trendsetter's stats
- Review count9
- Helpfulness votes1
- First reviewJanuary 11, 2009
- Last reviewAugust 6, 2009
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating5
trendsetter's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
The Magic Flute
PostedAugust 6, 2009
Mozart having a little fun... creating sheer bliss. The Metropolitan Opera cutting out portions to abbreviate it to under two hours but retaining the story line and all the major arias. Great costumes and special effects...so fanciful and beautiful. The voices were superb and with James Levine conducting, how could it go wrong? It was a little loud because the theater was not full but this time they remembered to turn the house lights up when it ended. The three of us (two women in our seventies and a man in his fifties) loved every minute of it. We can't wait for the 2009-10 season to start in October.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
PostedJuly 30, 2009
Oooh, what can I say. Juan Diego Florez in top form, Rossini at his best, on the big screen. That is heaven. This entire opera was wonderfully cast, the sets were amazingly simple and yet gave the impression of complexity. The only problem was that there were so few Inland Empire residents in attendance and the sound was set for a full theater. That made it too loud. I would never have believed that a Rossini opera could be too loud but the kids running the theater should learn that when the crowd does not show up, they should turn down the volume. Otherwise, superb cast, heavenly voices, gorgeous costumes and our little group enjoyed it thoroughly from the 11 year old girl to the 76 year old woman.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
La Cenerentola
PostedMay 10, 2009
We loved it. Three women in our 70s and one 9-year-old girl and we all loved it. The voices were spectacular, Rossini's up-tempo ensembles were perfect, the costumes and sets were inspired. We have loved this entire season and are arranging our calendars for next season. As we left the theater, strangers called out to one another, "See you on October 10...put it on your calendar now!" Thank you to the Met and the Neubauer Foundation for these HD broadcasts.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
The Audition
PostedApril 20, 2009
Excellent visit behind the scenes at the Met Auditions finals. We've attended local Met Auditions and have heard the regionals on Public Radio Stations but this is the first in depth study of the finalists and their week in New York. All of the young artists sang our favorite arias...all of them sang them beautifully and in between we got to visit them back stage and get to know their hopes and dreams, to realize how hard they worked to get there. Keep it up!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
La Sonambula
PostedMarch 22, 2009
This was terrific. Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flores at their peak were just right for these parts. The story is rather idiotic but the music is Bellini having a great day and in my book you can't beat that. It was a little loud but only because the theater wasn't full. Why wasn't the theater full? These HD live simulcast are the best thing to happen to opera since Texaco and there should be some major advertising so that all opera buffs can get it on their calendars.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Madama Butterfly
PostedMarch 8, 2009
This was wonderful. The theater was full and the crowd really enjoyed it. We applauded with the audience in the Metropolitan Opera House and shed our tears when Butterfly died. Times have changed since Puccini's day, however. Even though the tenor performed flawlessly, he was booed by some members of the audience at curtain call because the character he played is such a cad. We last saw him in Damnation of Faust where he also ravaged a young girl and left her. All in all, this has been a wonderful season. Keep them coming!!!!!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
Lucia di Lammermoor
PostedFebruary 8, 2009
Sprectacular presentation of Donizetti's Lucia. The scheduled tenor was ill, Piotr Beczala stood in. He is obviously now the hottest name in Opera as he performed magnificent ly. The staging was new and I thought it worked very well. Besides having some of the most beautiful music ever written, what can one say about Lucia? We took a ten-year-old girl with us who had never seen opera and she loved it.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Orfeo ed Euridice
PostedJanuary 25, 2009
Without a doubt, this was the best "Orfeo" I have ever seen. Mezzo soprano, Stephanie Blythe, was in high form as Orfeo. Beautiful music just poured out of her effortlessly. The grief in her voice brought tears to my eyes. The set design was striking, costumes were good and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus was in rare form too. Conducted by James Levine, this is a keeper. I hope to buy it on DVD soon.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
La Rondine
PostedJanuary 11, 2009
Great Puccini! I love these Metropolitan Opera Simulcasts but this was the first time I'd ever seen La Rondine as it has not been performed at the Met in my lifetime. A superb cast and conductor, all roles were beautifully sung. It is too bad there isn't more local advertising for these simulcasts because I know that the Inland Empire isn't a total cultural wasteland. Everyone there was there because of word of mouth advertising and the theater could have been full with a couple of ads.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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