I am  completely entranced by this touching and very sweet production.
Alagna is  on his game, bless him and Netrebko is simply glorious with her
gorgeous  sound in a role tailor-made for her IMHO.

I couldn't agree more. I was there, and it was one of the great nights of 
opera that I have experienced in all my years of going to the opera.

Netrebko is simply a miracle. Let people nitpick all they like. She has it 
all. The way her voice fills the huge house that is the Met is more than 
remarkable. Never pushes. Her sound is gorgeous, and shimmers with beauty. Along 
with that is her great physical beauty, and her totally involved acting. She
was  more than perfect as Juliette tonight. Alagna was indeed in top form. What
a way  to start the season. Great tenor singing two nights in a row. First
Giordani  last night, and now Alagna tonight. This tenor fancier couldn't be 
happier.

The audience tonight seemed totally involved and even mesmerized by  the
goings-on. I have rarely witnessed such silence and attention as Netrebko  and
Alagna got tonight. The Tomb Scene had everyone I spoke to in tears. It was 
incredible!

Bravo Met. You're off to a great, great start.

Best,
Ed

Gounod was no Donizetti,  but the pleasure from tonight's Romeo completely
overshadowed last night's glittery (audiencewise) affair.

I was sitting in one of the all-time Met "hot spots)  D124 of the Balcony.  you
would have thought I was wearing $500 Shure headphones on my ears.  Romeo and
Juliette is about the 2 leads, and the Met served up top drawer victuals.  I had
seen Alagna before and he was an excellent Romeo.  Visually and dramatically he
remains one.  There is always a tendency toward quite a bit of "klang" (loose tin in
my book) in his singing, but he got better as the evening wore on.  It looked like
he had spentmost of August at the beach since he was as tan as anyone in Florida.
At times, it almost gave him a Dorian Gray look of defying age, but he worked very
well with Netrebko.  She gave possibly the best performance I have seen from her at
the Met, rising to particular heights in the Act IV  "poison" aria, often cut before
recent productions (there's almost 60 minutes more music in the Alagna/Gheorghiu EMI
compared to Freni/Corelli in EMI.  I have fond memories of MIrella Freni as Juliette
( I liked PIlou also), but Netrebko  had the whole audience in the palm of her hand,
me included.  I think her voice will take her wll beyond Juliette very soon, and if
there is not a vast range of color to her voice, it has a most attractive timbre,
accompanied by some wonderful dynamic variety.  ANd when it is time to play trumps,
she's there.  I have a perfect Puccini part for her, but I don't want her to do it
for at least 5 years (and no it's not BUtterfly or Tosca-- enough of both these
works for another quarter century).

Of the supporting players, Isabel Leonard had a huge success as Stephano.  One down
side of this production (new 2 years ago for Dessay (whom I missed because she
cancelled opening night) and Vargas who sang well but made minimal impact  is that
the first 3 acts are played without intermission, making it longer than the first
act of Parsifal
I happen to love Parsifal, especially the 1st act which almost seems short.  Romeo
has got much more filler than Faust (but also better dramatic moments for me--
though Mephistopheles is a better character than anyone in Romeo).  IN any case
after the balcony scene i thought there was an intermissionand headed up the steps.
The usher said there was one more scene,  but i was ready for a leg stretch, and
went down to List Hall(where the chorus rehearses and you hear the matinee opera
quiz).  Gelb has installed fabulous new sound and video equipment so that latecomers
are treated to HD (but no closeups) video and digital sound.  Refreshed and renewed
I was ready for the final act which has the best music, and tonight the very best
performance.  While I hate multiple intermissions,  the Met needs to think more
about earlier starting times, and breaking things in more spaces than 1.  Gounod and
Verdi were masters of the theatre and shoving 3 acts of Romeo, or  2 long acts of
Don Carlo into one section  is not optimal.
If I like Kaiser on Sirius, I'll go to another Romeo before my final one on New
Year'sEve with Polenzani and Netrebko.

In my post on last night I praised the chorus under new chorus master Donald
Palumbo.  That praise continues.  They are much better blended than in many a year,
and no oversinging.  Gelb also had a moment of silence for Sills and Pavarotti.
Crespin should have been included as well. Unless something changes,  I'm next in a
seat for the Macbeth premiere with Madame Guleghina.

Buying tip for people interested in the Villazon/Netrebko duets.  DONT get the video
deluxe edition.  Wretched music video of Boheme and little else.  the singing on the
CD is excellent and worth hearing.

Robert W. White

Кстати, а кто такой Ганон? я зверь темный и не знаю

Нессуно, Вы, как всегда, обладаете искромётным юмором. 002

Первая рецензия:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jI_IdlC...gs5I_RbD2k6DJzQ

А мнению Тати я все-таки доверяю.

А мнению Тати я все-таки доверяю.

Но не верю, что все было так, как описывает Тати. Есть у меня сомнения на этот счет.
Опять же, я редко верю рецензиям.

а зачем тогда их читаешь?

Я вот последнее время читаю и слушаю исключительно для того, чтобы стать эрудированной как нессуня.  Держу, тсскть, равнение на недосягаемый идеал.   :pion:  019