As for Dessay’s current penchant for awful singing during her hypermanic “acting”, she should be forced to sit down and watch youtube vids of a real actress, who could also continually produce gorgeous reems of sound – Teresa Stratas.

a number of changes were made, by the Thursday performance of La Sonnambula–chief among them, Amina/Dessay no ;onger writes “ARIA” on the blackboardm before launching onto the final sleepwalking scene…thereby ending the laughing that caused…

In fairness, I have seen a lot of Zimmerman’s theater work and enjoyed it, so maybe I am prone to this sort of thing.

There clearly has been a good deal of subtle tweaking. The timing of a lot of the movement has been sharpened — although that can happen on its own with artists of this caliber. But I’d gues MZ is still around and giving notes.

The act 1 finale, with all the script tearing and set trashing seems to have been toned down a bit

Amina did NOT write the word ARIA on the blackboard before Ah non credea.

The audience chhered and seemed to enjoy the proceedings a lot. There were a couple of boos after the first act. One person kept yelling boo over and over. No doubt some little need not being met. No boos at the end, just cheers. All individual numbers were applauded enthusiastically. House was packed. All standing room sold. Looks like they’ve got a hit on their hands. My third time. I loved it. Seeing two more. Who knows when it will be back.

“Hocking the wall hangings out front” is not a move that could be taken by the GM. Using capital assets as collateral for loans is a decision that would be authorized by the Board.

Jack and Jill
The Daily Worker
The Lighthouse
Bad Housekeeping (Just kidding..his bathroom is spotless)
Playgirl (Geriatrics edition) (I want to be the center fold)
American Journal of Extremely Abnormal Psychology
The Heblew Daily

Great site though.

There, all major reviews are collocated plus two edifying articles by Mssrs. Blier and Davis on La Sonnambula in the latest Opera News issue. Interesting what Mme. Scotto has to say. My significant other saw her production in Florida and said it worked quite well as recycled Visconti.

As well, it may be enlightening to those who have not read the New Yorker article “The Actress”, to see the Opera News articles for what Mary Zimmerman has to say as to the genesis of this ‘Konzept’.

Dessay’s unimpressive performance isn’t shocking. I loved her recordings years ago, but have never been able to stomach her “acting”. There is virtually no role that she has undertaken recently that requires her to display any sort of versatility or sincerity in her acting. Perhaps this is because she takes roles that she does not feel sincere toward, in any sense of the word. Other than perhaps sincerely snotty…..

I’m all for a wicked parody, but comediennes Dessay and Zimmerman are not.

I enjoyed the evening (and the scandal as well!).

The overriding problem I have is that now that the Met does not develop new productions for its exclusive use, directors are handicapped in what technology they can employ. So long as Gelb sees everything as a joint venture with other houses, the Met magic will be a memory of the past.

I also don’t understand all the hating going on here.

Parterre seems to be a place for people who really hate opera.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/61dd351a-0816-11de-8a33-0000779fd2ac.html

When it was revived for Cotrubas it was a “Neu Einstudierung” with a faux naive gloss put on the production in a so clever “post modern ironic manner” with deliberately painted sets and stagey gestures. At the performance I went to there were boos and laughter even during the course of the action.

I recall reading that even in the Visconti production Callas stepped out of the action in the finale wearing a glittering ” garniture” of expensive jewels.

I enjoyed the Vienna/CG co-production set in the clinic as it did remain emotionally engaging.

I missed the OHP production but a simple rural setting may be the only way to mount the piece now.