John Drummond Photo: Supplied
John Drummond became an addict at high school - addicted to a drug called opera.
That's when his music teacher, Percy Lovell, got his students to put on Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro". Drummond loved the experience so much he wrote his own opera, based on a story from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
His high school teacher got the students to put on that opera too.
Photo: Supplied
Now Drummond (retired music professor at Otago University, and former RNZ Concert programme maker) has written a book about his ongoing addiction.
"Habitation of Dreams: A life in Opera" tells Drummond's story right from those high school beginnings in England, through to his decision to migrate as a single man to Dunedin in the 1970s, and on to his thoughts about the future of music drama.
Speaking with RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump, Drummond says opera is as relevant as ever, but wonders if New Zealand's only full-time professional opera company, NZ Opera, is trying too hard to put on large scale lavish productions, beyond this country's means to support.
The big romantic operas of the 19th and early 20th centuries have a place, but countries need either to have governments, or patrons, that are wealthy enough to fund them, Drummond says.
There are plenty of wonderful operas that still work with a smaller cast and lower budget, he says.
Drummond also wonders if the music world needs to break down the barrier between "musicals" and "opera" - it's all musical theatre in his book.
