We are just home from Simon Boccanegra. It was really wonderful. Aside from what little I heard on YouTube prior to the performance I knew nothing of the music. I now really want a recording of this.
The singers were super. The orchestra was as well. The audience … well … the audience was not so wonderful. The people in front of us barely applauded at all. The couple to our right didn’t come back after the first half and an usher took one of their seats. She proceeded to open her zippered purse noisily, and then had something with velcro she opened. Bizarre. You’d think ushers would be quiet. Wouldn’t you?
But in any case, I just loved the Simon Boccanegra and I’m so happy I finally saw and heard Dmitri Hvorostovsky live and in person!
(I am only a mite disappointed that where we are now sitting — grand tier, row D or E depending upon the opera — means I don’t see the oboe section very well. But I heard them and they were, as always, great!)