parterre box

59 comments

• Constantine A. Papas says:

  Mifune,

  Well said. BTW, this blog has been cruel to singers too. It’s a sport that some enjoy playing in the name of art!

  on February 4, 2010 at 11:48 PM
• senti questa says:

  but the real question is: how was miss stemme?

  on February 4, 2010 at 11:50 PM
  • calaf47 says:

    Absolutely radiant!!

    on February 5, 2010 at 12:01 AM
    • parpignol says:

      Stemme was terrific, great performance, made me so sorry we haven’t been hearing more of her in New York; especially gorgeous in the middle and upper middle, maybe less at ease at the very top; Kim was adorable and had some very nice vocal moments in the second act, but I thought she totally failed in the exquisite prologue duet with the composer; her troop was charming along with her; very nice and touching performance by Connolly as the composer, though I would prefer a somewhat fuller voice in this part; didn’t Lotte Lehmann create the role? the tenor was an embarrassment, but he was sick and the cover and the role is damn difficult; sometimes he opened his mouth and almost nothing came out, sometimes he just didn’t sing the big notes at all; I didn’t hear booing down in the orchestra, though I did hear a cell phone ring and ring and ring during the prologue; Petrenko took the final love duet rather quickly and there were moments when it seemed that both tenor and soprano were having trouble following, though of course they were also clearly not rehearsed with each other; production looked great!

      on February 5, 2010 at 12:13 AM
      • Nerva Nelli says:

        Connolly has a nice sense of line but has neither the top nor the bottom for the role and it is a colorless instrument, as ineffective though less shrill in the music as Ann Murray was with the Philadelphia Orch back in the 90s.

        Kristine Jepson last time out was FAR better. But she isn’t British, is she?

        on February 5, 2010 at 12:23 AM
      • Mrs Rance says:

        No wonder Petrenko took the final duet quickly!

        I was looking forward to a Bacchus named Lance!

        on February 5, 2010 at 6:50 AM
      • MontyNostry says:

        Connolly has become a bit of a heroine here in the UK. I have only heard her on CD and, I agree, the sound has little character or real substance. Murray’s voice at least had a penetrative quality, though never much allure. Neither of them has a Composer voice to my ears.

        on February 5, 2010 at 1:38 PM
      • armerjacquino says:

        Connolly was a wonderful Octavian at ENO last year. She’s an incredibly intense stage performer- I think a lot of what makes her special would be lost on radio or record.

        on February 5, 2010 at 2:36 PM
    • Zerbinetta says:

      I didn’t hear any booing in the orchestra. Poor guy, I hope he gets another shot under more favorable conditions.

      Stemme was AWESOME. Kim is cute but was one-dimensional and had some trouble towards the end of that killer aria (which I, of course, know quite well).

      on February 5, 2010 at 12:19 AM
    • Regina delle fate says:

      Hear, hear, Armerjacquino. Connolly’s voice is probably a bit small for the Met and she hasn’t been invited to sing the role at the ROH. And of course, we had Ms Jepson singing the Komponist at Covent Garden when Ms Garanca decided to drop the role from her repertoire. She didn’t look great in the part, but she sang very well and got very warm reviews.The best recent Komponist in London was surely Ms Graham in the infamous Not-the-Debbie-Voigt-Ariadne revival.

      on February 6, 2010 at 10:44 AM
  • mifune says:

    Agreed. She was glorious. Made the whole evening for me.

    on February 5, 2010 at 12:04 AM
  • senti questa says:

    so delighted to hear positive things. i think that settles it. road trip!

    on February 5, 2010 at 12:35 AM
    • CL in DC says:

      I made the trip up from DC and am thinking about going again for the matinee in a few weeks. Stemme was fantastic – very strong and secure. I thought Kim and Connolly also did a good job.

      on February 5, 2010 at 11:09 AM
• Constantine A. Papas says:

  11,

  Stemme sounded terrific on Sirius. Effortless, with secure top and a caressing legato. And the orchestra was well balanced, giving breathing room to the singers. I’m amazed how well the performance came over Sirius.

  on February 5, 2010 at 12:07 AM
• operadent says:

  I agree, Stemme was wonderful and Kim won me over.
  I was in third row Balcony and all the booing I heard was coming from the upper parts of the Family Circle.
  Idiots – booing a sick cover (who could also be called a sacrificial lamb) is a disgrace.

  on February 5, 2010 at 12:59 AM
• mandryka says:

  On a good night, Debbie V. really rocked this part. I don’t expect ever to be thrilled in quite that way at Ariadne. But Stemme was excellent, at times really sensational. Kim was OK, but not up to the level we have come to expect in the role at the Met. (Particularly drab in comparison to Damrau’s megawatt stage presence.)

  The poor tenor. Just about everyone seemed very sympathetic. The booing was really ignorant and unforgivable. There were times he looked simply terrified. The Met owes him. (Some fat bitch was mouthing off in the elevator that she had the phone numbers of three tenors in New York who could have done better. She was lucky not to be smacked.)

  The orchestra was wonderful. Spacious and luscious. Some rather daringly fast tempi, but I liked them.

  I’m going back at least twice. Which shouldn’t be too hard, since there were close to a hundred empty seats in the balcony tonight, which is rather unusual. Such a wonderful opera! Hard to believe it’s been 48 years since those ravishing Rysanek/Bohm performances in its first season here.

  on February 5, 2010 at 3:49 AM
  • bewilbered says:

    Hendrick’s web site says he will be covering in two operas at the Met next spring. The roles are not given, but based on the time frames and his listed repertory I’m guessing Bacchus again and maybe Gherman for the earlier period. Maybe Tambourmajor in Wozzeck, though he doesn’t yet list that as one of his roles.

    on February 5, 2010 at 10:03 AM
• uwsinnyc says:

  I was at the performance last night and have to say that Stemme was truly great. I remember loving her after the Dutchman years ago but the voice has grown since then into a richer and more “Wagnerian” sound. The bottom, middle and top were all secure. I can now understand that she would make a credible Isolde, esp in a smaller house.

  Kim was fantastic too though I agree with those above that it was bordering on the overly cutesy/pip-squeaky end and I too prefer a somewhat fuller-voiced Zerbinetta.

  on February 5, 2010 at 1:13 PM