Swarovski to Renee: outshine this

The glorious Met chandeliers are getting a Viennese facelift, thanks to Swarovski. All 49,000 pieces of crystal will be replaced with brand new ones, just in time to adorn Renee Fleming's Really Huge Opening. See a pretty NYT slideshow here.

Al Gore to US: go Amish in 10 years or perish

Ladies and gentlemen:

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more - if more should be required - the future of human civilization is at stake ...

Read the rest of the historic speech here.

Met Futures, just updated

Sieglinde would like to point out a few changes to Brad Wilber's Met Futures page.

For Season 2009-10: Albina Shagimuratova will be debuting as Queen of the Night; Peter Coleman-Wright added to Benvenuto Cellini as Fieramosca.

For Season 2010-11: Angela Gheorghiu replaced by Violeta Urmana as Tosca; Olga Savova added to Boris Godunov as the Hostess of the Inn; Morten Frank Larsen will debut as the Count in Capriccio (upon Renee Fleming's specific request); the French Don Carlos switched (for now) to the Italian Don Carlo, this time with Angela Marambio as Elisabetta and Lorin Maazel as conductor (instead of Poplavskaya and Pappano, respectively).

For Season 2011-12: three revivals added to the roster: Rodelinda, conducted by Harry Bicket, Billy Budd, and Khovanshchina.

For Season 2012-13: three operas added to the roster: a new production of Francesca da Rimini with Eva-Maria Westbroek and Marcello Giordani, Parsifal, and Il Trovatore with Anja Harteros.

Dear Peter Gelb, I'd take down the Volpe poster in my bedroom if you give us a Lohengrin in Italian

When I ask (Barbara) Frittoli if there are any new roles she'd like to do in the future, she responds: 'I could give you a long list of titles, but in truth, it's difficult to know what I would like to do in the future. They have offered me a Wagner role that I could do, but it's very scary!' She almost seems to shudder comically down the phone at this comment. ... 'My problem is that I don't speak enough German. It's so difficult to perform a part when you don't speak the language properly. It's not enough just to learn how to pronounce the words. I have to see if I have time to practice for long enough, perhaps with a coach who can talk to me about the language. I need every word – you know to know all the roles inside out to know an opera properly, not just your own.'

And with Juan Diego Florez Giuseppe Filianoti in the title role, Dolora Zajick as Ortrud, and some naked barihunk as Telramund: if that cast doesn't sell out, Sieglinde shall happily eat her blog.