La Sonnambula

Posted on March 21, 2009 by philip

One of the many great things about the Met HD performances is that of the 10 operas that I have seen or will see this season, 6 of them I have seen for the first time.  For the first five, I knew or read something about them ahead of time, but I purposely did not do this for La Sonnambula.  When the curtain went up for Act I yesterday, all I knew was from the trailer shown at previous Met HDs: it was by Bellini, it starred Natalie Dessay, and she walked in her sleep.  I didn’t even know if the ending would be tragic or happy. Continue reading »

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Lucia di Lammermoor

Posted on March 7, 2009 by philip

On our way out of the Theater at half past one Saturday March 7, 2009, I asked Sara a rhetorical question, “Would you like to have lived back then?” Continue reading »

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Norma

Posted on January 25, 2009 by philip

Teatro Comunale, Bologna
January 25 2009

Exciting news (news to me, that is; you may already know about it). The Met is not the only outfit creating and recording HD performances and showing them in selected theatres. It is also being done from Europe. And Sunday I capped off my opera binge by seeing Bellini’s Norma performance from Teatro Comunale, Continue reading »

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Orfeo ed Euridice

Posted on January 24, 2009 by philip

“Opera” is certainly an inclusive term, and the MetHD series this year certainly covers a gamut. From Dr. Atomic, composed in this century back to Gluck’s 1762 opera Orfeo ed Euridice, the oldest opera for which the original score is still available.

Continue reading »

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Rondine

Posted on January 10, 2009 by philip

An opera by Puccini performed by the Met. Need I say more?

No, but I will anyhow (surprise, surprise). OK, it’s not Bohème, Butterfly, or Tosca. But in my opinion it ranks right up there with Turandot, Trittico, Girl of the Golden West, or Manon Lescaut. Which is to say that I enjoyed it Continue reading »

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Thais

Posted on January 8, 2009 by philip

December 20, 2008
All I can honestly say about seeing Thais yesterday is that 9:00 AM is definitely too early in the day to appreciate an opera. Since that information doesn’t really seem to warrant sending an email, I’ll put this aside until after I see the Encore performance at 7:00 PM on January 7.

January 8, 2009
I saw it and it was excellent. Continue reading »

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Damnation of Faust

Posted on November 22, 2008 by philip

I was disappointed in attending Berlioz’ opera this morning, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again at the Encore performance on Wednesday, Dec 3.

That’s not an oxymoron. Continue reading »

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Dr. Atomic

Posted on November 8, 2008 by philip

Saturday morning I returned to the Century Cinemas 16 for the Metropolitan Opera Live HD broadcast of John Adams’ Dr. Atomic, starring Gerald Finley in the title role. It was an experience. I went with an open mind, and I am glad I went. I just wouldn’t call it “Opera” and I wouldn’t call the output of the orchestra and vocalists “Music”. And I am finding it incredibly difficult to write about it. It’s now 1 am Tuesday and this is my third attempt. Continue reading »

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Salome

Posted on October 11, 2008 by philip

Saturday morning I spent an engrossed two hours at the Century Cinemas 16 watching and listening to the Metropolitan Opera Live HD broadcast of Salome, starring Karita Mattila in the title role. I take first-rate singing voices as a given with the Met; she could also act and dance. Continue reading »

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La Boheme

Posted on May 17, 2008 by philip

Last Wednesday I went to the Encore showing of the New York Metropolitan Opera’s MetroHD movie-theatre production of La Bohème.  And I was disappointed.

What is my favorite opera?  I can’t answer that question.  It depends on my mood and what operas I’ve seen recently.  But to the related question, “What opera affects me the most emotionally?”, the answer is La Bohème.  Continue reading »

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