re: Hate to say it but English language operas aren’t as good as itilian, German etc

Italian opera is the touchstone for opera, but if we include works by Wagner then we begin to step away from traditional to more modern and furthermore we open the door to English and American "opera" that may include such things as Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Chess, and even such lowly common trash as Cats.

I'd say that Les Miserables and Phantom were good, but they were copies of stories already told in prose. Chess, on the other hand, was a new story and a stand alone production. Cats should have resulted in the exile of Andrew Lloyd Weber from human association.

Some may make a distinction between opera and Broadway musicals, but in truth, there is little difference apart from the years each was produced. Both are written and produced to entice crowds from both the aristocracy and the more common man who is appreciative of artistic endeavor. Both were modern for their times and utilized contemporary instrumentation to play contemporary music to tell a story.

Of all the modern productions that "could" be considered opera, I would say that Chess best fits the bill, and while it wasn't as successful as something like Carmen, it was still a very sound offering to the public.