San Francisco Opera curtails productions of newer works

The following is excerpted from an article in the New York Times;

Suffering the same financial woes afflicting most arts organizations, the

San Francisco Opera has curtailed productions of newer works this season in

the hope that repertory favorites will fill seats. David Gockley, the

company's innovative general director, recently told The San Jose Mercury

News, "The research that I have access to says that it's the core works, the

great central works of the operatic tradition, that attract and inspire the

new audience. You might have heard, 'Well, new works or edgy productions are

what get the young people in.' Well, it's not true."

So now it's general directors of opera companies who are "innovative" rather than audiences and creators…

Or so they will tell us.