Perhaps the redundant MET cast will fancy a trip to the Emerald Isle?

Although I’m as every bit as sentimental for the Ancien Regime as the next headless queen (but, cara Cieca, the French monarchy was NOT absolute – the Revolution started as a squabble between the king and his very independent minded hereditary legislature – they both lost), I stand with her and La C on Ghosts of Versailles, and I’d be thrilled to see Nina Stemme (or anyone else in reason) which is to say anyone but Maria Ewing) do Lady M of M.

Some of us here (and more than are given credit for, as I’ve read some pretty cogent commentary here) have the education and experience to be able to criticize singers/productions/operas, etc. There *are* people on this site with either:

A. College educations in Music and Voice Performance
B. Singing careers? Did we necessarily sing in the uppoer echelons of the opera world? No. But my own career lasted for nearly 20 years.
C. A voice teacher who who concentrated on technique, and also taught style. When singing Mozart, sing Mozart. When singing Bel Canto, sing Bel Canto.
D. spent years listening to CDs, records, Broadcasts, with both great and not-so-great singers

But she has the top (up to a high C) and the flexibility. And the comment about her “inability to ever do anything stylistically correct or in tune” is just not true. I’ve never heard pitch problems and her sense for the Italian style is one of her great strength, IMO.

” I wonder if even the most highly talented publicity machine could make Ghosts seem “major,” “important” or for that mattter “contemporary.” Who the hell can be bothered to sit through four hours of dead people kvetching about the good old days under absolute monarchy?”

Brava DIVA! I can’t believe that anyone has anything good to say about this piece of meretricious, derivative claptrap, despite a few memorable characterizations the worst kind of gay right-wing nostalgia for l’ancien regime. The sensibility is approximately that of Nancy Reagan’s pal Halston.

I enjoy much of the current trend for eye/mind candy (expensive) productions. I have been involved in performing new/recent music for almost my entire musical career. I generally come to a new piece with an open mind, even if I don’t leave it with one.

For me, while the current generation of singers is generally well trained and performs as dutifully as their various abilities will allow, the general level of artistry has fallen. In the past I could see Aida (insert the name of your own favorite vilified repertory opera here) for the umpteenth time because, for me, the artistic level of the singers/conductors/orchestral musicians kept me involved in the drama that was happening in the music.

It was only later, when the well-meaning but somewhat dull and inept singers started finding their way into the casts of the prominent opera houses, that I found myself looking at my watch wondering how much longer before Mimi coughed her last or noticing that the church that Santuzza could no longer enter looked like the back alley at my neighborhood 7-11.

I’m not saying that there aren’t exceptions to this. I still find that there are current performances that are quite enjoyable. (Last Wednesday I saw a very enjoyable and quite well sung Cenerentola in our own little Austin, Texas. Bravo to Sandra Piques Eddy and colleagues for such an outstanding evening.) It just seems to be that a lot of money has been poured into opera production to make up for what’s missing at its core.

Comments 13 and 16: While I suspect you may a have a point about posters and their knowledge of the Ottocento, here is one who does know something about it. While I have never posted anything about Fleming and her performance of this repetoire I do have some issues with her treatment of the music of that period.

Maybe connoisseurs of the lyric art who venerate one of the masterpieces of operatic history?

Just guessing here.

Yeah, that was pretty much my take on it. I think many of the commenters have a point — replacing Ghosts with Traviata makes sense. The reason Traviata appears on the roster year after year is that it sells. It’s a simple, obvious business decision in very tough, scary times. A Gheorghiu/Hampson Traviata ought to sell very well. If you’re all so upset about Ghosts, then maybe you should send Mr. Gelb NICE letters saying you regret but understand his decision but REALLY HOPE that he’ll consider a revival at a later date when our economic outlook is better.

http://www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B00004R6KV/ref=dp_olp_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1226689373&sr=8-3

it seems that you can get ONE VHS copy from Germany (bizarrely imported from the UK – where there is none available).

It seems you can get a DVD from Amazon Japan – but my Japanese is a little rusty….

Anyway – happy hunting!

Amen, Cieca!!!

I have the impression (both here and in other discussion groups) that people think that the Met is programming with us as the target audience. We opera-mad people, who have multiple recordings of the standards and have seen Traviata “4,000 times” and spend our spare time discussing opera on-line are decidedly NOT the Met’s target audience. We make up a very small percentage of any opera company’s audience.

The Zeffireli Traviata with Gherghiou and Hampson will sell big to tourists and to people who like to go to the occasional opera. Those are the folks who will make the differnece between a sell-out and a 70% full house.

If the Met can bank on the tickets sales of Aida, Boheme, Carmen and Traviata to support more adventurous programming like From the House of the Dead, then I’m all for it.