult to sustain the NYC Opera. Borrowing periodically from the endownment is a perfect recipe for financial disaster. This should be a warning for those who believe that money solves everything; incompetence at the highest level over a long period becomes impossible to overcome.
October 7, 2018
An entertaining and insightful discussion of the *life* as well as the death of the NYCO
I would think that anyone concerned about *any* professional performing arts institution would find *Mad Scenes* interesting. And it should be required reading for any board member of such an institution.
I would think that anyone concerned about *any* professional performing arts institution would find *Mad Scenes* interesting. And it should be required reading for any board member of such an institution.
March 23, 2024
Worth reading even though many of the events described are painfully predictable ...
May 16, 2019
A fascinating post-mortem of an important arts institution, Waleson answers the question of why the NYCO had no choice but to declare bankruptcy while painting, at specific moments, a case study of what *not* to do in a struggling institution. Yet without assigning blame to any one individual, she she masterfully balances the internal and external factors that led to NYC's demise; poor leadership *and* an the changing tastes of audiences writ large.
Waleson manages to give even more than just a post-mortem--she offers some paths forward for opera and the performing arts in the 21st century. She speaks to several trailblazing opera companies who have found ways to capture the public's attention through a sustainable model. The answer to how the performing arts institutions can survive is complicated, but this book is definitely worth reading for anyone worried about how the diluted attention span of potential audiences affects one's ability to fill the house.
Two quotes that capture the gist of the book:
"The decadelong struggle that ended in City Opera's 2013 bankruptcy filing coincided with a seismic upheaval in the way the performing arts were presented and consumed. The change was driven by generational, economic, and technological forces. It is now clear that the landscape will never be the same. City Opera, caught in the maelstrom as it was unfolding, could not see the big picture and was, in any case, singularly ill-equipped to face it and make the necessary changes. It was too big and too poor, saddled with a weak board and the wrong leadership."
"...Giant opera houses were built for another age; so were American opera companies, with their constant repetitions of those canonical works of the past. Especially in an era of virtual everything, live performance remains a value to be cherished. But perhaps we don't need quite as many Bohèmes and Traviatas--and the most creative minds may well revolutionize not just the repertoire but the institutions that present it."
Waleson manages to give even more than just a post-mortem--she offers some paths forward for opera and the performing arts in the 21st century. She speaks to several trailblazing opera companies who have found ways to capture the public's attention through a sustainable model. The answer to how the performing arts institutions can survive is complicated, but this book is definitely worth reading for anyone worried about how the diluted attention span of potential audiences affects one's ability to fill the house.
Two quotes that capture the gist of the book:
"The decadelong struggle that ended in City Opera's 2013 bankruptcy filing coincided with a seismic upheaval in the way the performing arts were presented and consumed. The change was driven by generational, economic, and technological forces. It is now clear that the landscape will never be the same. City Opera, caught in the maelstrom as it was unfolding, could not see the big picture and was, in any case, singularly ill-equipped to face it and make the necessary changes. It was too big and too poor, saddled with a weak board and the wrong leadership."
"...Giant opera houses were built for another age; so were American opera companies, with their constant repetitions of those canonical works of the past. Especially in an era of virtual everything, live performance remains a value to be cherished. But perhaps we don't need quite as many Bohèmes and Traviatas--and the most creative minds may well revolutionize not just the repertoire but the institutions that present it."
October 21, 2025
A very straightforward account of the roughly 70 year life of the New York City Opera.
I moved to the city in the mid-90's and went occasionally to the NYCO. I had always ascribed its death to the arrogance of Gerard Mortier, the impresario who attempted to take over NYCO circa 2007, with an incredibly expensive plan for operas (most of which I would really have loved, but I'm not the average opera attendee). His agreeing to go dark for a year so that acoustical improvements could be made always struck me as the height of folly.
This book gives more context to that era, and places so much more of the blame on the board at that time and especially to the callous board chair, Susan Baker. Baker promised Mortier so much, while having absolutely no way to make the plan work, nor was she willing to put her money behind the venture, despite that being forthcoming with cash is part of the implied job description of the board chairwoman.
The most interesting sections are those that describe the golden periods of the NYCO, especially the eras led by Julius Rudel and Paul Kellogg. The description of all the interesting work, especially the new American operas being done at the time, makes your mouth water.
I'm rating only three stars, because it feels like a piece of perfectly fine long-form journalism (and yes, the writer is the opera critic for the Wall Street Journal). Yes, there are some insights at the end about new and innovative opera today. (Though, as in the early days of the NYCO, so much of it seems to be based upon artists taking low fees.)
It feels like so much of this could have been gained by reading all the old New York Times articles that she quotes from extensively. I don't necessarily feel as if it's an in-depth portrait--more of a much more exciting version of a Wikipedia article. I wanted to walk away with more insight, though perhaps the board deliberations, not as covered in the press as much as the more visible music directors, are an insight that could only have been gained in this way. I'm happy I read it and it was a pretty quick read, but I doubt I'd go back to it again, except to get a list and criticism of all the operas premiered and staged at the sadly departed NYCO.
