The Met’s Final Dress Rehearsals are one of the great pleasures at New York’s opera house, and none I’ve ever attended has disappointed. The idea is, of course, that it is a rehearsal, but it is after all referred to as “final.” So at this point, the show is ready, and despite occasional comments from …
Opera: A “Tannhäuser” to Remember
We opera goers often find ourselves using the term “unforgettable.” In New York, the idea took on an even more special meaning last Thursday night. Many of us were at the Metropolitan Opera for the first performance of the revival of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, not heard here for a few years . I’m a big fan …
Milan: Cimitero Monumentale
During last spring’s Milan visit, Sandra Kitt and I had an afternoon at the city’s Cimitero Monumentale. This impressive urban space is one of the city’s two largest cemeteries (the other being the Cimitero Maggiore), and both were created to provide an alternative to the many small cemeteries located throughout the city. Designed by the …
Opera: The Hours – A Follow-Up
Despite the Cyberattack at The Metropolitan Opera, There’s Even More to Think about with The Hours A week-end conversation with friends about last week’s post brought up a terrific idea. Let’s go with it. The topic had to do with some of my thoughts about Kevin Puts’s and Greg Pierce’s new opera, The Hours (just …
Opera: Two Remarkable New Operas at the Met
We New Yorkers aren’t shy about our love of music, and opera remains high on our list. Despite the loss of the New York City Opera several years ago, and, sadly, very limited performances from the city’s many smaller, independent opera companies (due to the pandemic over the past two years), the Metropolitan is back …