This is the exterior of the building that houses the Metropolitan Opera. Georges Bizet’s Carmen was being performed and I made it my business to see it by myself. I was skeptical about it after having seen Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca at the Joyce Theater. I didn’t think that Carmen could live up to the standards presented by the dance. My prediction was false. But it wasn’t the case without any obstacles that threatened to turn the prediction around. Carmen proved to be superior to the dance in that the subtitles allowed me to understand the drama that was unfolding. Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca was accompanied by a furious and rapid flurry of Spanish that drove me into a maze of confusion. The dance also had a very simple stage with a few chairs and some lighting. Sets in the opera proved to be 3 dimensional, especially so from high up in the seats. The score was a lot more classical in nature and thus more familiar. Spanish music, although traditional from what I know, is relatively unknown to me. I wasn’t as attracted to it as I was to the allure of classical music. Loud singing was much more appropriate in Carmen than in the dance. But the opera took its time in getting to the action and story. Noche Flamenca was more direct and got to the story immediately. Overall, Carmen proved to be better than Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, but only by a slight margin. Honestly, I am looking forward to seeing The Phantom of the Opera a lot more than what I saw out of Carmen!
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