Critics Deem Rufus Wainwright’s Opera, Prima Donna, Too 19th Century

Last year, Rufus Wainwright took a break from pop music, and started writing for the stage. Prima Donna, Wainwright’s first opera, opened last weekend (July 10) at the Manchester International Festival to “mixed” reviews.

Wainwright dressed up like the 19th century Italian composer Verdi, complete with the characteristic beard, top-hat and cane, and though he received much applause at the debut, some of the critics’ initial responses imply that 35 year-old Wainwright doesn’t yet compare with centuries-old opera classics. See some of the reactions below:

The Globe and Mail says Prima Donna “makes for a thoroughly entertaining, if slightly barmy, evening.”  But not all reviews were flattering. The Guardian’s Alfred Hickling suggests that Wainwright isn’t composing in his own style: “The score itself comes clothed as Strauss, Massenet and Puccini; Wainwright would seem to be on a mission to drag opera back into the late 19th century.” Lynne Walker of The Independent agrees by mentioning that “Wainwright didn’t need to pay homage to all those dead composers.”

In fact, The New York Times’ Anthony Tomasini contends that the best part of Prima Donna was when Wainwright composed in his own way: “The opera ends with a tender aria (…), a long-spun melody with a gentle accompaniment riff: in other words, a Wainwright song. Would that there had been more of them.”

Perhaps Rufus shouldn’t be discouraged by the critics, since it’s only his first opera. From the negative comments, it seems more important to be original, than to imitate the greats. Can Wainwright realistically aspire to become a major opera composer like Bizet, Wagner, or Tchaikovsky?