Faustian opera broadcast angers elementary school parents

by Jay Allen (Subscribe to Jay Allen's posts) Feb 2nd 2006 7:06PM

Categories: Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Development, Education, That's Entertainment

Did an elementary school teacher encourage his students to strike bargains with the Prince of Darkness? That was some parents in Bennett, Colorado think about Tresa Waggoner, who showed an opera video containing scenes of a production of Faust to first-, second-, and third-graders. Some parents were appalled that their kids were exposed to the classic story about a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for worldly gain. Waggoner hasn't been fired, but says she doesn't expect to stay in the "conservative" community for very long.

Truth be told, I can see the parents' point. Faust is a rather gritty tale for the likes of elementary school students. For high school students, however, knowledge of the story should be required. It's a classic Western legend of sin and redemption - not a glorification of Satan, as some of these parents seem to believe.

If anything, Tresa Waggoner should be penalized, not for Satanism, but for trying to coerce young children into enjoying opera. What the hell is that about

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Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jeremy Roelcke 3-06-2006 @ 7:22PM

It is the role of literature to expand our minds and teach us things to which we would otherwise be ignorant. The subject matter of Faust may be deep and confusing to younger children now, but exposing them to it at a young age prepares them for a future of literature studies and teaches them lessons in an evocative and interesting manner. WHy read the same children's books all the time, if we can expand our minds and their minds at the same time? And its not as if she forced them to watch Faust and left them to their own devices. One can only assume that in a classroom setting, the images portrayed were discussed and clarified for the childrens' benefit. I applaud Ms. Waggoner for stepping outside the proverbial box and exposing her students to something new and exciting.

Amber 2-02-2006 @ 7:51PM

You hit the nail on the head. This opera was meant for an older crowd. She should have the common sense that the "moral of the story" is too advanced for children those ages. Seriously, did she run out of subject for themes? I think not.

Ann Adams 2-03-2006 @ 2:03AM

Gounod's Faust? Beautiful music for starters and, for opera, fairly easy to listen to. It's a morality tale (most operas are, one way or the other) and it should be right up their alley. Everyone suffers, the unwed mother is redeemed but only by dying and the finale is about redemption. I'm surprised it isn't required viewing.

The girls have been listening to opera since they were little. I took my son to see La Traviata (the Zefferelli film) when he was not much older than the third graders. He was hooked.

I grew up with opera and have always loved it. I'm trying, with varying degrees of success, to pass it on. I may fail but I'll know I tried.

Jenn 2-03-2006 @ 9:12AM

I don't think there's anything wrong with exposing children (even first graders) to opera, although honestly, I really wonder if children that young are really capable of understanding the story being told. Even "easy" operas can be difficult to understand, although of course the beauty of the music can be appreciated!

Ann Adams 2-03-2006 @ 4:37PM

Jenn, we're probably better off if they don't understand the story being told and just enjoy the music in small doses to begin with.

My girls realize that they've heard much of what I play for them in cartoons, ads, and other shows. Oh yeah, I know that one and then they listen to more.

Hi-yo Silver, the Lone Ranger rides again.

Mamacita 2-03-2006 @ 6:05PM

I started taking my children to the opera as soon as they were able to sit alone in a theater seat. And yes, we've seen Gounoud's Faust several times. It's an incredible lesson-filled, moral-filled story; I firmly believe that even a fairly young child will understand parts of it. I do not believe in exposing young children only to simple easy-to-understand things; I am still apalled because, a few years ago, Beatrice Potter's "Peter Rabbit" was on the chopping block because her vocabulary was too complicated. This is how people LEARN. We wouldn't know much if we weren't ever exposed to things we didn't already know, for cripe's sake. I wonder if all this brouhaha was because of the subject matter, or because this community just wasn't into 'opera?' A person who understands the genre and becomes familiar with the storylines could surely find very little to complain about. Or, maybe these parents didn't have time to research before they complained? SURELY not.

Michael 2-03-2006 @ 8:20PM

One important thing is missing here: The video was Who's Afraid of Opera?, a children's video put out by Kultur and Dame Joan Sutherland and a bunch of sock puppets host it. It shows 'PARTS' of Gounod's Faust as an introduction to opera. Check out the video on amazon.com. It's vol 1 of the series. SHE DID NOT SHOW THE OPERA FAUST! Waggoner is now on administrative leave--basically fired with pay, despite what the superindentent says.

Ann Adams 2-04-2006 @ 5:28PM

I've had that video for years and my girls love it. Thanks for clarifying. I knew that the teacher showed "excerpts" only but didn't realize it was from that video.

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