Performance, Strategic Options and Prospects

Opera is the most costly of the performing arts, and the one with the most restricted audience. The number of opera houses and companies currently in existence is very large (several hundred), and they are very diverse. We have already reviewed the activities and policies of opera houses; it is now time to attempt to understand their performances, and then to examine some detectable prospects for development. Whether large or small, of international, national or local renown, publicly or privately funded, all opera houses and companies need public subsidies or private contributions to supplement their internally generated “earned income”, which essentially derives from sales of tickets and productions. Their financial autonomy, or earned income as a percentage of the total budget, varies from 6 per cent to 47 per cent; the rest, or “contributed income”, comes from external sources. Public backers justify their contributions in terms of one or more public interest objectives: preserving or developing the artistic heritage, making culture accessible, or reasons of prestige and reputation. In the USA, private donors are asserting their attachment to the art form of opera, and their chief expectation is that their money will enable opera productions that would probably not exist without their involvement. They also expect positive returns in the form of publicity, personal profile-raising and public image. Private donations in Europe are driven by the same motives, despite a lower relative importance than in North America even though their marginal value remains high. In either case, the quality of the opera offering as reflected in the audience response is what justifies the financial support provided. The seat occupancy rate, which in our database ranges from 45 per cent to 98 per cent depending on the opera house, reflects the perceived quality of opera productions and how well they match their environment. This rate can attract long-term commitments from financial partners or lead to withdrawal of their support.