261. The Opera House; movie review

THE OPERA HOUSE

Cert U

111 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild bad language

Oh, go on then - let's have another documentary about the arts scene in New York. This is literally the third in a week!

And they all have their place, albeit that there is overlap between some of them.

For example, much of the narrative of Susan Froemke's The Opera House is touched upon in Matt Tyrnauer's Citizen Jane from last year.

During that film, we saw how architect Jane Jacobs fought against the modernisation of Manhattan by  the all-powerful Robert Moses during the 50s and 60s.

Froemke's documentary takes a different although not entirely positive slant on the move of the The Metropolitan Opera to the Lincoln Center which was built following the brutal slum clearance.

It tells the story of the Met before its move with dewy-eyed recollections of an old Manhattan theatre which was scarcely fit for purpose but was home to some magnificent operas.

It introduces the tough-as-nails personalties such as the opera's manager, Rudolf Bing, city developer Moses and the new Met Opera's architect Wallace Harrison.

It demonstrates the pressure Harrison was under to come up with a building which was visually stunning, had fantastic acoustics and met budget.

Froemke's film includes contributions from those closest to the opera, including the great soprano Leontyne Price who looks nothing like her 91 years.

Even more eloquent in his memories is Alfred Hubay who was connected to the opera house for 62 years and, at 93, says he has not missed an opening night since 1943.

He confesses to sadness at the old theatre's demise and the move to Lincoln Center but admits that, from the first note, the new stage proved its quality.

Not that it was all plain sailing - there is a detailed appraisal, supported by contemporary footage, of how the first night nearly did not go ahead.

The Opera House is a truly engaging slice of history which is as much about the development of New York as about the company itself.

That said, there are still some stand-out operatic moments - not least when young Price holds her high  notes for what seems an impossible length of time.

It adds yet another layer to my knowledge of the Big Apple's art scene. 

Reasons to watch: The story about one of the pillars of world music

Reasons to avoid: Becomes bogged down in the history of New York

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - Susan Froemke: "The story of the Metropolitan Opera searching for a new home started in 1908 and we followed the twists and turns of that search all the way to opening night in 1966."

The big question - Why was opera allowed to become too expensive for the masses?

Share this post