I moved to the city in the mid-90's and went occasionally to the NYCO. I had always ascribed its death to the arrogance of Gerard Mortier, the impresario who attempted to take over NYCO circa 2007, with an incredibly expensive plan for operas (most of which I would really have loved, but I'm not the average opera attendee). His agreeing to go dark for a year so that acoustical improvements could be made always struck me as the height of folly.
This book gives more context to that era, and places so much more of the blame on the board at that time and especially to the callous board chair, Susan Baker. Baker promised Mortier so much, while having absolutely no way to make the plan work, nor was she willing to put her money behind the venture, despite that being forthcoming with cash is part of the implied job description of the board chairwoman.
The most interesting sections are those that describe the golden periods of the NYCO, especially the eras led by Julius Rudel and Paul Kellogg. The description of all the interesting work, especially the new American operas being done at the time, makes your mouth water.
I'm rating only three stars, because it feels like a piece of perfectly fine long-form journalism (and yes, the writer is the opera critic for the Wall Street Journal). Yes, there are some insights at the end about new and innovative opera today. (Though, as in the early days of the NYCO, so much of it seems to be based upon artists taking low fees.)
It feels like so much of this could have been gained by reading all the old New York Times articles that she quotes from extensively. I don't necessarily feel as if it's an in-depth portrait--more of a much more exciting version of a Wikipedia article. I wanted to walk away with more insight, though perhaps the board deliberations, not as covered in the press as much as the more visible music directors, are an insight that could only have been gained in this way. I'm happy I read it and it was a pretty quick read, but I doubt I'd go back to it again, except to get a list and criticism of all the operas premiered and staged at the sadly departed NYCO.
February 23, 2022
Excellent book about the history of NYCO, as well as its fall. Lots of blame to go around, but the larger picture is what will happen to the operatic art form as we move forward. Opera company's will need to be much more agile and attune to audiences if they are to remain relevant. Took away one star because the reliance on financial data was a bit over the top. Yeah, we get it, they operated at a loss. It just seemed like a bit of overkill is all. Overall, a good read for anyone interested in opera.
December 28, 2021
A fascinating well researched book about failures in non-profit and cultural arts management. This is a very dry book, however, very journalistic in style and it is clear that you would probably only enjoy this if you are an opera fan. I am, and wanted some insight into the inner workings of an opera company and endowment usage so for me it fit the bill.
April 23, 2019
A comprehensive history of New York City opera that serves as both a cheap-seats tour of much of 20th century opera as well as a cautionary fable for anyone involved in the arts or nonprofit industries.
October 14, 2018
This is a great history of New York City Opera
I liked the straight forward approach to the reasons the NYCO is no more. Having worked there, it answered lots of questions for me.
I liked the straight forward approach to the reasons the NYCO is no more. Having worked there, it answered lots of questions for me.
October 27, 2018
Sad truth and a must read for anyone who works in or cares about the performing arts.
January 3, 2019
Decent book. It felt a little bit like every chapter was "And then they needed more money..." That got old, but I'm sure that's how it was.
Read
February 9, 2020As I was lucky enough to attend some of their performances, I was disappointed when they closed their doors. An interesting history of the company.
January 19, 2022
If you want opera gossip about divas throwing fits, this is not the book for you. It is, however, a fascinating behind the scenes look at how an opera company works, or doesn’t work.
July 7, 2024
It was difficult to read about how impossible it has become to stage opera or any live performance.
February 12, 2025
After reviewing the index of "Mad Scenes and Exit Arias: The Death of the New York City Opera and the Future of Opera in America" I remember the New York City Opera saga being reported chiefly in the New York Times among other publications; it is good to be able to access the material in an organized fashion. Thank you Ms. Waleson.
The very challenging times of NYCO probably should have been predicted once it joined forces with New York City Ballet and moved to Lincoln Center. NYCO when at City Center was a far more modest organization than was the Metropolitan Opera and comparisons between it and the Metropolitan Opera sprang up immediately. NYCO did not have the assets of the Met and was a younger company. The New York State Theatre seemed to be oriented towards the needs of the ballets booked there, notably New York City Ballet even to the point of acoustical design favoring NYCB needs over those of NYCO. To correct then update the acoustics at this theatre was a very expensive proposition which I believe had to take place not once but twice.
The Beverly Sills era of NYCO is covered but does not fully explain why, once she separated from arts management at NYCO she seems to have separated from it once she took the same job when working at the Met. Perhaps this was a contractual requirement.
When the U.S. economy improved (then failed) the NYCO leadership choices seemed to lean towards people of that time who ran for-profits who, once being hired or appointed as leaders for NYCO made some very destructive choices i.e. spending down endowments, auctioning company assets and the like which may have been acceptable in a for-profit situation but not here.
