Tosca.
I went to watch an opera today, with my brother's friend David. It was Tosca by Puccini. It's one of my personal favorites and being the opening of the MET season (retransmitted in HD), I had great expectations. Karita Mattila (Tosca) was splendid. Not the youngest singer, but her stage presence is just amazing, you even forget about the music at some parts. Marcelo Alvarez was also amazing. Noone compares to Domingo in the role, but I gotta say Alvarez brings a new kind of flavour to the role of Cavadarossi. I didn't know the guy who did Scarpia, but he was very good too.
One thing bothered me: the stage production. Zeffirelli, the most amazing set designers of the history of opera made the most amazing stage set for Tosca... yet, they chose to hire some kind of new guy to create a set which is not comparable in any aspects to Zeffirelli's. Another thing that is starting to bother me is the whole modernizing movement thing. Don't misunderstand me, I think modernizing opera to show that it's not an elitist form of art and to encourage people like you and me to watch it is fine. It should be open to the greater public. However, modernizing it has to remain within certain borders.... In Berlin especially, they are starting to use sexuality as an incentive to watch opera and I personally find it is unappropriate. Even preposterous at times... Unnecessary.
Anyways other than those two points, I enjoyed it very much. Good singing, good orchestra, good acting. Almost a complete symbiosis.
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