The works

[chickenfeet]

When opera works, it really works. Today's performance of Gluck's Orfeo was a case in point. This is a work that was written at a time when ballet was still a big part of opera and there are several bits that really need dance to make them work. I'm not a big dance expert so I guess my judgement is suspect but I thought Mark Morris' choreography was brilliant and the dancers were just superb. It was a blend of modern and more classical styles and very effective. I was particularly struck by the finale, "The Triumph of Love" , where he had multiple couples dancing fairly conventional MF figures but he has MF, FF and MM couples dancing the figures and it's beautiful and affecting (and maybe builds on some of the more general optimism of the last few days). For the rest, the singing was superb. The first few notes from Stepanie Blythe (Orfeo) were electrifying and she didn't let up. All of the big set pieces were superb culminating, of course, with a tear jerking "Che Faro". Danielle de Niese was gorgeous and vocally flawless as Euridice and Heidi Grant Murphy made a pleasantly sly Amor. Add the Met orchestra and chorus doing what they do and maestro Levine in the pit and one really has a a recipe for near perfect opera. Which it was.

Comments

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

It sounds a wonderful performance! What a shame that the lemur couldn't go - did you manage to find a taker for the ticket?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

The ticket went to waste, alas!