A very good year
This was the year of the beginning of the Metropolitan Opera HD broadcasts. I was homeless and traveled to New York City, San Francisco, Portland, London, Zurich, Vienna, Santa Fe and Glimmerglass. My fascination with Jonas Kaufmann also starts here. I reviewed 41 performances including 11 DVDs, 6 HD broadcasts, and 24 live performances.Favorite Performances
- Eugene Onegin from the Met with Dmitri Hvorostovsky Renée Fleming HD. ** I still like it more than the later version. Met HD
- (CB) Semele in Zurich ** Almost immediately after seeing Handel's Semele at City Opera in New York with Vivica Genaux, I flew to Zurich to see Cecilia Bartoli in the same role. In New York it was the production. In Zurich it was the star who bounced on the bed during her cadenza. After these two, I never need to see another. Travel
- (JK) Jonas Kaufmann as Florestan in Fidelio in Zurich ** It was a coincidence that I saw JK as Florestan. I was there and had nothing to do. "A Florestan to die for." It helped that I love Fidelio. This was the first time Jonas Kaufmann separated from the crowd for me. Travel
- Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at the Zurich Opera ** Wonderful early Handel with a brilliant concept production. It was originally staged for Cecilia Bartoli, but it still works fine without her. The singing was glorious. Travel
- Manon Lescaut at the Wiener Staatsoper. ** Finally a Eurotrash production!! Manon is lost due to involvement with the fashion industry. I was too sick to fly home, so I went to Vienna. Travel
- Iphigénie en Tauride at SFO. ** This was great because of the wonderful performance of Susan Graham. San Frandisco still puts on world class opera. Local
- Tea: a Mirror of Soul by Dun at Santa Fe ** I traveled a lot that year. My next destination was Santa Fe in New Mexico where I went on an opera tour. This work has a very spiritual message. The T-shirts were sold out. Travel
- Platée at Santa Fe ** After the tour was over, I stayed on for Platée, a wonder of cross-dressing and people appearing mysteriously from the ceiling. This was my first live Rameau, and I loved it. Travel
- Orphée by Glass at Glimmerglass ** Actually the whole Orfeo festival was very special. This was the year of 400 years of Monteverdi's Orfeo, and how could I not go? The other operas were Monteverdi, Offenbach and Gluck. Orphée is the Glass opera most like a regular opera. The text is all from the French film by Cocteau of the same name which I only saw after I had seen the opera.
Travel
- (JK) Jonas Kaufmann's Strauss Lieder This was my first Kaufmann album and is still my favorite. All my other Strauss Lieder have been by women. CD
Singer of the Year
Dmitri Hvorostovsky edges out Bartoli with his wonderful Eugene Onegin.
Didn't like
I didn't like Appomattox. I understand it's been revised. I suggested an opera about Mary Todd Lincoln.
New to Me Opera
- Cavalli's La Calisto (1651) was on DVD.
- Charpentier's Médée (1693) was a DVD with Lorraine Hunt.
- Donizetti's La Favorite (1840) was live from Vienna. **
- Dun's Tea: A Mirror of Soul (2002) (live at Santa Fe) **
- Dun's The First Emperor (2006) HD from the Met. **
- Glass's Appomattox (2007) (live at SFO). This is new to everyone. **
- Glass' Orphée (1991) (live at Glimmerglass) **
- Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride (1779) was live at SFO with Susan Graham. **
- Handel's Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (1707) (live from Zurich) **
- Elton John's Billy Elliot (2005) musical was live in London. **
- Offenbach's Orphée aux enfers (1858) (live at Glimmerglass) **
- Penderecki's The Devils of Loudun (1969) was on DVD.
- Puccini's La Rondine (1917) live at SFO **
- Rameau's Platée (1745) live at Santa Fe **
- Schoenberg's Moses und Aron (1932) was on DVD.
- Schwartz's Wicked (2003) musical was live in London. **
- Strauss's Daphne (1938) live at Santa Fe **
- Weill's Street Scene (1947) was a DVD.
##20 top 20 all time ** live, live stream or live in HD
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