Our dauntless critics, Elizabeth Frayer and Shawn E. Milnes, have been tracking the gypsy girl at the biggest aria house on earth. They liked much of what they saw and heard, but Elizabeth had a problem with Nikolai Schukoff’s dress code after he climbed off the recumbent Anita Rachvelishvili. ‘ I understand that sex and desire are the driving forces behind the story but I found his “tucking” of himself pretty yuck.’
Hmmm…. Read on here.
Let us be charitable and think that Schukoff’s “tucking” was simply a rearrangement of his artistic resources. After all, with his many stage movements plus vocal activities, the gentleman was probably . . . all tuckered out.
Tucking? As in the Crying Game?
The reviewer writes “I am familiar with Carmen but had not seen a full production before.” (!?!?)
HOW can someone be paid to write opera reviews when they have never even seen Carmen before!?!?
Can you imagine a conductor saying “I was familiar with La Traviata, but had never conducted a full production until here at the Met.”?
… oh, wait …
… yes, that was Slatkin
Martin, I love it!