LA Observed reports a howler in LAT's 'anti-abortion' opera:
Here's why reporters want newspaper corrections to make clear that an editor is at fault for an error introduced to their copy. Last week, the L.A. Times' Mark Swed filed a review of the opera "Die Frau Ohne Schatten" at the Music Center. He wrote that the Richard Strauss epic is "an incomparably glorious and goofy pro-life paean..." But when it ran in the paper, pro-life had been changed to anti-abortion.There aren't too many opera (as opposed to Opry) fans around the store, but we like bathos as much as anyone. Pretty good story so far, right? But if you follow the link, you'll see that it gets even better.
Swed was reportedly mortified, since the opera is not remotely about abortion. On Feb. 25, the Times ran this correction:Opera review -- A review of Los Angeles Opera's "Die Frau Ohne Schatten" in Tuesday's Calendar section incorrectly characterized the work as "anti-abortion." In fact, there is no issue of abortion in the opera, which extols procreation.Swed was again not amused, since his name was on the piece -- he had been made to look stupid to his readers and to the opera community. If they thought he had misread the work, it might affect how opera fans, players and producers regard him in the future.
