But the biggest event of the year may have been conductor Natalie Stutzmann’s debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Conducting one new Mozart opera is tough enough, especially as an introduction to a theater company, but two at the same time? Stutzmann’s work on both of the quaint “The Magic Flute” was excellent, supple yet rich and propulsive without rushing or detracting from the score’s lyricism.
how was she repaid? Before “Flute” began, Stutzmann told The New York Times that McBurney’s rendition of raising the pit almost to stage level meant that instead of keeping the musicians “in the back of a cave” as usual, they would be able to see what was going on. He reportedly said he was trying to find out what was going on. “Nothing is more boring than this.” Joking and harmless. But for some reason, her musicians took to social media to accuse her of playing boring.
To make matters worse, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the music director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, publicly cheered for this unsightly pile, instead of defending his colleagues or trying to resolve conflicts behind the scenes, sending the applause emoji to seven added one. Instagram post by the orchestra. He and the musicians should be ashamed of themselves. Stutzmann should be celebrated.
Next season, though scaled back, is not without ambition, with Verdi’s Fate of the Fate (not performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2006), Puccini’s La Rondine and Wagner’s Tannhäuser.
This new approach to programming is experimentation. A revival of “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” and “The Hours” will test whether contemporary opera can find leg strength beyond its premiere, and the season’s tweaks will see the rest of the world perform. We’ll also see if opera sales increase.
Hopefully all of this keeps the Metropolitan Museum of Art alive and vibrant. But whatever the next few years bring, it could be something entirely different. It’s strange that veteran soprano singer Angela Gheorghiu, who was scheduled to return in April for two performances of Tosca after eight years away from the company, was forced to cancel due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, it was appropriate.
Fate seemed to tell us that this was a new stage. The old divas—at least those not named Renee—need not apply.
