Opera help-please!!!!
 

My hubby and I are wanting to see a Opera at the Met in December. Here is what is playing:

Rodelinda
I Vespri Sciilian
Les Contes d' Hoffmann

We have seen a few operas and throughly enjoyed them but have never heard of these. Of course we are that informed on Opera to begin with. Also where do we want to sit? Are any of these worth missing a broadway show for? Thank you so much, we use all of your valuable expertise!

I have not seen any of the 3, but at first glance, I would NOT choose Rodelinda. It is a LONG piece by Handel, which to me translates as boring.

HOWEVER, looking at Met's website, Renee Fleming will be in Rodelinda, and it is a new production. That could be a big selling point.

I have sat in Family Circle (cheapest) and Balcony (2nd cheapest), and also have stood in the back of the orchestra (standing tickets). The Family Circle is quite far, and you cannot see the deep end of the stage, but usually the action goes on in the front. Balcony seats are better (obviously). But for either one, you'll need opera glasses. Obviously, the more expensive the seats are, the better they are; it really depends on how much you want to spend. :)

I thought The Marriage of Figaro was playing?

GoTravel- I don't think so. Here's the link to Met's schedule for December:
http://www.metopera.org/season/december/

You pose an unanswerable question.
It is like asking which painting is the best or which restaurant is the best.

Of the 3 operas, The Tales of Hoffman, or Les Contes d'Hoffman, has the best music, but the plot is a real wierdo, almost a hallucinogenic ramble. It is one opera the plot of which I find to be a distraction to the music.

It takes one heck of a tenor, however, to sing the role of Hoffman and 3 good sopranos and a good deep baritone or bass to handle some of the other roles.
Some of the music is unmatched in opera.
Certainly the Barcarolle is the most bewitching music I know of.

Scilian Vespers, by Verdi, is a solid Verdian opera but not his best. La Traviata and Aida are usually regarded as superior works, but that, too, is a matter of opinion.

What Broadways Shows are you trading off for the opera? I go to operas, in fact I will be at the Met next week for Carmen and Aida, but if you are trading off something like South Pacific for Rodelinda, I am not sure which I would take -- probably the musical.

On the other hand, I am not sure anything in that genre is tradable for first class Carmen!

Momo-
BTW, the Met is frequently sold out. You may want to find out if any of the operas you are considering is sold out or not before making your final decision.

I got a migraine when we saw Vespri Siciliani and it kind of dragged along to me (could that have been the pain?)
But I love the Tales of Hoffman, have seen it a few times!
The sets, the costumes and the music are Fabulous!
Read about it before you go so you will have more of an idea of the way things are going, the music is wonderful. I am jealous :D

Good point. Those performances, assuming we are discussing Friday and Saturday, are heavily sold already.
The Tales of Hoffman has the most availability, but several sections are already sold out.

I am a moron. I should have said it is being performed, not playing.

The trials of being a cultural peasant.

WOW! Thank you all so much. As I said my hubby and I are not opera wise. We do enjoy it though but do not know anything about the music, we just enjoy it. Did that make sense?

I would not have asked any opinions if it were a opera I had heard of, I would love to see Carmen , Aida etc. We saw Romeo and Juliet at the Vienna Opera House and loved it! So were hoping to get the same experience here. I would like one that is easy and fun to follow.I know comparing these is like comparing apples to oranges but when my hubby said what do we do, I said let me friends on Fodors tell us what to do.

We were thinking of seeing Little Women the musical or whatever? I just did not know what to do. By the way in Vienna and Paris we did not need opera glasse (they were so intimate) is this something you must purchase there? I will check availabilty it will be for the weekend of 12-11-04.

Thanks again to all of you and please have patience for a ignorant opera fan.

If you sit up in the nose bleed section of the high Met balconies, I think a telescope is in order. But, a good pair of small binoculars will be more acceptable to the people behind you, and in front of you.

Three comments:
1. You'll be able to see simultaneous English translation on the back of the seat in front of you at the Met.
2. I would recommend the orchestra, first ring or second ring. Beyond that, you are bit far from the stage. However, keep in mind that tickets to the Met are expensive!
3. Of the three operas mentioned, I would recommend Tales of Hoffman. But, as others have said, get your tickets ASAP. You may already be too late.

If you cannot get tickets to the Met, the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center is a wonderful experience.

Agree with recommendation of Tales of Hoffman.

Also suggest that you try Family Circle, where the sound is reputedly the best. Also suggest that you get tickets as close to middle as possible. Sitting to the side, you may miss half the action.

The Met has about twice the seating capacity of the Vienna Opera House, 4000 vs 2000. Opera Houses in Europe tend to be smaller and more intimate affairs. The Met is HUGE.

