Armida

I saw Armida this afternoon at BAM (live in HD) with Meridita and Odetta.

As much as I love Renee Fleming, who stars in Armida, I have to say I had mixed feelings about this opera.

All the performances (six tenors and Fleming) were wonderful, and there were some stunningly beautiful moments (particularly at the end), but the story wasn't that interesting and the production (Mary Zimmerman) was rather weird and confusing. Something just seemed off to me about the costumes and the sets and the use of the chorus. For instance, the cat-like demons that the sorceress Armida commands seemed both creepy and comical at the same time. The wood nymphs, played by the chorus, had cheap little wings affixed to their backs that looked like they came off of bumble-bee costumes from Woolworth's.

There was a long and interesting ballet in the second act which I enjoyed a lot, but which didn't seem to fit in stylistically with the rest of the opera. It seemed to have a different tone than the rest of the piece. The ballet was interesting though, and I very much enjoyed watching it.

The lead tenor was sung by Lawrence Brownlee, and he was amazing. Other tenors included Barry Banks, who sang two roles, and who Meridita and I have seen in at least one other Met production this season.

The live HD screening included interviews with the performers that I enjoyed -- they give you a glimpse into the professionalism and artistry of the singers.

All in all, Armida is the weirdest opera I've seen yet.