Elizabeth – This was my first time hearing Don Carlo and I’m starting to become a real Verdi fan. I love the warm rich colors in his music, and while the tempo of this performance was a bit slow, I was very much taken with the music, voices and set of the Met’s current production. … [Read More]
Why Battle-Axes Matter: Francesca da Rimini at the Metropolitan Opera
We saw Francesca da Rimini at the Met this weekend, and the division between us continues. Gosh I hope this doesn’t affect our future marriage. Elizabeth-Francesca da Rimini was possibly the most forgettable opera I have seen yet. Though it is possible, of course there may be others that I have seen and already forgotten. The… [Read More]
A Catholic School Girl’s Musings on Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera
We were particularly excited to see Parsifal this past week at the Met—as both Jonas Kaufmann and Rene Pape are in it and the production was getting rave reviews. And the Met’s Parsifal did not disappoint. This was my first time seeing Parsifal and Shawn’s first time seeing any Wagner opera and so we went… [Read More]
Carmen and Coach Croft: Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera
On my way into Lincoln Center Plaza for Carmen at the Met on Wednesday, I heard a scalper complaining loudly (to a group of well dressed opera going hopefuls) “When Pavarotti used to sing I got $400 for these tickets. $400 I would get!” I guess he didn’t like being lowballed by clients in black tie. … [Read More]
Knights of the Table Hee Haw: Le Comte Ory at the Metropolitan Opera
This weekend we saw the infrequently performed Le Comte Ory at the Met. So infrequently performed it made its Met debut only in 2011. We were excited to see an opera with music we had most likely never been exposed to before in any form. The singing was top notch across the board. If there… [Read More]
Swallows and Sweater Vests: La Rondine at the Metropolitan Opera
This week we saw La Rondine at the Met. We got last minute discounted tickets from a Met Opera email offering 25% off selected performances 26 hours before La Rondine’s curtain. A FULL 25% off, mind you. Not the “buy one get one 25% off” that we had received before. And thank god really as… [Read More]
Anvils and Infant Incinerations: Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera
Somewhere in my extensive Internet search for a plot synopsis I could understand, I read Enrico Caruso once said all it takes for a successful production of Il Trovatore is the four greatest singers in the world. I don’t know if the Met had that but I thoroughly enjoyed the production I saw this week. … [Read More]
Diapered Greeks and Trojan Horses: Les Troyens at the Metropolitan Opera
This past week we saw Les Troyens at the Met. At just over five hours, it was by far the longest evening at the opera either of us had ever experienced. Shockingly, we both stayed awake the entire time. Les Troyens is the story of the fall of Troy to the Greeks, the escape from… [Read More]
Twiddling Dials and Bulging Biceps: The Metropolitan Opera Renovations
It is always of great comfort to know one is accurate in one’s perceptions, even if they are relatively fleeting and meaningless. The case in point would be our perceptions of the various problems plaguing the Metropolitan Opera. Not artistic but technical. We have mentioned the weird freezing wind draughts, the peeling ceilings, audience blinding… [Read More]
You, In This Tomb?: Aida at the Metropolitan Opera
This week was my first Aida at the Met–my first Aida being in Syracuse, NY (it’s a long story). Aida is the third Verdi opera I have seen at the Met after Macbeth last year and Ballo last month. Both Macbeth and Ballo were notoriously “modernized” productions so Aida was the first period Verdi I… [Read More]
