Elizabeth – Before seeing Eugene Onegin I did not read the libretto nor a synopsis. Normally I do, but a conductor friend suggested that I avoid the libretto or any analysis of operas new to me. As he put it, there is only one time in my life that this opera will be completely new to… [Read More]
I recently thought to myself, who needs yet another overly cerebral, highly jaded heterosexual drag queen like me blathering about the upcoming Metropolitan Opera season on the internet? So I thought we’d let the my future wife and her soon to be mother-in-law have a go solo. Elizabeth – Ticket exchange for Met subscriptions began… [Read More]
General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, Rick Santorum, addressed a crowd of reporters and well-wishers at Lincoln Center Plaza this past week. “My personal late night internet research has revealed to me that the last couple of seasons at the Metropolitan have caused Nathan Gunn and his vocal folds to go off half cocked. This… [Read More]
After our New York City Opera season full of Dwarves (Vegas, Wagnerian or otherwise), Tempests, Machines, Mid-Scene Replacements and Onstage Musical Fellatio, here is our 2012-2013 Season recap of our favorites. Elizabeth – Traviata: While the beginning of Traviata truly had me concerned—at one point I thought they might stop and start over, the beginning was… [Read More]
As I left the Met a week ago on the last day of the season, I must confess I breathed a sigh of relief. Götterdämmerung would be the last strains of opera I heard for at least a couple months. This past year Shawn and I saw over 20 operas at the Met alone, not… [Read More]
On the last day of the 2012-21013 Metropolitan Opera season, we saw the final performance of Gotterdammerung. Elizabeth – From the start of the prologue of Götterdämmerung, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. Three Norns (whatever those are) are spinning the ropes of Fate, actual ropes, while giving the background of the ring—Wotan,… [Read More]
Last week we saw the new modern production of Rigoletto at the Met. Elizabeth – This past year has been a blur of operas, and most performances were my first time seeing a particular opera. I have to confess that I now have certain operas confused or simply cannot remember them. My introduction to Rigoletto, however, easily… [Read More]
This is no doubt at least in part due to our newly acquired Wagner Addiction and Uber Nerd-dom, but we found Metoperafamily.org’s Ring Cycle personal Leitmotif generator really fun and diverting. Answer a series of questions and you will hear an audio clip of the Ring Cycle Leitmotif that best suits you and a short… [Read More]
We saw the season premiere of Das Rheingold at the Met this weekend. I had never seen it and neither of us had seen the Met’s Robert Lepage production. While there was much fine singing the series of onstage technical snafus made for an interesting matinee. Elizabeth – This was the first time attending any… [Read More]
We saw Otello at the Met this week. Thank goodness we basically agreed on this one. I was starting to worry we might be artistically incompatible as a couple. Elizabeth – For our latest adventure at the Met we were sitting in the rear orchestra. Now, I don’t know if it was our seats… [Read More]
