I both love and hate new productions of operas. I love new productions when they do three things: Number 1, they have to fit the story (i.e. the new production of Rigoletto that updates it to 1960's Las Vegas). Number 2, they have to be creative with the sets (The Tyrolean mountains shaped out of huge maps, for example). Number 3, they have to look good. They can simple and abstract, or they can be brilliant and fanciful, but they have to look nice.
I hate new productions that have hideous looking costumes. And I'm not just expressing a personal preference. I have seen costumes that just looked awful. Dmitri Hvorostovsky did a music video of a song called "Toi et Moi" by contemporary composer Igor Krutoy. The music was good, but Dima's costume made him look like a fangirl version of a Death Eater. And it looked like just an excuse for him to be shirtless. What's with that? I have also heard of productions that did not fit the story at all. There was a guy in Germany who tried making Mozart's lighthearted romantic comedy The Abduction fro the Seraglio into a blood, guts, and sex squickfest. That doesn't fit at all. And I have also seen sets that are not very creative. I can't name any right off the top of my head right now, but I've seen them.
I'm writing this because the Metropolitan Opera just announced what will be shown next season, and I want to know that the new productions actually work.
No comments:
Post a Comment