Metropolitan Opera - The Hours Reviews

Katherine Downey from New York, New York

SINGULAR EVENT

These three women singing on the same stage this piece that reinterprets the novel as only opera could, amazing, a singular event, a peak life experience. The stagecraft and lighting are as much part of it as the music. The second half is just gripping. But do your homework: See the movie so you know what's going on (and can appreciate what the opera does better), arrive early and bring your glasses so you can read through the program material, including the libretto, and definitely turn on your seat text to accompany the singing. Atlantic Grill at 50 W65 is a convenient and lovely place to eat before curtain.

Harold Booth from New York, New York

EXQUISITE

This is one of the most beautiful operas I have ever seen. Stellar in all respects. Thank I you.

ConnieM from New York, New York

BRILLIANT/MOVING

One of the best operas I’ve ever seen. Gorgeous music. Wonderful singing/acting. A thrill to watch these 3 extraordinary women bring their stories to life. Loved it!

Timi Ann Neri from Rhodesia Island

STRONG SECOND HALF

Waited a long time for this. Opening night was ok. Fleming, DiDonato and O’Hara were better than the overall piece and I don’t believe that is what they were trying to accomplish. I agree with the previous comment that this is not the film or the book but it was something different. You could hear hints of the music from the film and that awakened the audience. I was hoping for a little more of that kind of music throughout. However, sadly, I am not sure this opera is ready for The Met. Sitting around other spectators after the opera, the feeling in the comments around the tables were mutual. It just seem to be missing some thing. For those in the audience, who do not know Laura Brown comes back as Richard’s mother in the end and that was the first time I heard members of the audience gasp. If you know the story, all you could hear and see were missed opportunities.

Zee from Washington DC

GOOD MUSIC, BANAL LIBRETTO

I was very impressed with the music, production and singing. But I think a high-school student could have written a better libretto. The opera was hard to understand if you had not seen the film or read the book. I had forgotten the movie, so it took me some time to realize that Sally was Clarissa’s partner and not a relative or house keeper. It also made me wonder if Clarissa and Richard had been lovers or not, since they were now both in same-sex relationships. The dialogues were so banal and at times repetitive (how many time did Fleming say she is going to buy flowers??) that it made the drama unconvincing: three relatively affluent women, surrounded by people who care for them, wallow in misery. Why? OK, Woolf has mental health issues, but the other two? By the end of the first act one began to regret having to come back for the second. The georgeous music and powerful singing became too much of a good thing. The opera is far too long.

Rachel from New York, New York

MUSIC WASN’T OPERATIC

Goes without saying the 3 divas are amazing singers and actresses. Set, directing all top not j. However, I thought the music didn’t work. The singers spent so much time singing high in their range that it lost it’s specialness when they did. I love the idea of new opera but there still has to be some melodic phrases that stay with you. I left with nothing to remember. It just felt like a singing movie, the music only there to move the plot. I would have preferred something in between old school opera snd modern.

Cass from Charlotte, NC

SO MUCH TALENT, SO LITTLE PIZAZZ

These three women are amazing, and their talents are being wasted on this lackluster opera. I agree with one of the reviewers that said, if Renée Fleming said “by the flowers” one more time she would go out of her mind. It seems like they’re all walking in a dream or they’re in a demented state. Not only did I not like the libretto, but the musical score left me unimpressed and uninspired. If you want to find an audience today for modern opera, stick to Andrew Lloyd Weber and Leonard Bernstein for popular appeal and longevity. It may be Broadway now, but it’s classic and in years to come will remain relevant.

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