Some events that occurred were out of NYCO's control, notably management's dealing with powerful unions for years, a warehouse fire, 9/11 and the impact on audience attendance, changing audience tastes and choices, a flood which destroyed their music library, and the AIDS epidemic which hit people associated with NYCO.
Ms. Waleson summarizes the changing landscape of the performing arts with an emphasis on opera. This is a challenge that is not only NYCO's but the majority of major opera houses in the United States.
Fortunately NYCO still exists, but it has been heavily re-characterized; it survived the COVID shutdown which proved to be a challenge for many arts organizations. Check their webpage for further current information.
A fascinating book which should be considered required reading for arts administrators and those who would like to be.
The very challenging times of NYCO probably should have been predicted once it joined forces with New York City Ballet and moved to Lincoln Center. NYCO when at City Center was a far more modest organization than was the Metropolitan Opera and comparisons between it and the Metropolitan Opera sprang up immediately. NYCO did not have the assets of the Met and was a younger company. The New York State Theatre seemed to be oriented towards the needs of the ballets booked there, notably New York City Ballet even to the point of acoustical design favoring NYCB needs over those of NYCO. To correct then update the acoustics at this theatre was a very expensive proposition which I believe had to take place not once but twice.
The Beverly Sills era of NYCO is covered but does not fully explain why, once she separated from arts management at NYCO she seems to have separated from it once she took the same job when working at the Met. Perhaps this was a contractual requirement.
When the U.S. economy improved (then failed) the NYCO leadership choices seemed to lean towards people of that time who ran for-profits who, once being hired or appointed as leaders for NYCO made some very destructive choices i.e. spending down endowments, auctioning company assets and the like which may have been acceptable in a for-profit situation but not here.
Some events that occurred were out of NYCO's control, notably management's dealing with powerful unions for years, a warehouse fire, 9/11 and the impact on audience attendance, changing audience tastes and choices, a flood which destroyed their music library, and the AIDS epidemic which hit people associated with NYCO.
Ms. Waleson summarizes the changing landscape of the performing arts with an emphasis on opera. This is a challenge that is not only NYCO's but the majority of major opera houses in the United States.
Fortunately NYCO still exists, but it has been heavily re-characterized; it survived the COVID shutdown which proved to be a challenge for many arts organizations. Check their webpage for further current information.
A fascinating book which should be considered required reading for arts administrators and those who would like to be.
June 22, 2023
i’m reading this for grad school (yay!) and i didn’t realize how slow i am at reading non-fiction as compared to novels! i really liked that i got to take this in in bite-sized pieces. as a future arts administrator, having the rise and fall of New York City Opera spelled out has allowed me a broader knowledge of the industry and its future- and I think a lot of the lessons here will translate well to my coursework and to my future career in the arts :)
February 27, 2024
Exhausting. A roller coaster ride with thrilling successes and even more devastating losses. With a steady stream of progressive productions resulting in dismal ticket sales, the “People’s Opera” failed to listen to the people.
May 16, 2019
fascinating read both for opera fans and anyone interested in arts administration
July 2, 2025
Incredibly lengthy and information dense.
January 31, 2022
This book is so riveting! The drama, the intrigue, the betrayal AGH. The author does such a good job of making you invested in the drama that is the New York City Opera and it feels very well researched (at times too much considering how many paragraphs are dedicated to the plays premiering). Great read.
August 21, 2018
An eye opening peek behind the scenes of the New York City Opera.Infighting poor decisions led to the bankruptcy of the Manhattan City Opera .A page turner a juicy delicious read.loversvof opera grab this book, Thanks #henryholt #netgalley
January 9, 2019
This could be an excellent case study for looking at non-profit boards! The book was insightful and thoroughly researched; the author’s insightful and knowledgeable take was apparent throughout. There’s a bit of insider baseball and length due to listing the bulk of performances mounted each year (fascinating, but can get long-winded if one is not an opera super fan).
For the opera aficionados, the sheer breadth of operas mentioned is fun to see (added a couple to my ‘must see!’ list), but the nuts and bolts of running an arts or nfp over an extended period of time has its own intrinsic interest. NYCO is unique in that the Met is such a renowned purveyor in the same market (and for years, the same space!), and yet, the issues faced are universal in many ways. Unchecked power begets unfortunate results, and the solipsism displayed by some of the leaders is hard to stomach.
For the opera aficionados, the sheer breadth of operas mentioned is fun to see (added a couple to my ‘must see!’ list), but the nuts and bolts of running an arts or nfp over an extended period of time has its own intrinsic interest. NYCO is unique in that the Met is such a renowned purveyor in the same market (and for years, the same space!), and yet, the issues faced are universal in many ways. Unchecked power begets unfortunate results, and the solipsism displayed by some of the leaders is hard to stomach.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews