Abstract
As part of their ongoing legitimation work, opera houses engage with the community of which they are a part. When reaching out to audiences who are not familiar with the art forms of opera, ballet, or classical music, it is crucial that the opera houses do not neglect the values attached to them by the art world. This chapter investigates how the Metropolitan Opera and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet manage such balancing in performing legitimacy as civil opera houses. If being perceived as authentic in their dedication to serve both society and art, opera houses will be able to achieve widespread approval and artistic credibility, which in turn will help secure their financial stability.
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Larsen, H. (2016). Performing Legitimacy as Civil Opera Houses. In: Performing Legitimacy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31047-3_2
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