Another Met FLUTE

January 4, 2005 - I was back at the Met this afternoon for another performance of the English-language MAGIC FLUTE. The audience was rowdier  - large groups of school kids - but the real distractions were two crying/screeching babies who could not possibly have been old enough to have any comprehension of what was happening onstage. And the parents made no effort to stifle them or take them out of the auditorium until the opera was almost over. So 3000+ people who paid good money to see the show had their afternoon spoiled by thoughtless, self-indulgent parents. Rule: never take children to the opera until they ask to be taken.

Levine's absence in the pit (replaced by Jens Georg Bachmann) was keenly felt; coordination between the orchestra and singers was sometimes awry.

The cast had many holdovers from the earlier performance reviewed below. Different today were the Papageno, Pamina, Tamino and Queen of Night. Nathan Gunn is a real stage animal, a dynamic and athletic actor who throws himself physically into the role of the birdcatcher. His voice is rather ordinary sounding, but no one seemed to care today. Ying Huang was a pleasingly silky-voiced and vulnerable Pamina, and Matthew Polenzani sang with sweetness and ardor as Tamino. Erika Miklosa's Queen was dazzling in accuracy and though her voice is light of texture, she sent the high staccati spiraling into the house, touching on the F's with jewel-like clairty.  Repeating their roles, Morris Robinson and David Pittsinger were very impressive. Greg Fedderly's Monastatos today was brilliantly creepy and cunningly sung.   

I met Ying Huang a few years ago when I was working at Tower. She kindly put me on her guest list today; the last time I was backstage at the Met was when Makiko & I visited Tony Griffey after SUSANNAH. It's a rather dreary place, actually, but it was nice to see Ying in her scarlet silk dressing gown sitting in the Met's prima donna dressing room.

Comments

[Dmitry]

It is interesting to compare the behavior of kids and young adults at the Met. The younger kids - 5 to 10 years old - were remarkably quite and attentive. The teenagers on the last performance were rude, noisy, and once they realized the power of their applause very disruptive. The teens below our balcony seats would begin to very intentionally and loudly applaud anything and everything - this after they talked through whatever it is they were applauding. And giggling with delight at their disruptiveness. It's a remarkable statement about the lack of education and education of respect teenagers receive from schools and, probably, even their parents.

[philip]

Yes, but on the other hand some of these kids probably had day care centers where their parents ought to have been.

And what about the old lady who sat below us last week and rummaged thru her purse and unwrapped her candies?

Basically it just boils down to self-centeredness.
The kids want to draw attention to themselves; the old lady wants her mint NOW no matter who else is annoyed by her actions. The parents of the wailing babies obviously were unconcerned that the noise their kids were making disturbed the entire house.