Tbe news done broke and we here at MFI played absolutely no role in breaking it: George Steel is the new director at City Opera. Mazel tov to The Little Opera Company that Occasionally Could, and we hope this works out well. It should, right? One has the impression it's like getting Mortier with much, much less baggage. You have to think they're probably feeling pretty sour in Dallas, though.
I go back to the opera, um, the day after tomorrow, and then some more after that. Despite my quite nearly violent dislike of Mark Morris' production of Orfeo, and my rather staid approval of Stephanie Blythe, the Sirius b'cast of opening night made me think this is going to be maybe something special.
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I can certainly understand not liking the Morris production, although I liked it very much indeed myself. I'm not sure I understand not liking Blythe, however. She seems to be very much the real thing to my way of thinking.
Well as of today we know the MET, which in nowhere as bad a position as NYCO, is nevertheless canceling new productions and expensive revivals, having suffered a 1/3 decline in the value of the endowment. Gelb is remaining upbeat for public consumption but he says he's going to be looking for concessions from the unions just like NYCO (he and other administration have already given themselves a 10% pay cut).
"..despite my rather staid approval of Stephanie Blythe"
Those words to me are like "Jesus died for your sins; give to the poor" to Nietzsche. WHAT?!?!?!
Stephanie Blythe stole the show at the METs Rodelinda a few years ago. After the opera, everyone I ran into said, "Renee, fine; Daniels, fine, if you go for that sort of sound; but who was that Stephanie Blythe?"
In the last few seasons, her performances in Trittico and as Fricka were superb. (For the first time ever, I actually rooted for Fricka over Wotan in last year's Die Walkure.)
Her MET Museum recital with John Relyea was out of this world - she sang arias from La Cenerentola and Don Carlo - her "O don fatale" was the best I have ever heard in my long, extensive 10 years of opera going.
And her two performances of new song cycles at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with Warren Jones et al. were out of this world.
I echo Sieglinde - I want a Zajick Norma and a Blythe Adalgisa, then I can die a happy man.
Joe
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