Gateway Parts

Anybody else hear Damrau at the Met today?

OK - there *were* other wonderful people on stage today (Lucia di Lammermoor) but Diana Damrau was INCREDIBLE. Of course - I was eagerly awaiting the Mad Scene, since I am a flutist - and it was don with Rossini's original intention - a GLASS HARMONICA playing some for the aria instrumental parts, to indicate her descent into madness! However, the traditional obbligato was done by the terrific flutist Stephanie Mortimore. Great harp solo, too. I am writing lees to ASK, than to pass along some info: the Met, we know, has announced that the same HD films of operas that you can see in some theaters, are now available as streamed video, so go figure out how to plug your computer into your flat-screen home theater! HOWEVER - new to me today - if you are a Guild Member (starts at $65) then beside the OTHER perks you get ( read the website) you can get a discount on the subscription to the streaming. Usually, $14.99 per opera pr $149.99 per year. Guild offer - $49.99 for six months! I know a *few* contributors to this list who might be interested! So - back to my original question - Were you at the Met today? And if so, can we kvell over this together here? I just went to the website - and have some mis-information to correct. My local Radio Shack also sold me the necessary cable, but says that you CANNOT get true HD thru the Internet - it will be HiRez, but not HD. Good enough! How much does Met Player cost? There are several different options available to experience Met Player, at different price points. Subscriptions offering unlimited access are available for $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year. Through the end of 2008, Met Members at the $125 level and above can purchase an introductory six-month subscription to Met Player for $49.99. Non-subscribers can rent individual operas for a one-time rental fee of $4.99 for HD videos and $3.99 for audio performances and non-HD videos. Individual rentals may be played in a six-hour window within 30 days of purchase.

Public Comments

1. I was not there, but since you are a flutist, you may want to listen to Emmanuel Pahud, he is a great flutist, I listened to Berlin Baroque Soloists concert (Emmanuel was the flutist there), they are just brilliant.
2. I'm a big fan of going to my local movie theater to see the Met performance. But I was unaware of the streaming video. That is an excellent little tidbit. Thank you.