Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Just brief notes. More to follow, as usual, once my elsewhere reviews are done.

*A lot of empty seats after interval. I expected some scarpering, but not quite so much. It doesn't surprise me, but at the same time it's something I personally cannot comprehend. How do you get as far as paying (significant) money for your seats without discovering enough about the style or subject matter to suggest you might not want or be able to cope with it? And even having got to that point, what a shame that so many people seem unwilling to be challenged: to return for the second half even though they found the first difficult to take, just to see if, with a bit of effort, some kind of musical or theatrical reward might actually be unlocked. These are people who came to a Shostakovich opera with the words "Lady Macbeth" in the title. What did they expect? If they were shocked, why does that mean they have to go home? Would their lives and sanity and delicate sensibilities really be destroyed by one more hour of a highly respected, artistically sound opera written seventy-five years ago? Was there really nothing, not a single note or moment or phrase or idea or anything in the first act which suggested this was something other than a nasty monster from which to flee? And now I will stop and take a breath. If you think this is a rant, you should have heard me last night. And this morning.

*I hope we can have Susan Bullock back. Very, very impressive. And it was touching to see her blow a kiss heavenwards for Richard Hickox at her curtain call.

*My hat is off — yet again — to Jacqueline Dark. Not only for her singing, but for handling one of the most harrowing, brutal scenes in the entire opera, the workers' assault of Aksinya, with such courage and commitment. My respect and admiration for Jacqui continue to increase. She's a real treasure. (Apropos de which, Facebook users, have you joined the Jacqui Dark - Opera Singer fan club yet?)

*May Opera Australia's partnership with Sir Richard Armstrong prove to be a long and fruitful one. Based on Lady M last night, I'd be happy to see him back here any time. With his résumé and increased involvement with OA, it's hard not to wonder if he might be a contender for the music director job. We'd be fortunate to have him, I think.

*Did anyone who was present happen to spot Marie Bashir? The printed cast list carried an "in the presence of" note but I didn't see her or her liveried attendant. 

More, much more to be said, but my share of it will have to wait for a day or two.  Meanwhile, the mass exodus from Lady M has nothing on the vociferous booing which evidently greeted the cast and production crew on opening night of the Met's new La Sonnambula, starring my Natalie, of course, and directed by Mary Zimmermann. I was only able to stomach a handful of comments at Parterre before closing the browser and listening to Natalie's Italian Opera Arias instead. However, there are far more insightful and balanced (not to mention wittier) assessments to be found from three of my favourite New York operabloggers: Maury D'annato, Wellsung and AUV. I'm looking forward to the HD broadcast of it more than ever now. 

And speaking of the Met in HD, you can thank — or despise — me for the news that Patricia Racette will replace Cristina Gallardo-Domas in the broadcast performance of Butterfly. I've been hoping fervently that she would ever since the broadcast season was announced. I've been absolutely hopeless about this season's broadcasts — I saw Salome and have stupidly missed all the rest, even Renée's Thais, which I wanted to see — but suddenly those last four are looking terribly appealing, so I really must be better. Anna's Lucia will be interesting, at least; anything with Natalie hooks me, controversial or not; I'm a mad Butterfly addict (I'll be seeing the Met broadcast on the Sunday and closing night of OA's production the following evening); and La Cenerentola features not only lovely Elina Garanca, but also Australia's Own Rachelle Durkin!

Comments

[Thomasina]

[Ooh! You’ve redesigned - says she who reads her blogs in Sage]

Re the scarpering, I sometimes do wonder whether people pay real attention when they buy tickets for things. I was surprised, for example, at the number (not huge, but enough to bother me) who said they hadn’t realised that the SSO’s Midsummer Night’s Dream was going to involved a production of the play. After all, there wasn’t a single ad that didn’t mention the “company of actors” and the director. Did that not register?

I suspect the biggest surprises occur for subscribers, who have simply sent in their renewal without paying proper attention, and perhaps for the genuinely inexperienced who have misinterpreted (or been misled by) the marketing.

That said, and here I come as devil’s advocate to the defence of the “half show”, sometimes you really have simply heard enough by interval. I’m not making reference to Lady Macbeth… here, because I haven’t seen the production. But let’s say you aren’t offended by an opera, maybe you even know it well enough. You might still want to leave if the work or the performance of it just isn’t giving you sufficient pleasure or interest to warrant staying. This might be compounded by unanticipated fatigue, or consciousness of the next (working) day, or the thought of the train trip home. Any number of things that might cause you to decide, ok, I’ve heard and seen enough. But I realise that’s quite a decision to make if you’ve paid opera-league money for your tickets in the cause of a good night out. Ultimately, like you, I do wonder…

[Paul]

I went to a performance of "Madama Butterfly" last fall where the couple in front of us left at the first intermission! The main floor in this new opera house in Denver has such a shallow pitch that you're sitting very nearly on the same level as the rows in front and behind. The guy had a GIANT head, so I'm glad he scarpered early, but I still don't get people who walk out on US$100-plus seats. He could have been given them for free, I suppose.

[wanderer]

I don't think Marie Bashir was there.

Funny, but I was thinking how many people came back, more than I expected, so the opposite of you. A few factors: opening night (and subscriptions), money no object, in front was a captain of industry, with captain of industry's wife, now she doesn't like opera, not that she doesn't like Shostakovich, or murder, or rape, or masturbation, or alcohilsm, or feminism, or snow, or Domenica Matthews, or was broken hearted John Wegner was dead, but she didn't like OPERA. They didn't come back. Then there's the tourist factor, see whatever's on the night you're in town. Then there's Mardi Gras, maybe that kept the numbers UP, amongst other things.

Another mmember of 'society' was ranting that this was the role the widow Hickox was to sing, now wonder there was a broo-hah-hah, not interested in fact that it was a different fach, different opera, so it is easy to overestimate many of the crowd.

Missed you again.

[Simon]

Looking forward to reading your more thorough review, Sarah. Just wanted to add that whilst I'm not a Butterfly addict, I am also seeing the HD transmission on the Sunday and the final OA performance on the Monday evening - but for me there is a 600km journey in between!

[Margaret]

Glad Susan Bullock is getting some work with OA - she was here in Perth a few years ago to sing Brunnhilde (concert performances) and was very impressive there. More recently she filled for Lisa Gasteen in London.
Really looking forward to seeing Rachelle D this Saturday in "A Flowering Tree".