Met's new season announced

[lennygoran]

An email announces the Met's new season. Regards, Len

http://wordfly.metopera.org/view/?sid=O ... =version_A

[barney]

How I wish I lived in New York and had pots of money!
I'd want to go to everything on that list.
But I'm going to The Nose on Wednesday, and that looks pretty exciting.

[lennygoran]

How I wish I lived in New York and had pots of money!
I'd want to go to everything on that list.
But I'm going to The Nose on Wednesday, and that looks pretty exciting.

Barney you'll just have to come back to nyc! Where are you seeing The Nose? Regards, Len

[John F]

A more usable overview is in the Met's press release, here:

https://www.metopera.org/About/Press-Re ... ouncement/

Its headliner is that Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met's new music director, will take up his post this fall instead of in 2020. He will be conducting three operas instead of the previously announced two plus 2 concerts at Carnegie Hall, by "freeing up some guest conducting weeks in his busy calendar in both the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons." They will be "La Traviata" in a new production plus revivals of "Pelléas et Mélisande" and "Dialogues des Carmélites."

(The revival of "Pelléas" was to have been conducted by James Levine - nobody does it better - but as he remains in outer darkness and the "investigation" of his private conduct remains inconclusive, it's not going to happen.)

Not much in the repertoire to attract me, I'm afraid. Maybe I'll see the new opera, Muhly's "Marnie." Ordinarily I would save up my pennies for one last go at the Ring cycle, but with Philippe Jordan conducting and a cast led by Greer Grimsley as Wotan - fit for Seattle, perhaps, but not the Met - I think not. Of the revivals, I love "Pelléas" enough that maybe I'll go hear what Nézet-Séguin makes of it, though the cast isn't very promising, and "Otello" has some interest as it will be conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, for me an unknown quantity in opera. And I see that Karita Mattila is to sing the First Prioress in "Dialogues des Carmelites," a powerful acting role, so I may go to that too.

Fans of Jonas Kaufmann will see that the Met claims he will sing in the revival of "Fanciulla del West." Good luck with that! "Mefistofele" isn't often done but without a star bass (Christian Van Horn doesn't qualify) and with no conductor named in the press release, its appeal looks pretty limited.

After all these years of gong to the opera here and elsewhere, I'm probably harder to please or indeed interest than many others. With so many no-name singers and conductors - no-name to me at least - I just can't get very excited. Who knows, some of the artists I've never heard of may be first-rate, the stars of tomorrow if not today. If so, then I expect others here will tell us about it.

[barney]

JohnF's position is entirely reasonable, but not really one I share. I tend to go to as much as I can both because live music is about the best thing I can imagine and because how do you know when you are at the very best if haven't sat through plenty of what is not? And even in drab performances there is usually much to enjoy. I'm very happy with musical choice in Melbourne - I get to 50 concerts, recitals and operas a year, many of a truly international standard, and there's a lot more I do't get to - but New York music is paradise. It's not just the home bands and companies, but the constantly visiting luminaries and the astounding acoustics at Carnegie Hall and the Met. Sigh... I don't often regret not being rich - only when I think about this.

[barney]

How I wish I lived in New York and had pots of money!
I'd want to go to everything on that list.
But I'm going to The Nose on Wednesday, and that looks pretty exciting.

Barney you'll just have to come back to nyc! Where are you seeing The Nose? Regards, Len

Lenny, I would love to. And have another lunch with a really fine bunch at the same time! Maybe it will happen.
Opera Australia, which was a co-production partner, is putting on Barrie Kosky's Covent Garden production at the Sydney Opera House. I am flying up for it, paid for by an employer who wants me there during the day. the evening is mine!

[John F]

Barry, until fairly recently I did much as you say. Now in my mid-70s, which has slowed me down physically, and with over half a century of memories of great performances here and abroad both live and on records, I'm spoiled for the everyday, even here in NYC. Next time you're over here, I could show you my scrapbook of concert and opera programmes - one volume of it, there are many - and no doubt you'd see what I mean.

I still love music as much as ever, I just don't care so much about most of today's music-making, not least the HIP plague which has taken Mozart and Haydn away from me, and Eurotrash stage productions which have made so many of my favorite operas unwatchable. I don't feel that I'm living in the past, but the past is definitely living in me.

[lennygoran]

I am flying up for it, paid for by an employer who wants me there during the day. the evening is mine!

