We saw the Met's new production on Monday, and one thought sprung to our mind: there is an East Coast-West Coast divide that would make the gangsta rappers proud. Oh, we are not talking about NY sopranos shooting San Francisco tenors in Las Vegas. For one, the performers are pretty much shared between the two stages. But we noticed a strong clash in philosophies and in musical choices in both these Fall premieres: one opera inscribed itself into a traditionalist perspective, while the other broke new grounds.

Trying to distinguish and compare between two work of arts based on the geography of their opening might be just another illustration of our proverbial provincial San Francisco insecurities with all things New York. On the other hand, while most performers, production directors and conductors are free agents, moving about and changing dalliance from each opera and season to the next, both Dr Atomic and An American Tragedy have a strong connection to their respective cities, with composer John Adams living in Berkeley for the former and Tobias Picker being a life-long New-Yorker for the latter. Lastly, Dr Atomic and American Tragedy present two alternative views of the future of the opera, something we wish to elaborate upon. So let's write the scorecard, after the jump.