3 March 2019

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 3 March 2019 is World Wildlife Day, a relatively recent observance intended to remind us of the intrinsic value of wildlife and the part it plays in our ecosystem. It is the one hundred forty-forth anniversary of the premiere performance of Carmen in Paris. Georges Bizet’s work did not go over well immediately. At least that’s what I remember from the Big Book of Composers that I had as a kid. When the composer died—and he was relatively young at the time—he had no idea his opera would become a standard work, known to millions. I suppose that’s what makes Enoch Soames’ deal so poignant—the sense that the success that might have eluded you in life might come—too late. The catch is—the odds are that if your work didn’t catch on in your lifetime it’s even more unlikely that it will catch on after your death. Death is only a good career move for those who had a career in the first place.