Editing Rock opera (section)

== Style ==
[[File:Pelsőczy László fortepan 125570.jpg|thumb|In the best-known role of his career, [[:hu:Pelsőczy László|László Pelsőczy]] plays the title role of Stephen in ''[[István, a király]]'', which he played at the King's Hill and at the [[:hu:Szegedi Szabadtéri Játékok|Szeged Open Air Festival]]]]

According to Fleming, rock operas are more akin to a [[cantata]] or [[suite (music)|suite]], because they are not usually acted out.<ref name=atlantic/> Similarly, Andrew Clements of ''[[The Guardian]]'' called ''Tommy'' a subversively labeled [[musical theatre|musical]]. Clements states that lyrics drive rock operas, which makes them not a true form of opera.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/feb/09/classicalmusicandopera.artsfeatures|title=When is an opera not an opera?|last=Clements|first=Andrew|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2002-02-08|access-date=2014-05-24|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525200335/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/feb/09/classicalmusicandopera.artsfeatures|archive-date=May 25, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Responding to accusations that rock operas are pretentious and overblown, Pete Townshend wrote that pop music by its very nature rejects such characteristics and is an inherently simple form. Townshend said that the only goal of pop music is to reach audiences, and rock operas are merely one more way to do so.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/mar/31/featuresreview.review3|title=Tommy, get your gun...|last=Townshend|first=Pete|author-link=Pete Townshend|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2002-03-30|access-date=2014-05-24|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525200622/http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/mar/31/featuresreview.review3|archive-date=May 25, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Peter Kiesewalter]], on the other hand, said that rock music and opera are "both overblown, massive spectacles" that cover the same themes. Kiesewalter, who was originally not a fan of opera, did not think the two styles would mix well together, but his modernized operas with rock music surprised him with their popularity at the [[East Village Opera Company]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032701018.html|title=Rock Opera. Seriously.|last=Brookes|first=Stephen|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2008-03-28|access-date=2014-05-24|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606204435/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032701018.html|archive-date=June 6, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The performance of these works on Broadway has also courted controversy; Anne Midgette of ''The New York Times'' called them musicals with "no more than the addition of a keyboard and a drum set".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/28/theater/reviews/28soul.html?_r=0|title=Cruising and Schmoozing While Looking for Mr. Right|last=Midgette|first=Anne|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2006-01-28|access-date=2014-05-24}}</ref>