Sounds wonderful! Hope you'll have more to say about all of it when you return! Regards, Len

[barney]

Barry, until fairly recently I did much as you say. Now in my mid-70s, which has slowed me down physically, and with over half a century of memories of great performances here and abroad both live and on records, I'm spoiled for the everyday, even here in NYC. Next time you're over here, I could show you my scrapbook of concert and opera programmes - one volume of it, there are many - and no doubt you'd see what I mean.

I still love music as much as ever, I just don't care so much about most of today's music-making, not least the HIP plague which has taken Mozart and Haydn away from me, and Eurotrash stage productions which have made so many of my favorite operas unwatchable. I don't feel that I'm living in the past, but the past is definitely living in me.

I certainly don't doubt that you love music as much as ever. It was an observation about my perspective, not a criticism of yours. There are times when I decide not to go (I get a lot of free tickets) though I always make sure I let the organisation know. I'm getting old enough that going out several nights in a row can seem unattractive. This afternoon I'm taking the train into the city and back (3 hours of commuting) for a 90-minute concert which may not be of the highest standard, but I can read on the train and relax so it's all good.

[maestrob]

Barney.......

You're a lucky man in retirement, able to do the thing you love best! I do miss live concerts because live music is the best thing there is, with Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center just 30 minutes away from home and all the great ensembles and singers from around the world parading their best programs. I try to keep up with the best of CD releases, yet even in this day and age I feel I'm falling behind with so many great young artists coming on the scene. In fact, I enjoy HIP and the revelatory recordings of Baroque masterpieces a great deal, and am thankful that there's now enough interest in this repertoire to produce them.

[barney]

Barney.......

You're a lucky man in retirement, able to do the thing you love best! I do miss live concerts because live music is the best thing there is, with Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center just 30 minutes away from home and all the great ensembles and singers from around the world parading their best programs. I try to keep up with the best of CD releases, yet even in this day and age I feel I'm falling behind with so many great young artists coming on the scene. In fact, I enjoy HIP and the revelatory recordings of Baroque masterpieces a great deal, and am thankful that there's now enough interest in this repertoire to produce them.

I am very blessed, and very aware of it. Not quite retired, though, which is why I get a lot of free tickets. I will miss that greatly when it ends.
Re falling behind, I don't think it's ever been possible to be fully across the entirety of the classical musical world because it's too vast, even with modern media. I mean, you have to sleep so many hours a day. Growing up with Gramophone and Records and Recordings, I did such research as I could, but it is hugely easier now with the Net and especially YouTube (so that I get to pick the brains of the musical experts here, for example) and at the same time hugely more overwhelming.

[Beckmesser]

I found a fat envelope from the Met in our mailbox this afternoon. It's always a bit of surprise to see which operas make up our subscription for the new season. The only surprise this year is that we have tickets for the New Year's Eve Gala (the prima of a new production of Adriana Lecouvreur with Anna Netrebko). Otherwise our subscription for 2018-2019 contains a lot of standard repertory (Carmen, Aida, La Bohème, Tosca). Fortunately the Met allows exchanges with other operas at no cost (except for the price differential of the tickets).

My reaction to last season's announcement was a big yawn but this season has plenty to offer that interests me. I might actually find it hard to choose the "exchange" operas. I would like to see the new production of Samson et Dalila. I would also like to see again the fairly new productions of Falstaff (I thought Ambrogio Maestri was terrific in the title role during the 2013-14 season) and Otello (Gustavo Dudamel conducting). I am also quite fond of Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites. On the other hand I have never warmed to Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande but maybe I should give it another chance since the Met's new music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will conduct.

We never miss an opportunity to attend a live performance of Wagner's Ring Cycle regardless of the cast so I have already ordered our tickets. Hoping for tolerably decent performances even though I'm not crazy about the LePage production.

[THEHORN]

John, I would ver much like to see how Philippe Jordan conducts the Ring . He's a very gifted conductor and one of the finest Wagner conductors of the younger generation .
I'm not familiar with Greer Grimsley, but I've heard highly enthusiastic reports of him in Wagner .
We almost never seem to agree about anything ! De gustibus non est disputandum .

