Seasonal Affective Disorder

Allow me to be the last to weigh in on the confusing news of Gerard Mortier's non-departure from the post of director at City Opera. Private emails about this have been no doubt raging throughout interested parties in the New York music world, myself very much included. I myself dream of an opera house where an American piece is not exactly an event, where I can walk in and see Blitzstein's Regina or Porgy and Bess without it being some kind of touted, blessed event. Meantime, we all have to sit tight and not only see what happens across the pavement from the Met, but also in the economy at large. In those heated emails, the news is often not good, with grant-giving bodies unable to give grants and opera companies going belly up or scaling themselves back all over the place. Thanks Mr. Bush.

Meantime, my pal Mark Adamo has planned the new season for City Opera and has interviewed the new director. Buy it? I do?