Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. Orchestra (Seat BB31, $25).
Story and cast. See
previous blog.
Yes, I went back to see this opera. Bottomline: going a second time added a lot
to my understanding and appreciation of the opera.
While the auditorium was still reasonably filled, I
managed to move in a few seats (to BB27) at the start of the performance, and
to AA17 after the first intermission.
Perhaps it is the location, or perhaps this was the
second performance this season, the singers sounded much better this
evening. Both van Horn and Fabiano
sounded strong, and Meade was exquisite, especially the aria she sang lamenting
the deaths of her mother and child. Fabiano’s voice was a bit strained when he
had to belt out the high notes, though.
Compared to the three, Check was quite weak.
I also managed to jot down the different scenes of the
play: Prologue – where the choruses sang praises to God; Act I, Scene 1:
Carnival, at the end of which Faust met Mefistofele; Act I, Scene 2: Faust’s
study, with a telescope symbolizing his quest for knowledge; Act II, Scene 1: a
garden scene that Margherita’s mother spins with a ‘mill’ mechanism, it was here
that Fabiano had trouble with the high notes; Act II, Scene 2: Witches’ Sabbath
scene; Act III: Margherita is in prison, but finds redemption when she
renounces Faust; Act IV: ancient Greece - I didn’t realize that Faust and
Mefistofele walked down the aisle at the start of the act to get on stage;
Epilogue, Scene 1: Faust’s study where he contemplates the futility of it all;
Epilogue, Scene 2: back to original set, here Faust dies. He remains a young man after his
transformation in Act II; I guess there isn’t an opportunity to put on the
considerable make-up to age Fabiano.
The story was a bit more coherent, but I still don’t understand
why or how Margherita and Faust get redeemed.
Meade’s total time on stage is about 35 minutes. In that time she manages the aforementioned
aria, and the duet “Lontano, Lontano” with Fabiano.
Curtain as viewed from Orchestra Seat AA17.
I took the train in, and the train schedule was such that
I didn’t get home until after 1 am. And
dinner was after 11:30 pm at Wasabi in Penn Station. I am glad I took the time to go.
This is not a food blog, but Box and soda at Wasabi in Penn Station for $16.90, not bad.
1 comment:
Thhanks for this blog post
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