Enjoy!

I would also add a vote for Tales of Hoffmann, especially since you're just getting to know and enjoy opera. My recommendation, though, would be to get a CD and become as familiar as possible with the music before you go. (Having said that - I know they're not cheap - maybe it's possible to borrow one from a friend or the library.) If you don't enjoy the CD, chances are the opera won't be much fun for you either - but if you do, knowing the music will enhance the experience for you. A plot synopsis (likely easily found via Google) might also help.

I'm not familiar with any of the three. When in doubt, I'd look for the known composer whose work I liked. Here you have Verdi, Handel and Offenbach. I'm probably looking at Verdi as the least chance of an awful show. (But, Hoffman is a Met Opera favorite, so that's got to count for something.)

With no clear favorite, I'd be looking at the running times. Hoffman is 3:40, Sicilian is 3:30, Rodelinda is 4:00. The last one goes because I hit the wall at about 11:30. I can deal with 10 minutes more, not 30.

BTW, you can get a very well written synopsis on the Met Opera website if my unscientific rambling provides no help.

http://www.metopera.org/season/december/

Well there are seats still available for Hoffmann like back of Orch. Is this what I want? I heard someone say get the first and second ring what are those? Help! And thanks you all of have been a wealth of info!

The rings are the balconies. You can get the first which is right over the orchestra and seats are the same price as orchestra, very good seats. Problem with all good seating, those with subscriptions have the first choice, those who buy the way you are , have to choose from the "left overs " :)
This is a not so clear seating chart for the Met. You can get an idea of where the orchestra is and how far you would want to sit in the back.
I do not like to sit in the back of the orchestra. I would take a side seat up closer (but that might just be me) or upstairs, but stay in the center. You will get a crick in your neck if you sit on the side box seats.



http://www.cityguidemagazine.com/ima...erahouse50.jpg

Ramon Vargas is singing Hoffmann (in all performances, I think). He's worth missing a Broadway show for, IMHO.

Being realistic, you're not going to get prime seats at this stage. As a previous poster noted, those ordering a subscription for a series have already gotten the best seats. The question is: Do you want to go badly enough to settle for less than ideal seats?
The first and second rings are probably all sold out. If not, get seats there. If they are sold out, I'd favor the rear of the orchestra rather than higher than the second ring.

Vargas is indeed a heck of a tenor.
The singer pereforming in the role of g Hoffman is on stage almost the whole opera and has several great arias to sing.

There is a sextet toward the end of the opera that is enchanting, one of my favorite few minutes in all of opera.

The cast for Hoffman is strong as far as I know.

As said earlier, just don't let that wacky plot get in the way of enjoying the music. It is in places fantastic.

I try to do that with Otello and Don Carlo, but I don't succeed very well.

Hoffman sounds like your best bet, based on what you told us. The music is fun, Vargas is a decent tenor, and I've seen this one; traditional staging, not wacko sets.

While Rodelinda will be a hot ticket because it is unfamiliar, features Renee Fleming, and is a new production, it IS long.

Vespri probably would also be enjoyable; one of Verdi's earlier operas.

If you don't have any, you can buy inexpensive binoculars/opera glasses at the MET. I understand you also can rent them, but I've never done this. The website will tell you.

You can get seats in the Family Circle (great sound) CHEAP! Well under $50. But, don't go there if you have a fear of heights. I like the Balcony, the best value for your money in combining great sound with good viewing. Still need opera glasses to see the details/faces, though.

If you get seats in a box on the side of the theater, those closest to the stage may be partial view seats. Ask. Also, as I'm short, if I get a seat in the side boxes (on any level) I ask to be in the front row.

The only other seats I'm wary of are those way under underhangs from the balconies above. This includes the rear orchestra. These seats have a double whammy of some sound distortion and the overhang cuts off the top of the stage. Not always a problem, but that depends upon the production. I also try to avoid the orchestra seats on the side called "orchestra balance. The view is fine, but the sound has some odd dead spots in places. And, at the prices they charge, I just consider these seats generally a poor value.

The MET in December should be quite festive. Have fun! And, consider a backstage tour of the MET. Even my non-opera loving friends who've gone have been fascinated.

Hoffman, by all means. I would hang by my thumbs from the ceiling to see it. Poor Hoffman falls in love with a beautiful toy, a sadistic jezebel, and a mommie's girl with a heart condition. Just like All the World Turns. The music is wonderful and sounds like there will be a good tenor.
As in all good operas, the minor parts are also very juicy.

I would listen to Rodelina segments on a stereo in my garden just letting the beautiful music pour over me.