The view from the top

As a treat for my birthday (next week), my friend
Lisa treated me to a performance of La Donna del Lago
at the Metropolitan Opera.  These seats are probably 
the reason they invented opera glasses, but I 
like the vantage point from up here because you can 
see the entire stage—and the orchestra too.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Another shiny chandelier

A week ago, I showed you the chandelier in
the grand lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House.
Here's the one that's in the theater itself.
(All the sparkly "sputniks" get pulled 
up toward the ceiling before the performance 
starts, and everyone oohs and aahs.)

[Once again, I'm linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows
and also to Mandarin Orange Monday.]

Constellations

That was the idea behind the crystal
chandeliers that hang in the grand lobby of
New York's Metropolitan Opera House.
They were designed by Hans Harald Rath, a
Viennese chandelier maker. His first sketch didn't
please the Met's architect, who gave him a book about
the big-bang theory and told him, "Find some
inspiration in this book."  So he did.

[Linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows
and to Mandarin Orange Monday.]

Metropolitan Opera House

On Tuesday, I showed a shot of the crowd
filing out of here.  Here's what the Opera House
looked like from the plaza out front on
that beautiful spring day.

[To see more Skywatch shots, go here.  For
more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.] 

After a Saturday matinée

All of these fortunate folks (and I) had just
enjoyed a performance of Cosi Fan Tutte
at the Metropolitan Opera House.

[It's Ruby Tuesday. To see more, go here.
For more of Our World Tuesday, go here.]

ABC Wednesday—O is for "opera"

This picture was taken 5 years ago in the summer—
when chairs are set out at Lincoln Center,
a big screen is placed on the Metropolitan Opera
House, and people gather to enjoy filmed
performances from previous opera seasons 
(in this case, we were about to enjoy La Bohème).  
But this coming weekend, I will get to experience a live
 performance of Cosi Fan Tutte here at the Met
—conducted by James Levine and compliments of my
friend Lisa as a (belated) birthday gift.  Can't wait!

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Thursday Challenge — "music"

One of the things to love about New York: Here at Lincoln Center,
they film the operas that people pay big bucks to see at the Met, then
show them in the summer in hi-def on this screen—so all of us po'
folks may enjoy as well.  They also showed the first-night performance
of this year's season on this screen (and on another one in Times Square).
Thank you, Met Opera!   [And you can see more "music" here.]

at the Met

They've set up this big screen right on the

front of the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln

Center, and have been showing free screenings

of Met performances in HD. On Friday the

ex and I enjoyed a performance of La Boheme.

This is also my first post for a meme called

Mellow Yellow Monday (memes are so much

fun, and I think there's enough yellow here

to qualify for this one).

[Enjoy more Mellow yellow here.]

Lincoln Center . . .

. . . is a total construction zone right now.  But the

Met goes on.  I'm not the biggest opera fan ever,

but I sure would love to be at the 125th Anniversary

Gala next March (and—gift givers, take note— it takes

place on the eve of my birthday).  Yeah, that'll happen.

you and the night and the music

This is just a VERY FEW of the people who came

to Prospect Park tonight to have a picnic, drink

some wine, and be entertained by the NY

Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus,

and Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna

(who sang a random selection of just the really

good arias). The middle of the park is a very

long meadow, and they set up a big stage at

one end, but placed speakers and big screens

along almost the whole length of the meadow.

This was the most elaborate of all the free summer

concerts the Philharmonic is doing this year,

and of course they did it in Brooklyn.

Sometimes I really love this city.