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Feb. 24th, 2017 10:20 amI Puritani by Bellini, staged by the Met
Look, we already know I don't give a shit about most 19th century opera, this is not news. The first act of I Puritani was a total snoozefest of moderately unlikeable characters, tepid plot twists, and attractive but not particularly character-driven bel canto vocal lines. And so I decided to skip out on the second and third acts, which according to the summary in the playbill were "Act II: Totally misogynistic mad scene" and "Act III: Surprise! Everything works out in the end".
Just to fill out the post, thoughts on the new season at the Met: I was terribly excited to learn that Luis Bunuel's puzzlingly surreal and emotionally complex film El Angel Exterminador had been adapted as an opera and would be staged by the Met... until I learned that Thomas Ades was the composer.![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
freeradical42 and I skipped the second half of his Tempest because we were so annoyed by the way he'd simplified Shakespeare's characterizations, and I did make it through his Powder Her Face, but it was an endurance feat. Maybe the third time's the charm, but I'm not super thrilled about the prospect of seeing him ruin another favorite text.
I'm amused but unsurprised that the Met is already staging a new Tosca, and that their advertising is highlighting its similarities to the Zeffirelli Tosca. Never change, Met. Never change. I am a little... regretful... that I have not seen the current, much-maligned Tosca production and have now missed my shot, but on the other hand, me and Puccini never get along.
And I am very intrigued by the new production of Cosi fan tutte, set at Coney Island? That has the prospect of being a total blast to watch.
Look, we already know I don't give a shit about most 19th century opera, this is not news. The first act of I Puritani was a total snoozefest of moderately unlikeable characters, tepid plot twists, and attractive but not particularly character-driven bel canto vocal lines. And so I decided to skip out on the second and third acts, which according to the summary in the playbill were "Act II: Totally misogynistic mad scene" and "Act III: Surprise! Everything works out in the end".
Just to fill out the post, thoughts on the new season at the Met: I was terribly excited to learn that Luis Bunuel's puzzlingly surreal and emotionally complex film El Angel Exterminador had been adapted as an opera and would be staged by the Met... until I learned that Thomas Ades was the composer.
freeradical42 and I skipped the second half of his Tempest because we were so annoyed by the way he'd simplified Shakespeare's characterizations, and I did make it through his Powder Her Face, but it was an endurance feat. Maybe the third time's the charm, but I'm not super thrilled about the prospect of seeing him ruin another favorite text.I'm amused but unsurprised that the Met is already staging a new Tosca, and that their advertising is highlighting its similarities to the Zeffirelli Tosca. Never change, Met. Never change. I am a little... regretful... that I have not seen the current, much-maligned Tosca production and have now missed my shot, but on the other hand, me and Puccini never get along.
And I am very intrigued by the new production of Cosi fan tutte, set at Coney Island? That has the prospect of being a total blast to watch.