Just a reminder to all why Italians think Verdi is the greatest opera composer (Americans like Puccini the best, according to the new issue of Opera News) – this is from the La Scala production that will be coming to your local theater (see my previous post below):
(video is a bit screwed up in the very beginning)
It’s a beautiful afternoon outside, I am drinking tea and eating a donut in the middle of the day – that’s a living! While busying myself with some browsing of the internets, I came across this great rendition of Verdi’s Ella giammai m´amo – King Filip’s aria from Don Carlo – one of the most amazing pieces of music written for bass I think.
This version is done by a German bass Rene Pape at the opening of Oslo Opera – enjoy!
This is not a review of “Met at the Movies” – 1/12 and 1/13 Macbeth – this is a personal account, a testimony, if you will. To read some reviews, scroll all the way to the bottom.
“Met at the Movies” became “Met to the Masses” this weekend around the country (and the globe) with the HD Broadcast of Verdi’s Macbeth – there is no Macbeth like white middle class suburb huge-movie-theater Macbeth. I shall begin with major complaints: please, dear marketing department at the Met, please stop this patronizing and utterly idiotic campaign of “Met to the Masses”! “Masses” are not going to go to the opera because it is expensive and absolutely counter-intuitive… Wait, did I just speak for the masses? My bad, masses. Seriously, I realize that Met wants to bring the high art to the masses, but if it really cared about such artistic “enlightenment” it would broadcast its operas for free. Opera is not going to save anyone from unemployment or poverty or lack of health insurance. Its only chance is to be the opium for the people, but that particular role is already played by TV, sports, alcohol, actual opium, and pies…
This looks like a great deal and, despite a horrid cover, a great selection of pieces for those who are interested in “sampling” contemporary (classical) music – I saw this on Sequenza21 and looked at the tracks on Amazon – plus it only costs you $3.99!
Here is a track list:
Perverse Egalitarianism 