Talk:2017-2018/@comment-67.85.242.194-20160207164234/@comment-25069336-20160218172447

Calixto Bieito, beyond your taste, is an important (albeit extremely controversial) articulator of operatic thought in the main stages of opera around the world. The Met would be remiss in its function if it didn't at least bring one of his productions here. Forza seems like a good choice, given Bieito's history with themes of hatred, killing, and retaliation. It will for sure be no worse than the production it is replacing (Gian Carlo del Monaco, who nonetheless produced good versions of Butterfly, Boccanegra, and Stiffelio.) Gelb's obsession with Richard Eyre's mediocre productions, or with all the shallowness out of Bartlett Sher's brain seems more of a reason to complain, since these directors have already, locally proven their lack of worth.

I'd like to remind everybody of the fact that, when plans were known about Tcherniakov's Kniaz Igor, there was an uproar of complaints for the same reasons as current condemnation of Bieito's engagement seem to have. Mr.Tcherniakov went on to direct an extremely successful and beautiful (iconic, even) rendering of Prince Igor's saga.