Tag Archives: Puccini

Madama Butterfly – Svetla Vassileva Superstars in a Superstar Production

Posted on October 21, 2010 by philip

When I go to a performance of Verdi’s La Traviata or Puccini’s La Boheme a small child-like part of me hopes, “Maybe this time will be different.”  Right up until she takes her final breath I wish for Violetta or Mimi to recover.  It wouldn’t take much, you know.  A newly-discovered drug – a doctor’s admission of a faulty diagnosis. Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Turandot – The Prince of Tartary raises stupidity to a new height – or should I say depth? But Love (and Puccini) conquers all.

Posted on July 26, 2010 by philip

This is the third time in less than a year that I have seen this Zeffirelli production of Turandot on HD, and I want to share with you the change in my reaction to each performance.  Here then, in chronological order, are my reviews written on November 7, November 21, and July 21: Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

La Boheme – To Cry or Not to Cry

Posted on July 23, 2010 by philip

La Bohème is one of the most popular operas of all time. Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Girl of the Golden West Review – Reactions to Puccini’s “Oater”

Posted on June 3, 2010 by philip

It is eleven o’clock at night, and I can’t sleep.  I have just walked the quarter mile from the Opera House to my room at Days Inn, and I am still full of the opera: The Girl of the Golden West in a new production celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first performance in 1910. Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Turandot

Posted on November 18, 2009 by philip

TURANDOT
Puccini
November 7, 2009
Met HD
Cinemark, Palo Alto, CA

Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Tosca

Posted on October 29, 2009 by philip

TOSCA
Puccini
October 10, 2009
Met HD
Cinemark, Palo Alto, CA

No question about it.  Tosca is my favorite opera (at least until the next time I see Rigoletto or Carmen or La Boheme or Tales of Hoffman or Barber of Seville or Figaro or Mephistopheles or  . . . ).  It has everything.  Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

La Boheme

Posted on October 24, 2009 by philip

. . . . a four-mile drive to Lucie Stern theater in Palo Alto, and there I was watching

LA BOHÈME
Puccini
October 24, 2009
West Bay Opera
Palo Alto, CA

Continue reading »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 »

Posted in Opera Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment