Planks, for the memory
The Robert Lepage production of the Ring cycle will be shown complete (including the now de rigueur fifth part of the pentalogy, Wagner’s Dream) September 11-14 on PBS. La Cieca will announce plans for concurrent chats at a later date. [thirteen.org]
La Cieca: The silly schwermerei over Mr. Gelb began here well before the Rheingold. NB: People who disagree with you are not always “completely and totally wrong,” just as you are not always “completely and totally right.” Of course, it’s your blog. PS: I read the Rheingold reviews when they first appeared.
Messa di voce: I agree with about the two previous productions of Faust, although I think the current one is the worst. The last serious (and beautiful) production of Faust was the Rolf Gerard (which was also the last one to include the ballet). I wonder if we’ll even see a return of French opera done with the dance sequences, which are--or should be--integral to the works themselves.
Clita del Toro: Yes, the Manon was cheesy (and unintelligent, even for the current regime). The list of horrors in this Met administration is remarkably long considering its length.
Go rob graves for a while. You’ll be off moderation in a week.