Chicken Puppets, Missing Mules, Three Armed Baritones and Chairs, Lots of Chairs: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – Last night’s new productions of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci were disappointments, but in different ways.  Sir David McVicar’s production of Cavalleria Rusticana was very bland.  The large stage with the walls of a palazzo at the edges gave the space a sense of grandeur while the set itself was rather minimal. … [Read More]

Jonas Kaufmann and the Reverse Scalpers: Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – When I heard Jonas Kaufmann cancelled for Wednesday’s performance of Carmen, I have to admit I wasn’t surprised.  I don’t doubt (well, maybe there is a little doubt) that he is sick, but hearing that he was only going to be in two performances of one show at the Met this year made me… [Read More]

“Just Close Your Eyes and Listen to the Singing”: La Donna del Lago at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – I hate Sir Walter Scott.  The high school legacy of Ivanhoe reverberates to this day and made the prospect of Rossini’s opera based on Sir Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake daunting.  But Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Florez surely would save the day, right? I’m not sure where Paul Curran’s inspiration… [Read More]

Protests Offstage and On: Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – Protesters and police once again greeted us at the Met, though for Thursday’s premiere of Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle the protesters were much smaller in number than this fall’s Klinghoffer protest. The anti-Putin protesters did have great art, though, and a long list of grievances for Russian conductor Valery Gergiev and Russian soprano Anna… [Read More]

Southern Gothic Countertenored Puppetry: The Scarlet Ibis at the Prototype Festival

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Elizabeth – The Scarlet Ibis, the first opera of the third annual Prototype Festival and part of Opera America’s New Works Forum, was a refreshing break from the classical opera scene.  The intimate atmosphere of HERE was perfect for Stefan Weisman’s chamber music and David Cote’s libretto telling the story of Brother and his young disabled… [Read More]

Dolls, Boobies and Rush Tickets: The Tales of Hoffmann at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – Opening night of Tales of Hoffmann at the Met started off a bit flat.  Perhaps it was the overhang muffling the sound from our Met lottery seats (score!), but I wasn’t feeling the usual excitement from the stage or the audience.  I saw Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance perform Tales of Hoffmann last year… [Read More]

Merrily Widowing in Two Dimensions: The Merry Widow at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – The Met’s new production of Merry Widow has been described as a transitional vehicle for Renee Fleming’s move out of opera and into Broadway. With Broadway producer/choreographers and actors all around her on her home court, it would seem Fleming would shine. And while Fleming clearly is the star, it was a shame her… [Read More]

The Relativity of Time and Back Pain: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – Wagner really outdid himself with Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.  Everyone knows Wagner is long; longer than most other operas. But Meistersinger’s season premiere began at 6pm and ended at 12:10am. I requested special dispensation from work to make the curtain time and dressed as though I was flying to London (because I may as… [Read More]

The Future of Opera in 20 Minute Increments: Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative

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Elizabeth – Last Friday we hopped on the afternoon Acela to DC to check out Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative present three new 20 minute operas at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Now in its third year, the goal of the program is to train librettists and composers and prepare them… [Read More]

Protesters on the Street and NYPD in Dress Circle: The Premiere of The Death of Klinghoffer at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – With all the hype surrounding The Death of Klinghoffer I was a bit apprehensive about Monday night’s Met premiere.  The anti-Klinghoffer movement was growing and intensifying over the past few weeks and now even included calls to burn the set to the ground.  I feared there would be disruptions and possibly even violence over… [Read More]