Discovering Puccini's ‘Turandot’

Should mention that we caught Puccini's "Turandot" at the Metropolitan Opera last week and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. 

Although I'm not confident enough in my knowledge to say it is now my favorite opera to date, it definitely felt different from any other work I've seen -- and had me wondering why. 

What I came up with is that "Turandot" feels less like a traditional opera and more like an epic fairy tale -- larger in scale, more stylized in its characters, more spectacular in its staging and more modern in its music than the operas I've seen. ("Macbeth," "Carmen," "La Traviata," "The Barber of Seville," "The Marriage of Figaro," "La Boheme," "Aida" and "Tristan und Isolde.")

I was especially drawn to Liu -- rather than the titular diva -- who struck me as the drama's true emotional center, bringing a humanity that the larger-than-life title character lacks. (Maybe not the highest bar given that, as the New York Times notes, Turandot and her suitor remain largely unfazed by the death and dismemberment they instigate -- standing atop a figurative pile of corpses when they finally share true love’s kiss. But at least Turandot had incredible headdresses!) 

The production ended on June 7 -- sorry for my tardiness -- but the qualities that made it stand out aren't unique to this staging, so keep an eye out for future productions if a different kind of opera sounds appealing to you.

 

Tragedy at the Regal Beagle

Damian and I went to see Verdi’s "La Traviata" at the Metropolitan Opera last night, a vibrant Michael Mayer production featuring soaring arias and spectacular sets. Ermonela Jaho was sublime as Violetta Valery, with Kang Wang holding his own as Alfredo.

I believe this was our seventh opera -- all at the famed opera house -- yet it was only during the intermission that we concluded that most plots are essentially an episode of "Three's Company," so the important thing is to just ignore the story "logic" and let the spectacle of the sets and costumes and the sound of the music and voices wash over you ... and then we nearly drowned! 

 

"Bit" player with plenty of bits 

Afterward we walked down to The Flame on 58th Street. While this may seem like a mundane detail, it’s noteworthy because it’s one of the few 24-hour eateries left in New York, a city that decided after the pandemic that not only does it sleep, it goes to bed ridiculously early -- both diners right near our apartment now close at 9 p.m.(!). 

Two Nights at the Opera

 

Damian and I saw "The Barber of Seville" at the Met on Friday, followed by its sequel, "The Marriage of Figaro," on Saturday. As an opera novice I don't have any insight into the productions -- I blown away by them both, just being in the presence of such talent in this illustrious venue feels like a privilege from start to finish. Perhaps the only thing I can say is that by seeing them back to back it was a tad jarring in that we spent the first night rooting for Count Almaviva to win his "one and only true love" (Rosina) with the help of Figaro, only to spend the next night being disgusted by the count's callous behavior toward his now-wife, as he tries to sexually exploit his staff, most notably Susanna, who is set to marry (none other than) Figaro! 

We sat in the front row of the balcony for the first time on Friday.

And then returned to our favored orchestra the next night. The balcony is great for the acoustics and faster access to Champagne during the intermission, while the orchestra can't be beat for visuals. 

That's it for opera season. Damian has already selected three for the fall. Next up I'd like to see a ballet, starting perhaps with Balanchine's "A Midsummer's Night Dream." 

‘Carmen’ From the Block

 

Damian and I had a wonderful time seeing "Carmen" last night at the Metropolitan Opera -- located just blocks from our new(ish) digs. You don't need to be particularly knowledgeable about the art form to recognize that Aigul Akhmetshina, a 27-year-old mezzo-soprano, is sublime as the titular character. That Kyle Ketelsen has what it takes to play one-third of the tumultuous love triangle. Or that the Georges Bizet's score is legendary for a reason. (I love realizing so many things I know are actually from classic works of art.) 

Director Carrie Cracknell is said to have wanted to give the show a modern take, setting it in present-day United States. But simply trading in castanets for cutoffs, as Zachary Woolfe's brutal review put it, in depressing locales really only served to rob "Carmen" of its splendid visuals -- the Spanish background of Seville and the surrounding hills, women in flamenco skirts and men in dashing Matador attire. (What we were left with was a cast taking selfies in Walmart jorts and trucker caps in places I actively try to avoid.) Still, not even an ill-conceived twist can take away from this masterpiece, the plot of which sadly remains the gold standard of "Dateline" storylines to this day.

P.S.

Oh, to have witnessed diva-turned-director Regina Resnik's production of "Carmen" at the Hamburg State Opera starring Huguette Tourangeau and Placido Domingo, who got canceled days before we were set to see him in Verdi's "Macbeth" back in 2019! Watch a riveting behind-the-scenes documentary from 1973 HERE.