How can opera compete in a world of multimedia? “In an attempt to connect with a broad and unspecialized public, opera companies have sought the ministrations of directors who are inventive, fearless – and often indifferent to the music they purport to serve. These theatrical interpreters are granted liberties that musical interpreters would never take: Operas are constantly being shuttled from one era to another, causing havoc with time-bound librettos, yet the score remains more or less sacrosanct.”