“Mondo”: The “Avatar” Of Opera
Yes, I’m serious: Haydn’s 1777 work “Il Mondo della Luna,” which had a world-premiere production last night at New York’s Hayden Planetarium, is as close as opera’s going to get to “Avatar”-level special effects. I mean, no matter how hard the Metropolitan Opera huffs and puffs to accommodate what will certainly be the glorious spectacle of Robert Lepage’s upcoming “Ring” cycle staging, the Haydn has it beat. No other venue can compete with the high-tech tools of the Hayden. I was there last night for the premiere. I had read the advance coverage in the Times. I’ve always wanted to see a production of “Luna,” because I own a CD version with Fredericka von Stade, among others, and have always been enchanted by Haydn’s unceasing tunefulness. Also by the way in which this story of three couples vying for a rich man’s blessing on their marriages “anticipates” Mozart’s great da Ponte trio. Here’s what I can report about the new staging, by Diane Paulus (Broadway’s “Hair” revival), with planetarium video and production design by Philip Bussmann. The music is as glorious as I remember. The singing wasn’t always of top-tier quality, but the planetarium’s acoustics didn’t exactly do the performers any favors. My main question going in was: Would the dome projections overwhelm the music? I’m happy to answer: No. There were one or two spectacular displays of imagery, but the evening begins and ends with the singers only: the music is the special effect. I can recommend “Il Mondo della Luna” to anyone who loves great music and to anyone who sees how live performance is making use of new technology.
