The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Category: The Metropolitan Opera

  • Götterdämmerung at the Met (Cycle 2)

    * Notes * The second Ring cycle the Met this season came to a rather disappointing conclusion with Götterdämmerung yesterday. Though there were many fine individual contributions to the piece, in the end both playing and staging fell short. Robert Lepage’s production was not consistent with the earlier parts of the cycle. Why should Grane finally…

  • 2nd Performance of Věc Makropulos at the Met

    * Notes * The second performance of The Makropulos Case (Act III pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera) at the Met this season was held yesterday. The production, by Elijah Moshinsky, is fairly static. Some scene changes are made when only the orchestra is playing, and most of these are not strictly necessary, though…

  • Siegfried at the Met (Cycle 2)

    * Notes * The second Ring cycle this season at the Met continued last night with Siegfried. The production, directed by Robert Lepage, proved to be even more traditional than its most recent predecessor. Here we have both bear and giant serpent, and so many of Lionel Arnould's projected images are literally from the text. The…

  • Die Walküre at the Met (Cycle 2)

    * Notes * The second Ring cycle this season at the Met continued with a matinée of Die Walküre (Act II, Scene 1 pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) yesterday. The limitations of "The Machine" became more apparent in this opera. Robert Lepage's direction is restricted by how the set moves and where people can…

  • Opening of Věc Makropulos at the Met

    * Notes * A revival of Elijah Moshinsky's 1996 The Makropulos Case opened last night in New York. The performance marked the Met role debut of Karita Mattila (pictured left in Act III, photograph by Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera) as Emilia Marty. Mattila is somehow completely convincing as Marty, her voice is otherworldly and icily perfect.…

  • Das Rheingold at the Met (Cycle 2)

    * Notes * A second Ring cycle began with Das Rheingold (Scene 4 pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) last night at the Met. Robert Lepage’s production involves a series of about 24 jointed panels that can be arranged in many different configurations. Known as “The Machine,” Carl Fillion’s set is not unlike a huge…

  • Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2012

    The 2012 winners (pictured left, photograph by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera) of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions are soprano Janai Brugger; mezzo-soprano Margaret Mezzacappa; countertenor Andrey Nemzer; tenor Matthew Grill; and baritone Anthony Clark Evans. Brugger is currently a young artist in the Domingo-Thorton program at Los Angeles Opera. Official Site

  • The Met’s 2012-2013 Season

    September 24 2012- February 8 2013: L'Elisir d'Amore September 26 2012- January 10 2013: Turandot September 28 2012- March 1 2013: Carmen September 29 2012- January 24 2013: Il Trovatore October 9 2012- March 30 2013: Otello October 23- November 17 2012: The Tempest October 29- November 17 2012: Le Nozze di Figaro November 8-…

  • Casting Change for the Met’s Götterdämmerung

    Katarina Dalayman (pictured left) will replace Deborah Voigt as Brünnhilde in tonight's performance of Götterdämmerung at the Met. Dalayman was already scheduled to sing this role on April 24, 2012 in the Met's second Ring cycle, which runs from April 26 to May 3, 2012.  

  • Casting Change for the Met’s Enchanted Island

    Anthony Roth Costanzo (pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard), who has been singing Ferdinand in the Metropolitan Opera's The Enchanted Island this season, will replace David Daniels as Prospero in tomorrow's performance of that opera. Jeffrey Mandelbaum will in turn replace Costanzo as Ferdinand. Daniels, who is ill, was also replaced for part of the…