There were 28 discrete pieces
(taking Boheme Act I as three, Dmitry one, overture one, Aida Triumphal March
as one, etc. [see below for my notes on the night]
The seats cost either $1966
or $950 with standing room $50 on the day.
And there were sporadic single seats
available on the internet Met site in the days leading up to the event. The marketing therefore was near perfect as a
fund raiser as well as a celebration for those prepared to take a financial hit
(and most was tax-deductible for US residents).
I note it is actually 51
years since the current opera house’s first performance (see Wiki page
documenting first performance (La Fanciulla del West) for students was 11th
April 1966 with formal opening with Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra on 16
September 1966 which is 50 years ago last September. But hell, any time is a good time for a
party, so party they/we did. It may have
been the finest line-up of opera talent in a very long time.
Conspicuous by their absence
were: Jonas Kaufmann (long booked for Cavaradossi in Vienna); Villazon (no
explanation); Florez (doctor’s certificate); Mr Furlanetto (?).
These are the names who were
advertised to be singing on the night: Piotr Beczała, Ben Bliss, Stephanie
Blythe, Javier Camarena, Diana Damrau, David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato, Plácido
Domingo, Michael Fabiano, Renée Fleming, Juan Diego Flórez, Ferruccio
Furlanetto, Elīna Garanča, Susan Graham, Vittorio Grigolo, Mariusz Kwiecien,
Isabel Leonard, Željko Lučić, Amanda Majeski (??), Angela Meade, James Morris,
Anna Netrebko, Kristine Opolais, Eric Owens, René Pape, Matthew Polenzani,
Rolando Villazón, Michael Volle, Pretty Yende and Sonya Yoncheva. But we need to add the surprise of the night:
Dmitry Hvorotovsky.
Despite high ticket prices and few 'complimentary' seats (eg. Richard Bonynge and a
few other first season participants) this should have been one of the most opera-savvy audiences imaginable. Nevertheless, inexplicably there was
still premature applause in the middle of Lady Macbeth’s first act scena with Anna
Netrebko as well as in La Traviata Act I finale with Ms Damrau (and Mr
Polenzani off-stage – who BTW omitted the high option in his one-liners).
Although there were no
obvious cameras in the hall to my surprise the Met released the clips below on
YouTube a few days after the event.
These, I would estimate, comprise no more than 25% of the concert for all
to enjoy. None was the full item and
some ended abruptly (such as 'Nemico della patria'). It is a mystery to me why the concert was not filmed on HD video for future use, not to mention for historical purposes. This was like 30 singing lessons. I have since heard from an insider that a
documentary was made about the entire process leading up to this gigantic concert. I was keen to know who got the main
dressing-room(s)!
Comments by Andrew Byrne, Sydney drug doctor.
Below are some links I found on searching YouTube:
Comments by Andrew Byrne, Sydney drug doctor.
Below are some links I found on searching YouTube:
Qual voluttà trascorrere (Angela
Meade, Michael Fabiano, Günther Groissböck) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_B2LIauU6k
Aida triumphal march (Gala
Finale with Latonia Moore; Dolores Zajick and many more): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2nZZq2s6vk
Met Gala curtain calls (one
by one then grand finale with conductors and tutti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhSzndFPb3k
Nemico della patria. (just audio, no video from NPR)
