I love the music from that Opera, but I have never seen it performed.
Singing and playin -. I mean, it's MET Opera, it's as good as it gets. The singers were all fabulous. Violetta's aria in the first act is tremendous. It was at that point I felt that my 24.50$ spent was worth the price of admission, and I hadn't even scene the 2nd act.
SO envious.
The Opening - You walk into the hall. There's no curtain, the stage is lit. It's a minimalist stage set, the only prop is a large clock that leans against the wall on the left side. There's a bench that runs along the wall encircling the stage. At the end of the bench a man sits, extremely still. I thought it was a mannequin for 20 minutes. Then you find your seat (or standing position) and start fingering through the playbill. When Violetta enters, stumbling, drunk, with that vibrant dress on, you know you're in for an interesting show. The opening party scene is quite the affair as well.
Unnecessary symbolism: I mention at the beginning, (this is probably specific to this production), that there is a man sitting on the stage as you enter the hall. And he stays there till shortly into the beginning of opera. He was used throughout as some sort of symbol. I think they brought him up as an additional 'hey guys, this opera is a tragedy, she's going to die' symbol, a 'cruel fate' if you will. It wasn't necessary at all. In fact, I thought it messed with what was going on on stage sometimes. The clock also played a symbol, but not nearly as obfuscating as the man.
I am intrigued. What was the symbolism of this man? How did they use him?
That was the problem. I'm not certain. I took him as a metaphor for the cruel fate that awaited Violetta. He appeared whenever the music darkened briefly, in various areas of the stage. Sometimes entering stage right (he was the only person who ever came in from the right), or appearing on the balcony above the stage. He does also play the doctor, and sings a few lines as the doctor.
I just don't feel the audience needed to be beat over the head with symbolism, we know she's going to die at the end, and I do feel it got in the way of the other acting sometimes ...
Huh. It does sound odd.
This ends the review, I'll give some additional notes about purchasing tickets and the standing room experience below. Did you enjoy this review?
I did 
Hmm. Did you know you can separate the quotes with the button next to the "smiley codes" link?
Subsequently I went with the next option, standing room only in the orhestra. It's 24$. The positives, you get a rail to lean on while you watch, it's not completely exhausting. You also get your own subtitle screen in the rail. Every seat and standing spot has one, just push a button and blamo, subtitles. I think they have them in English, Spanish, French, Chinese probably ...
It's a little annoying to look down from the stage and back up at the stage. But you don't do it constantly (they repeat a lot of things in opera, and the subtitles never came up for repeated verbage).
The other problem with standing room is your in the back. The ushers move around occasionally during the acts, which was distracting at the start of the first act. People who leave early also pass through, and the air tended to blow in every time the door opened. Most of this is easy to ignore though. They lock you in, they actually have a strap that they pull across the aisles so you can't get out, ha ha. They don't want standing room people to nab the abandoned 90$ and up orchestra seats just ahead of them I take it, not that there were any to nab tonight. It was almost entirely sold out.
This sounds horrible. Why didn't you leave and come back the next day?
I already paid the 24.50, and the other shows could've been just as packed. The first two in a half acts were fine. It was during and just after Violetta's final aria that people started moving out ahead a time. Only 7 though. One dude came to the back, and during her aria, explains to the groom that he's not leaving, just wants to get ahead of the crowd I guess. She ushers him into the 3rd row of standing room, and he starts asking the lady next to him (behind me) a question or two. I wanted to tell him off ... to be certain. It was rude in the extreme. He could've waited till everyone clapped for her aria to get out of his seat and to the back at least ... 
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That calls for violence of some kind.
Oh, most important thing if you intend to attend the opera. DON'T BE LATE. They threatened to arrest one lady who was trying to hold the door open as the 2nd act was getting underway, (she was holding it for someone who was in the bathroom.) They are serious when they say no one gets in after the show/act starts.
Hehehehe.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
structured procrastinator
/Opera review /sarcasm (where's the /serious art category) /end sarcasm
- 13/01/2011 08:54:17 AM
837 Views
I am so envious.
- 13/01/2011 09:32:26 AM
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Re: I am so envious.
- 13/01/2011 09:10:48 PM
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Re: I am so envious.
- 13/01/2011 09:13:42 PM
685 Views
Oh ... that's what those are ... I see.
- 13/01/2011 09:16:17 PM
587 Views
Re: Oh ... that's what those are ... I see.
- 13/01/2011 09:18:53 PM
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Re: Oh ... that's what those are ... I see.
- 13/01/2011 09:27:12 PM
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Re: Oh ... that's what those are ... I see.
- 13/01/2011 09:28:34 PM
542 Views
I'm sure glaring would've brought nothing more than a surprised face, if he even noticed.
- 13/01/2011 09:43:18 PM
578 Views
Saw that last Friday.
- 13/01/2011 05:26:49 PM
625 Views
As a composer I'm almost required to see Nixon in China ... one way or the other ...
- 13/01/2011 08:56:52 PM
539 Views
I didn't know anyone else on this site went to opera ...
- 13/01/2011 09:26:04 PM
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...
- 13/01/2011 09:26:04 PM
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season tickets
- 13/01/2011 11:34:25 PM
525 Views
