Every now and then I hear a performance that reestablishes the primacy of music among my hobbies and passions.
Saturday's Met in HD performance of Maria Stuarda was such a performance.
Joyce DiDonato was simply brilliant, lifting the rest of the cast up in every scene.
I was unfamiliar with the music so it just hit me without any preconceptions. What a find, fantastic, opera at its best. Some great ensemble scenes, to rival those in Lucia.
The confrontation scene between Elizabeth and Mary was just high theater at its best. When DiDonato was offstage things stepped back a bit, but only just enough to confirm the importance of her contribution.
I just called the Met Opera store and they won't have it on DVD for perhaps a year.