La Boheme

From Tuesday, October 10, 2009: I just watched a DVD of the Metropolitan Opera's production of Puccini's La Boheme from 2008 with Ramon Vargas as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimi.

I had read the synopsis online and thought the story was actually pretty uninteresting. It took me a while to get into watching the DVD on my computer, but after the first twenty or so minutes, I was enthralled.

The music is so emotional that it really carried me through the whole thing on this kind of intense at the edge of my seat level. I was near tears at many points, and crying like a baby in Mimi's death scene. In fact, I was so moved that when they were doing their curtain calls it was hard for me not to applaud, here in my living room!

I loved the singing, but Gheorghiu's performance was kind of weird, particularly in the early scenes. Her attempts to be girlish just seemed kind of twitchy and manic, and the closeups did not really work for this performance. I thought Vargas was very sweet, although sometimes he looked kind of simple and goofy.

I'm really glad I watched this. I think La Boheme is one of my favorites so far. As I said, the music really moved me.

Turandot at the Met

A wonderful thing yesterday afternoon: a friend had free tickets to Turandot at the Met which got passed on to me!

I can't believe it, my second Met opera in my life, in the same month a my first!

It was tremendously exciting. This was a very full, rich, lush opera. With a full chorus and dancers (and acrobats), unbelievably stunning and ornate sets, and a powerful story.

There were fewer lovely arias than in Mme. Butterfly and Il Barbiere di Seviglia, and there was just a different sound and tone to the whole piece. My favorite performance was the slave girl, who had a lovely, very emotive voice. And the famous aria, Nessum Dorma (?) was heart-renchingly beautiful.

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Elixir of Love and Trick or Treat

The day began at Rush Kids with amazing performances by members of Opera on Tap of arias from Elixir of Love, Cosi fan Tutte, La Traviata and Mefistofele. Rush Kid Seth summed up our day listening to live opera, talking with the opera singers, designing sets and costumes by saying: "My life has changed."

I was at my desk during our lunch break when Diana called me to say we had been given tickets to see Turandot at the Met (tonight)!

HA!

All this and it's Halloween in NYC.

I hope you got at least half as many treats as I did!

Love, Meridith
(10/31/09)

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Written at the time (Oct 9, 2009): Tonight I saw Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Metropolitan Opera!

True, I'm not a fan of broad comedy, but this was just stunning. I've never really seen a live opera before, and I was practically transfixed the whole time. In fact, the time basically flew by.

I saw Joyce DiDonato playing Rosina, and Claudia Waite had the small role of the housekeeper. I loved her voice and would have liked more of her. The diminutive Barry Banks played Count Almaviva, and I didn't care too much for his voice actually. It just didn't transport me the way the other singers' did. Rodion Pogossov played Figaro, and he was funny and charming and had a big presence (although also, like the Almaviva, a slight man). The music teacher was played by Orlin Anastassov, who had a wonderfully rich bass voice. But he hammed up the performance in a kind of bizarre way that I found unpleasant. Everyone was basically great and I was just absolutely thrilled to be there.

It's astounding, the vocal ability of opera singers. I mean, I feel like an ass saying that, but it really does leave one in awe.

I had never been to the Met and I found the experience very uplifting and exciting. Just being in the opera crowd...

Il Barbiere Di Siviglia at the MET

The seats were excellent, the singing superb, the coffee at intermission appreciated and the audience attire far more varied than I anticipated.

There seemed to be a high percentage of very short men in the company and the mule on stage for at least three scenes was a big surprise.

Bravi!
Meridita
(10/10/09)

The Next Excursion: Opera on Tap at the Brooklyn Museum

Written at the time (oct, 3 2009): Some friends and I went to the Target First Saturdays thing at the Brooklyn Museum tonight because the events were all opera-related. As it was the last time I went to one of their First Saturdays, the scene was confusing and kind of tedious. However, at 8 they started a two-hour open mic opera session and it was amazing. The people that got up were almost all really, really good, and it was such a fun and lively format. The majority of people who performed, however, were from a troupe called Opera on Tap that performs in bars throughout the city. I'm going to get on their mailing list and make sure to catch them again!

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The Hungarian opera was a visual pleasure and an auditory nightmare. Once you got over the cacophony there was an absurd quality (the dancers costumed in hooded Lycra bedsheets and the gnomish short-tied long-haired narrator who repeatedly walked on stage to explain the action) that pushed it into the realm of comedy.

On the other hand, the Opera on Tap crowd at the open mike downstairs were great!!

Addio, Addio, Addio, Addio, Addio......
Meridita
(10/4/09)

Official Converts: Madama Butterfly on HD at Lincoln Center, September 2009

Written at the time: Last night a couple of friends and I went to Lincoln Center to watch an outdoors High Definition screening of Madama Butterfly on a huge screen.

This was the first full opera I ever watched, and I loved it. Loved it. I was riveted. I had read the synopsis on line before, and the production included subtitles, which was very helpful. And I just got so caught up in the beautiful music and emotion. It was a wonderful evening.

Patricia Racette played "Cio-Cio San" (Madama Butterfly), and her performance was amazing. She had to carry the whole show.

I think I'm now officially an opera convert!

Addendum: Marcello Giordani was a wonderful, beautiful, arrogant Pinkerton

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Great things are happening, signorina

(Also in HD at the MET the week before: Il Barbiere di Siviglia )

FIGARO Great things are happening, signorina.
ROSINA Indeed?

FIGARO Gran cose, signorina.
ROSINA Sì, davvero?

Vado, vado, non gridate.
Meridita
(9/2/09)

A year later: August 2009, The Metropolitan Opera in Coffey Park

Written at the time: Last night I went to an all too short recital in Coffey Park. Put on by the Metropolitan Opera, the performance took place on a small stage in a small park in the middle of housing projects. I was part of a small audience.

The soprano was Joyce El-Khoury, and the bass was the very handsome Keith Miller. (I found out online that they are married to each other in real life). Their singing was delightful. The repertoire included a number of light crowd-pleasers, including a few numbers in English, such as the "I Remember It Well" Maurice Chevalier song from Gigi.

I love the performance, but, alas, it was very short. Only 45 minutes!

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Liberty Sunset Garden Center

The free opera in the park was pretty keen too!

Love, Meridith
(8/15/09)