'Zine Day 2

 I've previously discussed the remarkable publishing efforts of Fred Woodworth, the Arizona based one man publishing house responsible for a number of varied publications.  One of them recently arrived- The Opera Glass.  This 'zine is edited by Iris Arnesen, who is responsible for its content, while Fred handles the computer-free printing.  Iris has a background in opera education and puts it to good use in this periodical.  She has a knack for writing compelling extended and detailed plot descriptions of recently performed operas, which are useful to novices like me who don't speak Italian but are interested in the story.  This issue includes Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Florencia en al Amazonas by Daniel Catan. In this issue's column From the Editor, Iris laments the decline of opera attendance in New York, and the closure of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, along with the shuttering of the guild magazine Opera News.  Arnesen blames this all squarely on one person: Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NAIAD) and presidential advisor during the early stages of the Covid pandemic.  One might think that the reasons underlying the decline of live opera audiences are multifactorial, but Arnesen and Woodworth never miss a chance to vent their ire at Fauci, one of their favorite scapegoats.  As I've said before, I don't always agree with the politics of Woodworth & Arnesen, but I will always admire their dogged publishing efforts.

Opera Glass: Issue 107