La Traviata and The Perfect American – Still on View at Arte Live

This is a reminder that the La Monnaie La Traviata will be available on Arte Live for about 75 more days. And here it is:

Simona Šaturová thoroughly inhabits Violetta, and Sébastien Guèze is cute and impetuous as Alfredo. If you have any interest at all in Regieoper and you are not ultra-sensitive, I recommend you take a look and listen while it's still available. It's a somewhat disturbing production, but it's not boring. Here is my review of this Traviata.

Philip Glass: The Perfect American – World Premiere

It's like they say in Richard Strauss' Capriccio: it's hard to tell the arias from the recitatives. What Strauss noted of Gluck is true of Philip Glass. Many of the orchestral effects are wonderful, and there is more variety of sound and texture here than in many of Glass' other works. There are some lyrical moments and massive choral movements. Unfortunately, dialog that is more recitative-like is in an awkward, sing-song style that sounds like a comedy improv group pretending to sing opera.

Philip Glass World Premiere – Webcast from Spain (Feb. 6)

Philip Glass – one of the most sought-after American contemporary composers – presents his latest opera, The Perfect American, telling the story of a 20th-century character of huge cultural influence, Walt Disney. A world premiere at the Teatro Real de Madrid.

 –  From Le Blog at Medici TV

I am tempted to remark on the irony of an American composer having to go to Europe (it's a co-production with the English National Opera) to premiere an American opera about an American icon that's called The Perfect American. But I think for now I'll just look forward to seeing/hearing the new work. I assume there will be Spanish subtitles for the broadcast.  Medici usually archives and shares their videos for a few weeks before moving them into their subscription-only catalog.