parterre box

95 comments

• Matt Circle says:

  I have several questions regarding this fiasco.

  If Lucia was Zimmerman’s first attempt at directing an opera production. why did the Met engage her for three productions at the same time? Couldn’t they have “tested” her with Lucia and decide on Somnambula and Armida after Lucia?

  If a singer who is making his/her house debut had been badly received by the audience and had been criticized in printed press, would the Met management re-engage that singer? Are they using the same “artistic criteria” to hire directors and directors?

  Can the management give the Armida production to someone else?

  I think the Met management bears the ultimate responsibility for this production. Even Joe Volpe describes in his memoir how he intervened, on more than occasion, in the creative process for a new production? The results may be discussable but clearly the Met General Manager has that power.

  on March 3, 2009 at 6:46 PM
• Constantine A. Papas says:

  #40 & #41,

  At the end of the dress rehersal of C et M at CG, the audience applauded Netrebko and Garanca for 15 minutes, rather unusual for the reserved and cool British! Nebs is not that bad after all!

  on March 3, 2009 at 6:52 PM
• 33blueberries says:

  #62. The booing was loud, and long. I haven’t heard the Sirius, but the youtube clip does not do it justice. It was easily louder than the applause, and didn’t abate until Zimmerman was offstage.

  on March 3, 2009 at 6:52 PM
• jatm2063 says:

  Interesting that someone pointed out RF’s attendance and that Mary Zimmerman’s upcoming Armida production with RF in the title role.

  I wonder if Renaaay is feeling any trepidation after seeing the show and the audience reaction.

  on March 3, 2009 at 7:18 PM
• jdjeff says:

  If you are going to update Sonnambula couldn’t it be updated in a morally repressed society? They still exist in certain parts of the world and in certain religious societies. It seems to me that Amina presented as a diva loses any innocents that the characters music suggests. I feel an audience can always identify with a innocent, fragile, naive heroine.

  on March 3, 2009 at 7:19 PM
• Matt Circle says:

  Interesting point jatm2063. It seems that since Natalie Dessay had so much influence on the conception of the La Somnabula, RF may have equal if not more weight in what goes into the Armida production.

  on March 3, 2009 at 7:24 PM
• wotan_in_inman says:

  I have the Sirius broadcast recorded. On strictly the aural evidence, the applause for the performers is long and vociferous — standard for the Met. But when the production team enters, the booing starts and totally drowns out the applause. Juntwait makes the aforementioned adjustment to her commentary, calling it “mixed.” It may be that she was able to see people applaudng, but you certainly could not hear them. A comment is made about Dessay strongly applauding Zimmerman, with the phrase “flapping her arms,” which conjured up the image of a hungry seal.

  I would assume at that point, it was decided that to go one would be futile, so perhaps everyone left the stage at once, because all audience response stopped and I guess having had their say one way or the other they went home.

  Ciri-biri and Biri-Bin went into their usual “Gee, I can hardly wait for tomorrow night. See you then” crap, and it was over.

  on March 3, 2009 at 7:31 PM
• wotan_in_inman says:

  I’ve got to remember that even though my response is right under the previous when I type it, it will not be posted with the same immediacy.

  Hence, may I explain that #77 is for the elucidation of #73

  on March 3, 2009 at 7:35 PM
• Houndentenor says:

  If it is acceptable to cheer, then it is also acceptable to boo. Enough of this PC crap. I have sympathy for singers having an off night. It happened even to the greatest singers. But an awful production is the result of a great deal of planning and worse was approved well in advance by the company.

  on March 3, 2009 at 8:01 PM
• Cassandra says:

  Jesus Christ.

  It’s one fucking bel canto disaster in this house after another. In this season alone a fifth rate Lucia with multi-tenor casting with epic fail after epic fail, and now this fifth rate, dredged up staging for a classic “weak libretto” (you bitches’ description, not mine.)

  I mean really, why even fucking bother.

  Can’t get through Verdi, can’t get through bel canto, is there ANYTHING this house can do well any more?

  I seriously wonder.

  on March 3, 2009 at 8:23 PM