No one but no one does opera like New York's Metropolitan Opera--perfection is the only word for it. We saw Carmen yesterday and it was magnificent. Elina Garanca sang Carmen like she was born for it and Roberto Alagna was the bewitched Don Jose. And the music, oh the music! The conductor looked like he was just having the time of his life and enjoying every moment and every movement. The sets were perfect-they set the stage without distracting from the performance.
Now the disclaimer, I wasn't in NYC yesterday--I went to a live HD broadast at a local theater. I actually didn't want to go but JMM wanted to give it a try and it was a birthday present for him. I just didn't think that it could possibly be enjoyable--3 1/2 hours in a theater to watch opera on a screen. Well, I was wrong--It was wonderful. Now don't get me wrong, actually being there at the Met and seeing it live really would have been better but since I couldn't see it live in NYC, this was the next best thing. And we got to watch backstage as the sets were changed--controlled pandemonium as things were moved from on stage to off and lowered or raised. We were able to see the conductor and musicians and see the performers closely.
All in all a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
2 comments:
One of my daughters worked as a manager at a local cineplex for a couple of years. I was surprised when she told me how well the Met Opera was attended--the theatre was usually filled at 10 in the morning by opera lovers who live 3000 miles from the Met.
Whoever is in charge at The Met now, is doing a fantastic job promoting opera. You can also sign up with The Met and see the live performances on your home computer (for a small fee). And also, PBS will air the same exact broadcast for free (sometimes with a radio stereo simultaneous broadcast). The Met has also reworked their live prices and set up a special 'family section' and sell tickets for only $15!
I will admit to doing the last 2 things. I DVR the opera and watch it over and over again.
Magnificent!
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