Give me a plot!

So decided to look a little at the music of the opera Vanessa, Barber's successful opera that started the path to his commission for Antony and Cleopatra. I wanted to see how the music and libretto was different and if this contributed to the disappointment of the later. In the first few minutes I can see why Antony and Cleopatra was such a flop especially if the Metropolitan director was such a traditionalist and wanted something more accessible. Antony and Cleopatra is much more text and idea driven, whereas Vanessa is much more plot driven. Let's face it, Shakespearean language is not impossible to understand but these days it requires the average person to use more brain power to ponder the words in order to fully appreciate its power and efficacy. Certainly when it is performed well and with proper intent, the text becomes more accessible however, most likely the audience still misses some important statements and ideas. When I say it is not immediately accessible, I am not saying that audiences are not able to appreciate or understand at all, but rather than in comparison to opera that focuses on action, audiences are more likely to “tune out” and become bored. An opera such as Il barbier di Siviglia would be much more enjoyable to an audience first experiencing opera because there is a lot of action; one doesn't have to think as much and therefore the experience is more entertaining. Vanessa provides the perfect balance of action for entertainment but also a bizarre story that makes the audience think without necessarily being aware of it. I would never suggest someone go to see a Wagner opera for their first opera; that is not to say that there is not value or that it is completely inaccessible. But generally the first thing people think of when they think of opera is Brunhilde with a Viking helmet and boring, therefore it is not immediately accessible. Barber's Antony and Cleopatra is also in this same vein. Put in context with the audience for this performance it is certainly understandable why the opera was not a success. This does not undercut the fact that the music does not have worth or is able to touch audiences when properly staged which we all know was a big factor in its accessibility.