THE FIRST INFECTION: June 20 2008: The Metropolitan Opera in Prospect Park

Written from at the time: Thankfully, I also had tickets to a Metropolitan Opera summer concert in Prospect Park. They aren't doing one in Central Park this year, so it was kind of a big deal. I had VIP tickets through my mother and my friend and I were able to sit very close. I had never seen opera before, and even though this was just a concert and not a full production, it was amazing. I was riveted. Although it's weird, even though we were so close, it was hard to see and I found myself spending more than half the time looking at the giant projections. The singers were Angela Gheorghiu (soprano) and Roberto Alagna (tenor). They did about four duets and two solos each, and there were two pieces performed by the chorus. I was most enthralled by the chorus, actually, and Gheorghiu's solos were a very, very close second.

My friend and I enjoyed it so much that we are going to buy tickets to see the real opera some time soon.

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Arias and Bats

I went to the opera for the first time tonight! Metropolitan opera in Prospect Park. The music was terrific. We had VIP tickets so we were way up in front. After dark we started noticing swooping birds to our left, then in front of the stage. Uh, no -- not birds, BATS!! Oh my.

I enjoyed a lovely night walk both ways -- the return in a soft rain.

Oh, the green shoes!

Love, Meridith
(6/21/08)

Precursor 2: Mark Ettinger's The Triangle (mid 2000s)

In 2005 I was privileged to be an audience member at the premiere of Mark Ettinger's The Triangle, in New York City. This opera used text from Yeats' poetry and told the story of a bittersweet love triangle. The music was beautiful and worked perfectly with the lovely words.

Precursor 1: Diva (late 80s, early 90s)

My first opera experience was the movie Diva. Apparently it came out in 1981, but I'm pretty sure I didn't see it until college or maybe a little later, so I'm guessing it was re-released in the early 90s.

I remember it as being a tense, smart French thriller, although I don't recall much of the plot.

What I do remember is that it featured Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez singing a beautiful aria from La Wally. I bought the soundtrack (in cassette form, I think) and listened to it all the time.