In the Classroom: “The Bohemian Life”: Opera and Gifted Education

Opera is considered by its devotees to be the highest form of art. Grand opera, to give the art form its more venerable name, is so praised because it represents an especially vibrant intersection of words, music, and stagecraft. In theory then, opera becomes a natural artistic medium to present to gifted students, since it offers an opportunity to introduce them to an intricately visual and aural experience, which will considerably broaden their awareness of how artful words joined with powerful music can enrich their world. The problem then is to transform this grand pedagogical and aesthetic idea into practical reality.