+++
author = ["authors/jenna.md"]
categories = "Humour"
date = "2017-08-22T18:36:00-04:00"
lastmod = "2017-08-22T22:24:00-04:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1503442700007/2017-08-22---Toronto.jpg.jpg"
publishDate = "2017-08-22T20:32:00-04:00"
short_description = "Perhaps they&#039;re trying to tell us something, these vacationing opera-and-music-makers. Maybe they&#039;re saying, Get out of the city, you crazy opera-house addicts, they&#039;re saying. Go sit by a lake somewhere, and build up your vitamin D for the season to come."
slug = "tragedies-torontos-summer-opera-shortage"
title = "Tragedies: Toronto&#039;s summer opera shortage"
+++

Is there anything more despairing than the life of an opera lover, living in Toronto during the month of August? And is there any worry more utterly trivial and first-world?

Yes, readers, I'm aware that there are actual problems ongoing in the world. But one of those problems is the dearth of opera and complementary concerts to see in this peak-summer month in Toronto. The city's opera companies, orchestras, concert series, and even so-called "summer opera festivals" tend to dry up by early August; it's as though they've all conspired to take their annual hiatus at the same time, with simply *no regard* for the insatiable appetites of their audiences.

Perhaps they're trying to tell us something, these vacationing opera-and-music-makers. Maybe they're saying, *Get out of the city, you crazy opera-house addicts,* they're saying. *Go sit by a lake somewhere, and build up your vitamin D for the season to come*.

And they have a point. Not only is there life outside of the comforting, anonymous darkness of a theatre seat, but it's outside of the big cities where Canadians are urged - nay, forced - to go for a decent fix of music and theatre. There's the [Stratford Festival](https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/), the [Prince Edward County Concert Series](http://prince-edward-county.com/event/pec-concert-series-2017/), [Westben](http://www.westben.ca/), [Highlands Opera Studio](http://www.highlandsoperastudio.com/), [Theatre By The Bay](http://theatrebythebay.com/); the arts do exist during the summer months, to be sure.

Still, as an urban person accustomed to finding all the *divertissement* that I need within a 10-square-block radius, I'm miffed - and counting the days until the TSO's [Opening Night](https://www.tso.ca/concert/opening-night-life-pi), Tafelmusik's [Joyous Welcome](http://www.tafelmusik.org/concert-calendar/concert/joyous-welcome), the [fall line-up at the COC](http://coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets.aspx), and [AtG's first Opera Pub of the season](http://againstthegraintheatre.com/opera-pub/).

Yes, a big, fat, unnecessary "woe is me" escapes my lips, and you may respond with a roll of your eyes and an exaggerated fainting gesture. Life's rough. But dammit, it's rougher *senza l'opera*.
