It should come as no surprise to anyone who’s heard his last few albums, but Rufus Wainwright confesses his love for opera in this New York Times article. Tomorrow night he’ll be a guest performer at New York City Opera’s Opera For All event.
Mr. Wainwright is discouraged by what he sees as a lack of sympathy for opera among members of his own generation, including gay people, who, for whatever reasons, have traditionally included a solid contingent of opera buffs.
“Every child should have to go to the opera, and gay people should almost be tricked into loving it,” he said. In the middle of the night at a rave, when all the revelers are peaking on Ecstasy, he said, “they should turn the music off and put on ‘Samson et Dalila,’ just to scare them sort of, and show the other side of bliss.”
Also, you can catch a glipse of Rufus’ dad Loudon Wainwright III as a priest at the end of The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
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Liking opera proves that you’re classy. I remember that from Pretty Woman.
There are things that everyone should be exposed to, but I think that there are more important things to be exposed to than opera.
Though I like opera, I still think that is rather flamboyant and silly. I also think that more gay men should be tricked into loving Musicals instead.
I guess it depends on which cast and director of Samson et Dahlia we’re talking about… Baccanale is a fucking great song.
P.s. we’re all gay for commenting on this.
Jazz fans could say the same thing. “Damn these young whippersnappers! All that infernal rap music and angry punk rock. They just don’t appreciate jazz like they should.”
I’m going to have to read that article to see why people of his generation should have “sympathy” for opera. Appreciation maybe, but symphathy? Is opera really that ill?
Opera is the new alternative… sorta. This past Sunday the LA Times had a piece written by Rob Reiner about how he developed a love for opera and is, in fact, now directing an opera. And he sounded genuinely excited.
I certainly did notice Loudon as the priest at the end of the movie, and I also caught him in the trailer of “Elizabethtown” that played right before “Virgin”.
I wasn’t too surprised though, because I presume him and Judd Apatow are still tight from the “Undeclared” days.
I think my brother hit the nail on the head when he said that Rufus Wainwright’s music (which I love) “sounds like Thom Yorke singing showtunes.”
I think rufus has been in the ny times every week for the last 2 years…………ENOUGH ALREADY! write about somebody else for a change………..damn!
OPERA is amazing……….I dont need RUFUS telling me that. I do need the ny times music section covering artists other than RUFUS WAINWRIGHT THOUGH!! ….AND HIS father , sister and mother dont count! )