[THEHORN]

I'm disappointed to see only four new productions next season , but I'm curious about the new Nico Muhly opera, and I supposed it's not a bad idea to do a new Adriana, since the old one dates to before the Met moved to Lincoln Center , and some people really like this opera .
They could have done more out of the way repertoire than Samson & Traviata, as there's no great need for new ones .
Another thing to look out for will be the Met debut of Gustavo Dudamel in Otello . I haven't heard him in opera yet , so this should be interesting . He doesn't have a lot of experience conducting opera yet , but I see no reason why he couldn't do a terrific job with Otello .

[lennygoran]

but I'm curious about the new Nico Muhly opera, and I supposed it's not a bad idea to do a new Adriana, since the old one dates to before the Met moved to Lincoln Center , and some people really like this opera . They could have done more out of the way repertoire than Samson & Traviata, as there's no great need for new ones .

I'm going to go for the 4 new ones-there is a need for a new Traviata-the current one is awful imo. Regards, Len

[John F]

John, I would ver much like to see how Philippe Jordan conducts the Ring . He's a very gifted conductor and one of the finest Wagner conductors of the younger generation .
I'm not familiar with Greer Grimsley, but I've heard highly enthusiastic reports of him in Wagner .
We almost never seem to agree about anything ! De gustibus non est disputandum .

Not just different tastes but different experiences and perspectives, perhaps. Apart from several Ring cycles on records, I've seen it many times in America and Europe, beginning in Vienna in 1961 as conducted by Karajan with Nilsson, Hotter, Vickers, and Windgassen, so in this repertoire I'm not easy to please. Levine being sidelined, I would pay to see the Ring conducted by Thielemann, Barenboim, or Gergiev, indeed I have seen the Maryinsky Ring at Lincoln Center. Possibly Simon Rattle, who's been conducting the cycle in Vienna. Philippe Jordan? For me that's small potatoes, I'm afraid.

[THEHORN]

Philippe Jordan is not as well known as Thielemann, Rattle, and Barenboim, but he's younger , and this may change . I've seen DVDs of him conducting Busoni'
s Doktor Faust with the Zurich opera and Werher with eh Vienna State opera, and would recommend them to anyone . His work as music director of the Paris opera has generally been very well received .

[Len_Z]

A friend took this pic, just two minutes prior to the chandeliers going up, at last night's Semiramide with Meade, DeShong, Camarena, and Abdrazakov.

[lennygoran]

Disappointing but with bad weather and people who show up last minute--maybe that explains it-we'll see it March 14 and I'll let you know how it looks for that performance. Regards, Len

[Beckmesser]

A friend took this pic, just two minutes prior to the chandeliers going up, at last night's Semiramide with Meade, DeShong, Camarena, and Abdrazakov.

I suspect the Met is having trouble selling tickets to this particular opera. We have been receiving emails offering orchestra seats to the Saturday matinee for $70. I always assumed that matinee performances sold well.

[John F]

I always assumed that matinee performances sold well.

They do, usually, for a number of obvious reasons, which is why tickets for them are priced higher than for weekday performances. But without a Joan Sutherland in the cast, "Semiramide" is a hard sell, and Angela Meade is not a star like Sutherland.

Lenny's photo is of a Tuesday night audience, an even harder sell than the Saturday matinees despite the lower ticket prices.

[maestrob]

I always assumed that matinee performances sold well.

They do, usually, for a number of obvious reasons, which is why tickets for them are priced higher than for weekday performances. But without a Joan Sutherland in the cast, "Semiramide" is a hard sell, and Angela Meade is not a star like Sutherland.

Lenny's photo is of a Tuesday night audience, an even harder sell than the Saturday matinees despite the lower ticket prices.

That photo makes me very sad. Angela Meade, while not a star, should be one. She is a great singer, IMHO. If this is a typical audience at the MET now, they're in deep trouble.

[John F]

The problem is, stardom isn't really about merit, or not mainly, it's about fans, their number and their intensity. A true fan of Joan Sutherland, for example, might attend every performances in a run of Lucias, and bring flowers to the opera house. Obviously that does the opera company's box office no harm! There are also singers with a following that can't be explained by musical merit alone, cult figures such as Magda Olivero and Aprile Millo. And there are house favorites whose fans are geographically focused, such as Erich Kunz the beloved Papageno and Figaro of the Vienna State Opera but almost nowhere else. If such a following should grow for Angela Meade, we'll know it, but it's no disrespect to her to say she doesn't have it and possibly - I'd say probably - is unlikely to get it.