Talk About a Powerhouse...

Now I've hesitated coming to terms that Stephanie Blythe may be this generation's next leading dramatic mezzo , but after Gluck's Orfe ed Euridice seen via HD broadcast there is no doubt she has arrived, at least with me (holding a candle to my leader of the pack Dolora Zajick). She was captivating the entire show through, and never faltered once in music or acting even though she's on stage the majority of the time. Her top notes came natural and did not seem strained, a nice suppleness was produced. Her low notes were there, dead on, audible and strong. There was so much command in her stage presence, emotion and drama conveyed by her voice alone that the others seemed almost inferior. Ms. de Niese however was a divine Euridice, perfect for the part actually...there's just not much for her character to do; her vulnerability was apparent though. And I'm not sure about Amor, sung by Heidi Grant Murphy...I took it as the comical relief, she was very bright in voice and appearance.

Now to the production. UH-freakin'-MAZING! Seriously though, I fucking love Mark Morris and his design team. The above photo is Ms. de Niese as Euridice in what almost looks like an Alexander McQueen piece...see below, simply stunning.

The choreography was so Morris, and not as distracting as I had imagined. The music and movement blended well together, and was enhanced by eclectic costume changes. The sets too were simply majestic with a simple quality. I basically can't wait for this opera to come out on DVD.

Peace out mon cheris.