Le Comte Ory

Hello! I'm back again with a new opera to add to my ever-growing repertoire.
On Nov. 1, we renewed our subscription to the Met Player (on the Metropolitan Opera's website). They have videos of performances that you can watch on the computer if you have a subscription.
The first opera we watched was Rossini's rarely performed comedy Le Comte Ory,
also the Met's premiere production.
Juan Diego Florez starred in the title role as the notorious Count Ory, a young nobleman almost in the mode of a Don Giovanni.
Diana Damrau played the Countess Adele, pursued by Ory but able and willing to slap him in the face if he goes too far.
Joyce DiDonato was wonderful as Isolier, the Count's page. Isolier is Adele's cousin, but that doesn't stop him from falling head-over-heels in love with the beautiful and dignified Countess.
 The amazing thing was that just an hour before the opening night performance in March, the tenor was in a bit of a predicament. Juan Diego Florez's wife was having their first child, and the theater needed him in half an hour.
Juan Diego had stayed up all night to help with the birth, and the baby boy was born five minutes before the tenor was due at the opera house.
Despite the fact that his first child had just been born, and the fact that he had stayed up all night, Juan Diego Florez gave an brilliant performance.

I had a lot of fun watching Le Comte Ory, especially during the scenes where the Count disguises first as a hermit, and then a nun!
If you ever get a chance to watch this great little opera, I would reccomend it.
Le Comte Ory may be hard to find a performance of, but it's definitely worth it!

Don Giovanni

Hello again! Opera Girl here.
On Saturday, I went to see a new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, starring Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien in the title role.
I really liked it, especially Donna Anna (Marina Rebeka), Leporello (Luca Pisaroni), Masetto (Joshua Bloom) and Don Giovanni.
The Metropolitan Opera broadcasts their Live In HD performances to movie theaters around the world. I like these broadcasts because it feels like you are really there. The video quality is also excellent.
I think that of all the wonderful operas out there, Don Giovanni will always be my favorite.