In 1881, Hudson renamed its city hall the Hudson Opera House. It was the Gilded Age, and cities all over the country wanted an opera house as proof of their respectability and civic pride. Despite the name, only one opera was ever performed there in the 19th century--Donizetti's Don Pasquale.
In the 21st century, since the rebirth of the Hudson Opera House, now known as Hudson Hall, three operas have been performed in the space: Diamond Street in 2009, The Mother of Us All in 2017, and now Handel's Rodelinda. Gossips has attended all three.
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| Photo: Matthew Placek | New York Times |
I was fortunate to see Rodelinda on Sunday, its second performance, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The singers were excellent, the early music group Ruckus was superb, and the overall experience was a complete delight--as good as anything I have ever seen at Glimmerglass. The rest of the audience in the packed house, including some folks from Cooperstown, agreed, as witnessed by the enthusiastic applause and the standing ovation at the end of the performance.
But I'm not an opera buff, and the several operas I've seen over the years, at Lincoln Center and at Glimmerglass, do not qualify me to be an opera critic, so I will refer you to the review that appeared on Sunday in the New York Times: "A 'Rodelinda' Brings Promise of Handel on the Hudson." (Just ignore the snarky comment about Waiting for Guffman.)
COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK
BRAVO to R.B. Schlather for making Hudson Hall and Hudson proud! Still a few tickets for Thursday's performance, RUN don't walk to see it. Sublime!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carole. Agree with everything you said about Rodelinda at Hudson Hall. What struck me as unique about this performance, perhaps enhanced by the proximity of the performers and orchestra to the audience, was the ability to really see the acting skills and nuances of these singers. Bravi to R.B. Schlather, Hudson Hall and the entire production team! Another step forward for Hudson.
ReplyDeleteI want to add my voice, as well, in congratulating R.B. Schlather, for, not only getting this elaborate production done, at all, but also for putting it on so thoughtfully and beautifully. A major success, and clearly a labor of love! Bravo!
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