Tag Archives: review
The Sniffer – Review
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 15th June 2017The Sniffer is a Ukrainian TV series recorded in Russian. The stories all take place in an unspecified Russian city. The license plates are Russian and the characters often refer to oligarchs. The show has two protagonists, the title character and his childhood buddy, who after a promotion halfway through the first season, is a Colonel…
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Der Rosenkavalier in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 13th May 2017Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier was the final HD telecast of the Met’s 2016-17 season. It also marked the last appearance of Renée Fleming as the Marschallin and Elina Garanca as Octavian. The production by director Robert Carsen was introduced to the Met last month. He sets the action just prior to World War I. Unlike most time shifting in…
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Nabucco in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 8th January 2017In a geriatric special, the Met televised its 2001 production of Verdi’s Nabucco featuring septuagenarians Placido Domingo and James Levine. The former in the title role and the latter behind the baton. This pairing of ancients would suggest that everyone should be eligible for a senior ticket. But everyone in my theater was already eligible….
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Roberto Devereux in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 16th April 2016Donizetti’s opera Roberto Devereux received it first production at the Met last month. Today’s performance featured the same cast as in the prima. Its librettist, Salvadore Cammarano, also wrote the book for Lucia Di Lammermoor and started that of Verdi’s Il Trovatore, but died before he could complete it. Devereux like Trovatore is an opera…
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Lulu in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 21st November 2015Attending a performance of Alban Berg’s opera Lulu is like going through Marine Corp boot camp. While you’re doing it you wonder why on earth you ever attempted such a stress filled enterprise. When it’s over you feel proud of yourself and are glad you don’t have to do it again. Lulu is an opera that…
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Cav & Pag in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 25th April 2015David McVicar’s new production of opera’s venerable double bill was telecast today from the Metropolitan Opera House. First, before I start to pick a few nits, this production worked. It successfully conveyed the raw passion the two tales of jealousy and murder hurl at the audience with visceral impact even after a century and a…
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Iolanta and Bluebeard in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 14th February 2015The Met sent an unusual duo around the world this afternoon – Tchaikovsky’s last opera Iolanta and Bartok’s only opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle; the Met omitted Duke from the title. This run of the Tchaikovsky was the first time the opera was done by the Met. The reason was Anna Netrebko in the title role,…
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Jonas Kaufmann’s First Andrea Chenier in London
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 2nd February 2015On January 20 The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden mounted its first new production in 30 years of Giordano’s opera Andrea Chenier. The reason for the opera’s reappearance was Jonas Kaufmann’s initial performance of the title role. Right thinking critics turn up their noses at Chenier – actually they come close to regurgitating when they think…
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The Tales of Hoffmann in HD – 2015
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 31st January 2015Offenbach’s masterpiece was telecast for the second time by the Met in its HD series. The first broadcast was December 19, 2009 with Joseph Calleja in the title role. This afternoon Vittorio Grigolo had the lead part. Bart Sher’s production was modified from its earlier incarnation, mostly for the better. The lights were turned on this…
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Macbeth in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 11th October 2014Verdi’s masterful transposition of Shakespeare’s play to the lyric stage received its second HD transmission by the Met. Zeljko Lucic again played the title as in 2008. But today’s focus was Macbeth’s frightening spouse impersonated by Anna Netrebko. The Russian diva has undergone an astounding transformation since her Met debut more than 12 years ago as…
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