Puccini's Turandot!

[Ed Hudgins]

Last night I saw the Washington Opera's marvelous production of Puccini's Turnadot at the Kennedy Center. (One of Barbara Branden's favorite operas by the way!)

Great orchestra playing and singing. And spectacular staging. Not some modernist nonsense. And you can't beat the "Nessum dorma!" Of course, for those of you who know the plot, I think Calif should have run off with Liu rather than pursuing Turandot but that's just me.

[Christopher]

For those who might be in the Bay Area, Ca. - SF Opera is having a live showing of Tosca on bigscreen HDTV at Pacbell Ballpark this Friday evening!

[jordanz]

The Zefferelli Production is at the Met this season.

[Ed Hudgins]

I saw the Zefferelli production of La Boheme at the Met a few years ago and it was quite impressive! It was the one the Met did for one of its live HD broadcasts last season, which I also saw. I think Rand liked Boheme.

[Christopher]

I've watched one HD live broadcast from the met a few years ago, and it was enjoyable. One of these days I'm going to plan a special trip to NY to see the Ring Cycle. I love Wagner!

[Ed Hudgins]

Christopher -- I've seen all of the Met HD productions for the past year and a half and they're really a great and not-too-costly way to experience opera.

I'm sure a New York Ring would be great. My favorite on DVD is James Levine's 1990 cycle.

The Washington Opera has been doing an "America Ring" cycle. Avoid it! It's an abomination. I saw Rheingold and Walküre. In the latter Hunding was a backwoods hick and Sieglinda an abused wife. Woton, of course, was an evil businessman. The Walkures were WW II British paratroopers. (See my piece Blight at the Opera.)

It was crappy enough that I, a Wagner fan for decades, who saw the Ring cycle when I lived in Munich, gave the Washington Opera's Siegfried a pass this year. Next year, because the opera's low on money, it will do a staged version of Götterdämmerung. That I'll go to see since I prefer the music and singing sans customs and sets when the latter simply ruin the thing.

[Christopher]

Ed,

I love that you write these great articles! Yes, I really was not impressed with the new version of Das Rheingold, which played here at SF Opera - although the intro with the planets was touching. But, here's the secret: I closed my eyes and just listened to the beautiful music. Loge was an impressive singer, as was Alberich if I remember correctly.

I own the 14-CD set to Levine's 1990 opera - The Ring par excellence. Have not yet seen the DVDs. Did you find Munich's opera exceptionally different in terms of quality compared to Levine? I'm interested to know whether the aura that surrounds German opera in Germany is true.

[anonrobt]

There is the Met Player, with a 7 day free trial, from which you can stream online 200 of their operas... tho I have no idea how much that will eventually cost...

http://www.metoperafamily.org/met_player/index.aspx

[Barbara Branden]

Ed: " think Calif should have run off with Liu rather than pursuing Turandot but that's just me."

It isn't just you. It's me, too. That's the problem with the story -- although there is no problem with the music, which has an unmatchable grandeur. But Liu is more appealing than Turandot. However, if Calif ran off with Liu, Turandot couldn't sing "His name is .. . love" -- and life would cease to be worth living.

Wagner's Ring is being offered in Los Angeles. Sadly, the sets are so terrible that they interfere with one's ability to enjoy the music -- they are a constant irritant. They make no sense whatever, and for no sane reason they are so dark one can scarcely see the singers. They remind me of the architects who wanted to express their individuality on the plans of Roark's buildings.

Barbara