parterre box

59 comments

• 41
  quoth the maven says:

  November 12, 2009 at 3:27 PM

  even if these “facts” are true, does that mean that we aren’t allowed to make other assessments of these productions?
• 42
  kashania says:

  November 12, 2009 at 3:40 PM

  Wow, a telecast as early as 1948? That’s remarkable. And what a great cast.
• 43
  Buster says:

  November 12, 2009 at 3:54 PM

  Already Flaubert heard this complaint so often he included it in his dictionary of received ideas:

  ENTRACTE : Toujours trop long
• 44
  Alto says:

  November 12, 2009 at 3:56 PM

  “I heard about a new production where they were barred from rehearsals.”

  Would you please elaborate on this astonishing piece of information?
• 45
  aloki miyeyi says:

  November 12, 2009 at 4:25 PM

  The ticket sales statistics are from the Met website. The audience response assertions are from feedback to the Met via email and telephone as discussed in the media, and from my observations of and conversations with other attendees; I am a chatty sort, and I generally attend more than one performance of a given opera, prompted sometimes by a desire to see the same singers again, sometimes by a cast change. As for “other assessments” each is entitled to an opinion, but no-one is entitled to their own facts. To say that a production was a failure because you didn’t like it proves nothing; “duds” and “shitty” are not sufficiently analytical to support these “assertions.”
• 46
  Constantine A. Papas says:

  November 12, 2009 at 4:39 PM

  BTW, I saw the telecast of Laboheme with Pavarotti and Scotto. But all these events of the past were sporadic and did not have the numbers of the venues-1000- and massiveness- millions of audiences in total- of the HD telecasts. I got tickets to see the opening night of La Scala, live, in a small town of New Mexico. That would have been impossible BG (before Gelp). From now on, opera’s history will be devided in BG and AG. The floodgate is closed.
• 47
  Gualtier M says:

  November 12, 2009 at 4:53 PM

  Artistic success and box office success are two different things. The “Sonnambula” sold well because it was a new production of a famous but underproduced opera with two big stars: Dessay and Florez. I suspect that a revival with lesser names would play to an empty auditorium. I went to a later performance to check out Barry Banks as Elvino – the audience was cold and unenthusiastic. The “Tosca” was pretty much sold out this past October. Does that make it a success?

  Another yardstick of a successful production is how well it plays in revival without the original cast. “Damnation” has been doing poorly at the box office. The Taymor “Flute” (lest ye forget a Volpe baby first to last) did well for several years but then declined recently after all the Taymor groupies had seen it already.

  I suspect that a revival of the Bondy production of “Tosca” with the current level of casting in dramatic Italian operas would not start a stampede to the box office. If Maria Callas came back from the dead yes. If Netrebko or Fleming took on Floria. Otherwise, the Zeffirelli could be thrown up there with mediocre casting (as it nearly invariably was) and people would come. Like in “Cats” on Broadway people came to see the sets, not the stars. Very eighties.
• 48
  No Expert says:

  November 12, 2009 at 4:54 PM

  Constantine, I admire your enthusiasm
• 49
  La Cieca says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:05 PM

  Otherwise, the Zeffirelli could be thrown up there with mediocre casting (as it nearly invariably was) and people would come.

  “Would” is not the same as “will.” I remember that toward the end of the Volpe era, it was pointed out to him that over the previous decade, the median age of the audience had increased by ten years. He shrugged and said, “Oh, well, 70 is the new 60.” The problem with this thinking, of course, is that eventually dead is the audience.

  My impression is that the “go to the Met once in your lifetime while visiting beautiful New York City” was failing pretty badly by the early 2000s. I certainly don’t remember any of the Tosca performances (except on those occasions when Pavarotti would totter out) as being a “stampede to the box office.”

  I have to say, too, Gualtier, that I would be wary of deriving any sort of box office truisms (whether at the Met or any other performing venue) from the past couple of seasons. We’re having the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, which is surely impacting ticket sales more powerfully than stage decor.
• 50
  louannd says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:20 PM

  Thank you all for educating me. What you have said really explains a lot about voices that I haven’t understood in the past. I do appreciate your expertise.
• 51
  Arianna a Nasso says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:22 PM

  Lucia and Sonnambula casting was planned by the Volpe administration. Gelb was the one who decided to engage Mary Zimmerman for new productions of these titles; I think the former was to be a revial of the old Joel production, the latter a rental of a production from Vienna (at least according to the Met Futures site at the time).
• 52
  Arianna a Nasso says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:24 PM

  Weren’t these productions sold out prior to the opening night and the new productions had been unveiled?
• 53
  CruzSF says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:36 PM

  No Expert, I left my impression of last night’s Aida under the “Breakfast” thread. I hope you liked the telecast and am interested to read your thoughts on it.
• 54
  CruzSF says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:40 PM

  “Dead” is the new “dying”?
• 55
  kashania says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:42 PM

  LOL
• 56
  louannd says:

  November 12, 2009 at 5:57 PM

  That first production with Scotto and Pavarotti was a magical moment for the entire school of vocal students at the The University of New Mexico in 1977.

  Since then, public broadcasts have not increased much, with the exception of the HD Met, which, as you can imagine, is doing very very well out here, probably (just a theory) because of the baby-boomer exodus to the West and their childhood memories of East coast culture, and not because younger people are attracted to the opera.

  I feel like I know the European opera houses better (except for the Met) because many of the broadcasts make it to television, and eventually Youtube. Yet, here in Arizona, at our little Arizona Opera company, I heard some astounding performances, the likes of
  which will not be known to the world due to lack of public exposure and money to support such exposure.

  Does that exposure bring young people to opera in Europe? Someone might be able to enlighten me on that topic, or is it the predominance of Regie theater in Europe that brings younger people, or, both? I just feel a bit sad for these young American singers who could benefit from having their voices heard all over the world, and, for the world not being able to hear them. Will we ever see a Santa Fe performance on Youtube?
• 57
  maddalenadicoigny says:

  November 12, 2009 at 7:47 PM

  4.2- I agree with you that so far Gelb has only had success ( if that ) with imports. Tosca, Lucia and Sonnambula are his, not the previous administration. Of course Gelb hired Zimmerman and his own comments in the press support this.
  But let’s face it, so far the productions have been duds, “the lady doth protest too much”.
  Went to Damnation, lotsa empty seats.
  Before anyone starts calling anyone a savior, they should let time tell.
  La Cieca- please, oh please take it easy. You demean your talents when you allow your prejudcies get the best of you.
• 58
  lorenzo.venezia says:

  November 13, 2009 at 10:29 AM

  A friend preparing for a starring role in a new production at Vienna State Opera informs me that for new productions there are seven weeks of rehearsal, but for previously performed productions, only two or three days. This is not unusual.
• 59
  Ruxton says:

  November 14, 2009 at 6:42 AM

  Constantine is dead right- Until Mr Gelb started the Met broadcasts no other company had regular broadcasts in movie theatres throughout the world at the rate they are currently doing. Sure singular or gala performances in isolation have been done before but not programmes of six or more recent/current performances. La Scala is clearly copying the Met- so too is the Royal Ballet & Opera. Credit where credit is due- this last year has been a veritable feast of performances and it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for Mr Gelb. I don’t care what any silly ol queen says, this is one silly ol queen who’s got a lot to thank Mr Gelb for…and does!