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The Metropolitan Opera: L’Amour de Loin
Robert Lepage’s dreamlike production, with its thousands of twinkling LED lights stretching across the stage to represent the sea, encapsulates the mystic feeling of L’Amour de Loin, Saariaho’s haunting opera of distant love. Eric Owens is Jaufré Rudel, a troubadour in 12th century France who has become tired of his hedonistic life and longs for an idealized love. Enter the Pilgrim (Tamara Mumford) who tells him his perfect love does, in fact, exist, far across the sea. She is Clémence, Countess of Tripoli (Susanna Phillips). The magic of the characters’ inner lives as they explore the meaning of love, longing, life, and death is heightened by Saariaho’s hypnotic and bewitching score, conducted by Susanna Mälkki.
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Plot Summary
In the 12th century, a troubadour named Jaufré Rudel, weary of courtly love, embarks on a perilous sea voyage to find Clémence, a countess he has never met but has heard described as the most beautiful woman in the world. The opera follows his journey, his longing for connection, and the spiritual and emotional transformations that occur as he faces his own mortality and the reality of his quest.
Critical Reception
The Metropolitan Opera's production of Kaija Saariaho's L'Amour de Loin was widely acclaimed for its ethereal beauty, innovative staging, and profound emotional resonance. Critics lauded the opera's unique contemporary soundscape and its exploration of universal themes of love, longing, and spiritual seeking. The production was particularly praised for its stunning visual design and the compelling performances of the principal singers.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its breathtaking visual design and innovative stagecraft.
Lauded for its hypnotic and emotionally resonant musical score.
Commended for the powerful and moving performances of the lead singers.
Google audience: Audience reviews consistently highlight the opera's stunning beauty and deeply moving experience. Many viewers found the music to be captivating and the staging to be unlike anything they had seen before, creating a profound emotional impact.
Awards & Accolades
Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.
Fun Fact
The set design for this production of L'Amour de Loin was inspired by the artwork of Hieronymus Bosch, creating a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere.
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