Anne Ozorio: >>Ironically modern opera is in some ways closer to the original Greek >>concept of drama where universal themes were expressed symbolically, >>with a minimum of superficial stage effects. Jan Templiner: >The early Wieland Wagner producitons seem to have been indeed just this: >as little "stuffing" as possible. But everything I've seen of "concept >opera" has rather too much stage effects. Indeed, what Jan calls "concept opera" seems in some instances at least to be characterized by effects of mind boggling triviality. Putting a Mozart opera in the Trump Tower, dressing Wagnerian characters in Armani suits- these hardly rise to the level of "universal themes, expressed symbolically with a minimum of superficial stage effects." They are sophomoric and callow .(IMHO, of course.) Bernard Chasan