The massive set for Wagner’s “Ring” being staged at the Metropolitan Opera picked a fine time to misbehave. A technical problem left an estimated 175,000 people sitting in movie theaters around the world (and nearly 4,000 people at the Met itself) twiddling their thumbs while waiting for the start of a live high-definition broadcast of “Die Walküre,” the cycle’s second … [Read more...] about 175,000 left waiting for Met techies to fix the ‘Die Walküre’ planks
Die Walküre
La Scala opening night TV blooper
The live transmission of "Die Walkure" from La Scala was the first time that the opening of the season had been broadcast live in 20 years... so there were bound to be a few problems. And there were! The best was just as the second act overture started when several RAI technicians in the museum next door suddenly found themselves on worldwide live TV. … [Read more...] about La Scala opening night TV blooper
15 minutes of applause – a triumph for Nina Stemme, Waltraud Meier and Daniel Barenboim
La Scala's production of Richard Wagner's "Die Walküre" drew a 15-minute ovation on the opening night of the opera house season yesterday. "Die Walküre" - a powerful drama about the struggle for power, family love and incest - thrilled a packed house. With tickets costing as much as 2,400 euros, the opening night at the 18th century opera house is one of the most popular … [Read more...] about 15 minutes of applause – a triumph for Nina Stemme, Waltraud Meier and Daniel Barenboim
Barenboim appeals from the pit for the defence of Italian culture
Before conducting the National Anthem and the 'Die Walküre' overture, Daniel Barenboim took up a microphone and, addressing himself to the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, said: Image via Wikipedia I'm very happy, once again, to be conducting on the 7th December at La Scala. [7th December, feast day of Saint Ambrose, patron saint of Milan and the … [Read more...] about Barenboim appeals from the pit for the defence of Italian culture
La Scala’s Die Walküre hobbles towards it’s opening night
Last night saw the dress rehearsal of La Scala's new production of Die Walküre for the traditional opening of its season on the feast day of Saint Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, the 7th December. The dress was without the first act as both Waltraud Meier (Sieglinde) and Simon O’Neill (Siegmund) are having vocal problems which, according to Daniel Barenboim, is due to … [Read more...] about La Scala’s Die Walküre hobbles towards it’s opening night