Ideas for Opera Club posts?
September 30, 2019 8:49 AM - Subscribe

Suggestions for club posts and schedules welcome. Have an upcoming show in mind? Want to talk about one you've already heard?
posted by asperity to Opera Club (6 comments total)
 
Following up on this MetaTalk post about albums and music on FanFare:

The Metropolitan Opera calendar seems like a good place to start, since those are some of the most widely-available broadcasts. I've never been to one of the live movie theater screenings, but maybe this is the year for me!

Last year some kind person on Reddit set up a Google calendar for Met Opera broadcasts, but I don't see anything about an update for this year and haven't poked at the script provided to see how much work it would be to DIY it for the new season. It was nice to have upcoming performances show up on the calendar I'm usually checking.

I'd be happy to watch and discuss anything that's generally available, whether it's via DVD from my local library, or local performance broadcasts if they're on the internet so anyone interested can try it. (I really wish there were videos for full Central City Opera performances, because it is the opera of my heart and I want to share it with everyone.)

Does Operabase have an easy-to-use directory of recordings/broadcasts, or are there any other resources y'all might suggest for us to find new material?
posted by asperity at 9:04 AM on September 30, 2019


I've got tickets to Philip Glass's Akhnaten for November 15th, and I'm very excited to see it.
posted by SansPoint at 10:52 AM on September 30, 2019 [1 favorite]


I have no idea what to expect from Akhnaten and it sounds awesome. Looks like the live cinema broadcast is November 23rd, and the live radio broadcast is November 8th. I'm going to try to see that one in the theater because I'd like to see the acrobats and jugglers (!) I don't know how long it takes for the Met to put things up on On Demand video, or what the PBS video broadcast schedule's likely to be some months later.

With multiple possible dates, I'm not sure what the best time to put up a post about it would be: just ahead of the radio broadcast, because it's first, and would enable some audio-only discussion ahead of the OMG jugglers?
posted by asperity at 11:17 AM on September 30, 2019 [1 favorite]


I’m seeing Orfeo ed Euridice on October 24th at the Met. Will report.
posted by holborne at 8:15 PM on October 1, 2019 [1 favorite]


holborne, how was Orfeo ed Euridice?

Colorado Public Radio confirmed that they'll be airing Opera Colorado's Barber of Seville on Saturday night (Nov 2, 7 pm MDT). I think I've got tickets for the performance on Nov 8. It'll be my first time seeing it, and the costumes and setting look extremely fun.

I think I'll try to listen to the broadcast on Nov 2, not sure it's worth putting up a regular post for it since I don't believe there's any way to listen to it other than live (either FM or internet.)
posted by asperity at 10:20 AM on October 28, 2019


I generally liked it very much. For one thing, I love Mark Morris, and the dancing in this production was fantastic. Same for the costumes, which were by Isaac Mizrahi. I loved the concept he had for the chorus, which was to have them dressed in elaborate costumes from every period in history and from every walk of life imaginable, so you had Egyptian royalty, who was next to a hippie from the 60s, who was next to a Revolutionary War era solider, who was next to Abraham Lincoln, etc.

The singing was generally very good, from both the chorus and the main cast. The exception, unfortunately, was Hei-Kyung Hong as Euridice, whose voice really just isn’t up to the task of that role anymore, I’m afraid. I was actually a little nervous she wasn’t going to get through her aria. She’s a beautiful singer, so I think the Met really didn’t do her a favor casting her in this role.

So that’s my take. I think the next performance I have tickets for is Queen of Spades, sometime in December.
posted by holborne at 9:24 AM on October 30, 2019 [1 favorite]


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