Park It Here

Dining during the opera is an old tradition, going back at least as far as the 18th Century. At Venice’s La Fenice, for example, patrons with private boxes were known to eat and drink throughout the performance, even going so far as to close the stage-facing curtain. Opera was seen much less as a serious artistic experience than as a social night out.

Of course, you won’t see that these days at the Met, where box seats go for $800 and up and well-heeled patrons usually take their meals on the Grand Terrace. But, when I go to see the Met Opera in the park – especially in my own local Eden of Prospect Park – the opera itself is secondary to the experience of enjoying a warm summer evening outdoors with friends, catching up on their goings-on while sharing a bottle of wine or two. Or three.

And, in the best of circumstances, it is an opportunity for people to experience opera for the first time, without the forbidding formalities of the Met, or even City Opera. You don’t have to know who James Morris is. Or who Charles Gounod is. Or even who Faust was. For example, my friend and former co-worker Pete, whose wife is an aspiring singer in her own right, told me he thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and would love to see "the real thing" sometime. Now, if that isn’t music to the Met’s ears…

Also with me was my good friend Pat, with whom I’ve been to the Met on numerous occasions (usually in standing room), including at least half-a-dozen performances by American bass James Morris, either as Wotan in Wagner’s Ring, Hans Sachs in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger, or Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca. (That only leaves 51 roles in which we haven’t seen him.) Last night, he sang a dastardly Mephistopheles, offering up a terrific demonic laugh in Act Four where he mocks Faust’s beloved Marguerite, sung ably by soprano Ellie Dehn in her first Met appearance. (I’m looking forward to her official Met debut next season in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha.) Also excellent were veteran tenor Fernando de la Mora as Faust and baritone Sebastian Catana as Marguerite’s protective brother, Valentin. The Met Orchestra sounded great as always, even through the tinny stage-based amplification. (They didn’t bring the usual satellite speaker setup this time.)

Tomorrow, I’ll be out of town on business, but hopefully most New Yorkers will get to enjoy at least some of Make Music New York, the annual musical celebration of the summer solstice which is making it’s NYC debut 25 years after the Paris founding. I hope to make it back in time to see the NY Philharmonic in their final subscription concert of the season, performing Mahler’s 7th Symphony and songs by Richard Strauss, featuring soprano Deborah Voigt, who sang Strauss’ Die äegyptische Helena at the Met in March. Should be epic.