Abstract

The essay analyzes some of the trends that emerged in the months of the pandemic regarding the digital transformation of opera houses in Italy. The pandemic introduced forms of «forced innovation», but these were inscribed in trends that were already taking place globally. In the pandemic, digital imposes itself in different ways both in production (from streaming to products designed for digital) and in the relationship with the audience, through the presence on social networks and the emergence of digital communities related to opera. Finally, the essay investigates the possible legacy of this experience and the questions it opens up, particularly with reference to the evolution of digitalized opera performances and to the relationship between opera houses and their audience.