Monday, November 12, 2007

Tonight: Norma at the Metropolitan Opera or What is the cure for my insomnia?!

Norma
Conductor: Maurizio Benini
Norma: Hasmik Papian
Adalgisa: Dolora Zajick
Pollione: Franco Farina
Oroveso: Vitalij Kowaljow


ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZNORMA! Hasmik Papian's voice is big and sloppy! What a disappointment to hear that wobbly, tentative Casta Diva! Thank God for Dolora Z's gorgeous mezzo...but I had to close my eyes in those love scenes. Ew. I have nothing to say about the men. Bellini sucks. The John Copley Production sucks. The Set & Costume Design by John Conklin sucks.

5 comments:

NHimmelstein said...

I liked it. Snorrrrrrrrrrrrrma.

Anonymous said...

Sarah, you're much too kind. This Norma tops last season's Puritiani as my worst opera-going experience.

Sarah B. Roberts said...

I know you're right Sally, but remember, we walked out of Puritani. What kept us in our seats last night?

Bob said...

Wow! I walked out of the opera once. Hey - it was actually the last time I went to the opera three years ago!

Anonymous said...

Give Bellini's Norma another chance. Buy a Norma cd set with Maria Callas or with Joan Sutherland or the dvd with Montserrat Caballe. They were great Normas. Norma is to the soprano as Hamlet is to the dramatic actor. It is considered the Mount Everest role that every soprano would love to be able to sing, but hardly any can sing it well. With great artists Norma is a great work. To say Norma sucks is like saying Shakespeare's Hamlet sucks.