Live report …
Anyone else watching the New York City Opera broadcast of Madama Butterfly right now? (It’s Live from Lincoln Center, in case you’re wondering. Hmmm. Does that mean I’m seeing it live? No, can’t be … not here on the right coast**.) Anyone else have that glitch near the beginning, or is it Comcast?
And does New York City Opera really not list the orchestra anywhere on their site, or am I blind?
I read the interview with the two leads. The beginning made me laugh:
Last year, you sang Mimi and Rodolfo in La Bohème at New York City Opera. How was that experience?
James Valenti: It was great. Shu-Ying is nice and tall and very pretty and has a great voice. It’s easy to work with her.
Shu-Ying Li: He’s very tall.
Um. Okay.
I won’t last through the entire thing, I’m sorry to say. Too bad they don’t broadcast it here on New York time. But anyway, so far I’m not exactly blown away. But what do I know? (Those hanging ships, though … it doesn’t work when the camera is from a side angle; some of the ships aren’t appearing against the backdrop then. The backdrop is supposed to look like water, I’m sure. But some ships are against something else.)
Wow, the tenor is already dripping. Heat? Nerves? LIVE BROADCAST?!
MB isn’t at the top of my Puccini list. Sorry if that disappoints some of you. I’ve sure played it enough times. That’s for sure. (It’s nice to hear it without our cuts, though; we always cut a few things and it drives me nuts!)
Ouch! Intonation. Ouch! (Singers, not orchestra.)
Ah how easy it is to critique. I think I’d better shut up. I could never do what they do.
Addio!
**Dan reminds me that we are usually referred to as the “left coast” but wonders if I mean right as in “correct”. And yes, indeed, he does have me figured out. 🙂 We are on the correct coast. Sorry, New Yorkers. It’s just the way it is. Can you live with it? 😉
