The week in NY opera (Apr 25-May 1)

Metropolitan Opera:
Walküre (M/Th), Rigoletto (T/SE), Trovatore (W/SM), Orfeo (F)
Although the show is a success and worth seeing, it may not have been such a great idea opening a not-humanly-engaged director's new Valkyrie production with a cast so top-to-bottom inexperienced in its roles. There's admirable spirit in this cast's doings but lots of potential nuances are missed absent guidance or experience. Rigoletto (conducted this time by Fabio Luisi) and Orfeo (another David Daniels revival, unfortunately) begin their end-of-season runs this week, while Trovatore ends with two final performances (including a matinee moviecast) that may or may not feature tenor Marcelo Alvarez. Whether it's Alvarez or able fill-in Arnold Rawls as the eponymous troubador, however, if you dislike this revival you don't actually like opera.

New York City Opera:
Seance on a Wet Afternoon (T/Th/F/SE/SunM)
The second and final week of the run. It's gotten poor reviews but did prompt an amusing post by Mark Adamo and, um, Mark Adamo.

Carnegie Hall:
Schwarz/Fink/Schade/Quasthoff recital (M)
Sophie Karthäuser recital (Th)
The four-singer recital (in the big hall) is of Brahms' wonderful Liebeslieder Waltzes -- both sets -- plus some related stuff. Karthäuser's program (in the really small hall) is half German, half French.

Juilliard School (Peter Jay Sharp Theater):
L'heure espagnole/Gianni Schicchi (W/F/SuM)
Regular school production, not the all-star affair of their Bartered Bride.

OT:
A pile of choral stuff this week, with Elijah (Oratorio Society, Wed.) and Dvorak's Sabat Mater (NY Choral Society, Sun. matinee) at Carnegie Hall and Carmina Burana (National Chorale, Fri.) at Avery Fischer. Also, Thomas Hampson sings Crumb (!) at Alice Tully on Friday.