Diary of a Culture Hedonist

It's a new production of The Flying Dutchman at the ENO. It's a very dark stage. The ghost ship worked as it jutted out from the back. Costumes were not period specific, though not sure about Act II where the sewing machines were replaced by "ship in a bottle" production line. The art of stage projection continues to evolve. There was a lot of subtle projections in this production:  the dreamy girl Senta was framed in her bedroom, the moody feel on  stage, the storm. No doubt we will see more such clever use of projection technologies in the future. James Creswell sang the title role well enough, though his acting was somewhat wooden. Orla Boylan's Senta was very good - firm with conviction. And the cast of chorus gave all the big numbers enough welly. Ed Gardner's tempi were measured: too measured I'd say. It worked in the more pensive moments of the piece, but lacked urgency especially in the last act.

After Hill Country in New York, I just needed to check out similar places in Boston. Well, Blue Ribbon was nearby so I thought it's worth a try. Clearly, BBQ meat eateries are not places you linger ... The place was somewhat functional. The number plates (including a UK one) were an interesting. Chairs were hard. Metal top tables were utilitarian. But let's focus on the meat. A big slab. The ribs were meaty, had a good bite and taste. The magic appeared to be how flavouring were rubbed into the meat and how everything was slow cooked. The BBQ sauce had a wholesome feel - in fact there were big tubs with a push dispenser: one could mix spicy with sweet to one's taste. The cornbread was ok. But this time there was no brisket. Still, it tasted finger linking good.

That's 44th Street on Tenth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen. 44 & X was the perfect remedy on a rainy Sunday before a Broadway show. The tables were on the cosy side. Everyone was churpy (too churpy? must be New York!) The menu was americana. My baby muffins in the bread basket were delectable. The "Maryland crab cake, poached eggs, tomato and hollandaise" was superb. I could not resist trying their signature macaroni and cheese ... OMG I do not remember when I last had it but it tasted so good I wanted to eat the whole plate! You know where to go for a decent brunch.

Yes I have seen this at the Royal Opera. As Manon is seldom staged, I grasp the opportunity to see it at the Metropolitan Opera. At the helm was Fabio Luigi who brought this lush score to live. Anna Netrebko, as Manon, was fabulous - from the innocent little girl to the temptress par excellence - though the seduction scene in St Sulpice was, ahem, a bit over done - I didn't remember seeing Manon in the Royal Opera production acting like a nymphomaniac!

I have read about how serious a BBQ can be on this side of The Pond. So I thought I'd better check out some of the restaurants that offer the BBQ experience. Hill Country was tucked away off the main avenues. It's kind of no non-sense - you get a ticket, go over to the meat counter to pick up the meat (ordered by weight) wrapped in paper, then sides, then sit down and eat off the tray. And oh my god, the brisket was fabulous - good bite, meaty, juicy, smokey and melt-in-your-mouth! So so very good (and high in fat). The ribs were excellent too. The sides were wholesome which matched the meat dishes. I can't imagine eating this everyday (unless I want to cut short my life), but the meat was definitely memorable!

New operas don't come by everyday. Miss Fortune , by Judith Weir, was a thoroughly contemporary work that reflects life in the 21st century. I thought the staging, lighting and projects / electronics were great - adding enough interest without being distracting. The projections were particularly good - probably due to artists' familiarity with the technology and capability of projectors. As for the music, it was clean and "easy on the ears". Emma Bell sang the title role exceptionally well - especially the long monologue at the beginning. Fate (Andrew Watts) was well suited to the role with good and firm projection. Chen Shi-Zheng's direction was modern - from using today's Evening Standards to the hip break-dancers.

I managed my expectations well. Having seen the Glyndebourne acclaimed production of Rusalka a couple of times, the yardstick was set very high. Then again, it's one of my favourite conductors Yannick Néget-Séguin in the pit. Let's start with the production. What happened to the nymphs, water goblins, and the forest? Oh no, it's all transported to a Nordic looking sitting room. Lots of wood (forest?) and lots of scantily clad costumes (nymphs?). I had to stretch my imagination quite a bit.Though it was so offensive - nobody booed at the performance (2nd of the run). As for the music, Néget-Séguin was in his elements with Dvořák's rich orchestration and a strong cast. Camilla Nylund sang the title role very well (including that famous aria in Act One). Bryan Hymel was slightly wooden in his acting but nonetheless made a passable Prince. Ježibaba, sung by Agnes Zwierko, was fabulously matronly. The music flowed and held back at all the right places. The orchestra r...