As opening night took to the Metropolitan Opera, crowds gathered for the latest production of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. And given its great reception, the strife that has followed the Met recently has seemingly been swept under the rug.
While coverage of The Met's recent financial debacle was at an all-time high, it was questionable if the coming season would kick off without a hitch. Protestors lined the queue of the Opera's doorsteps to voice out against the upcoming program The Death of Klinghoffer.
The issue of glorifying terrorism has been central to the debate. If there's such a thing as artistic freedom, then those who admonish the production feel this falls outside that umbrella.
Editorials were filed over the weekend rifling through the do's and don'ts of opera theatre. Many feel as though Klinghoffer is an acceptance of such atrocities like those of ISIS, which has been the crease of what many feel is "scandal-like."
But if it's any indication, then perhaps the lashing out against Peter Gelb and the organization shows there's a lot of attention being thrown at the company, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Especially if you take into account the reviews of Le Nozze. Justin Davidson at Vulture said of the opener, "An evening like this is the strongest argument for the continued vigor of the Met."
So, with some promising performances from some star-studded basses (Rene Pape being one of them) it looks promising on the horizon for the company. And after all the stress that pulled at the Opera through this year, it was certainly a night well deserved.
In case you missed it, here's a little from the final dress rehearsal of Le Nozze di Figaro.
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