I just love Opera... what about you? What's you're aria

[LONDONER]

[quote=palbert][QUOTE]Ah, Flagstad and Melchior. Unfortunately known to me only by recordings.

And you probably live in or close enough to London for the opera! Lucky you! [/QUOTE]

Known to me also only by recordings. I'm not that old!

Yes, I do get to London now and again but opera going is a really expensive business. Last time I went I loooked up the prices and for something like a barstool at the side or a seat with a restricted view (i.e., behind a pillar) they were asking $240 and I eventually ended up paying $320 for a seat in the stalls.

[palbert]

....
Yes, I do get to London now and again but opera going is a really expensive business. Last time I went I loooked up the prices and for something like a barstool at the side or a seat with a restricted view (i.e., behind a pillar) they were asking $240 and I eventually ended up paying $320 for a seat in the stalls. [/FONT]

Went to NY last Fall to meet up with gay friends for a long weekend. Decided to take in the MET's Cosi fan tutti: $375 for a box seat (can't stand being crowded). Great singing but old and lackluster production: one of those minimalist things.

Do you get the MET Live broadcasts for theaters. I've seen a couple and they are a reasonable substitute but still not the real thing.

[palbert]

The New York Metropolitan Opera 2014-2015 season will present 12 operas in 10 HD transmissions, including (for the first time in the series) two "double-bills" where two short operas will be presented together on the same program.

10/11/14 Macbeth
10/18/14 Le nozze di Figaro
11/1/14 Carmen
11/22/14 Il barbiere di Siviglia
12/13/14 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
1/17/15 The Merry Widow
1/31/15 Les contes d'Hoffmann
2/14/15 Iolanta and Duke Bluebeard's Castle
3/14/15 La donna del lago
4/15/15 Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci

Source: Metropolitan Opera Live in HD and metopera.org (information is for US and Canada)

Many of the more popular operas, e.g., Carmen, will have repeat broadcasts.

Check movie theater listing in your locale.

I don't know how this works overseas. Can someone help us out here?

[LONDONER]

Went to NY last Fall to meet up with gay friends for a long weekend. Decided to take in the MET's Cosi fan tutti: $375 for a box seat (can't stand being crowded). Great singing but old and lackluster production: one of those minimalist things.

And some claim that opera is not elitist!

[LONDONER]

The New York Metropolitan Opera 2014-2015 season will present 12 operas in 10 HD transmissions, including (for the first time in the series) two "double-bills" where two short operas will be presented together on the same program.

10/11/14 Macbeth
10/18/14 Le nozze di Figaro
11/1/14 Carmen
11/22/14 Il barbiere di Siviglia
12/13/14 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
1/17/15 The Merry Widow
1/31/15 Les contes d'Hoffmann
2/14/15 Iolanta and Duke Bluebeard's Castle
3/14/15 La donna del lago
4/15/15 Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci

Source: Metropolitan Opera Live in HD and metopera.org (information is for US and Canada)

Many of the more popular operas, e.g., Carmen, will have repeat broadcasts.

Check movie theater listing in your locale.

I don't know how this works overseas. Can someone help us out here?

I know that some performances are transmitted from the UK in HD to cinemas in Europe but I haven't been aware of transmissions from as far away as the MET.

I'd love to see "Bluebeard's Castle". I remember seeing it many years ago and it left an impression on me.

[Alex]

Do you guys know why Jake loves opera so much? Because believe or not this little man has Pavarotti's voice. Yes he does! I didn't believe him the first time I met him because he said he took classical chant and music when he was young, he's a great piano and saxophone player and he does have a great singing voice which I never believe could reach a tenor level. But when we got married he sang Nessun Dorma to me in front of my parents and friends, no microphone, nothing. His voice went all across the church - the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. I was in shock and when he was done I just cried and couldn't stop crying - this was all for me. So what's my aria? Jake is my aria.

I didn't even know what opera was before I met him. A black dude singing opera lol yeah right... Well, everything is possible and I have the proof.

[palbert]

@Alex. now that is friendship. (And the perfect aria before a wedding night!)

[LONDONER]

Thanks Alex, what a lovely memory to keep and cherish. And why shouldn't a black guy not have as good a voice as a white guy?

[palbert]

I know that some performances are transmitted from the UK in HD to cinemas in Europe but I haven't been aware of transmissions from as far away as the MET.

I'd love to see "Bluebeard's Castle". I remember seeing it many years ago and it left an impression on me.

"The inaugural live HD transmission was of Mozart's Magic Flute, watched live in nearly 100 venues. Since then many opera houses have used this formula to bring opera to the masses. The Met broadcasts now reaches 2,000 theatres in 66 countries. In the UK alone there are 175 venues."

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tim...oes-wrong/ (9 Mar 2014)

Do some digging. You can certainly find a venue near you.

[palbert]

UK INFO

The Metropolitan Opera
Live in HD: International Cinemas

"Choose your location (in the list) below to be directed to the movie theater partner site for information, performance start times, and ticket availability."

http://www.metopera.org/metopera/liveinhd/uk.aspx