“Carmen”-adjacent
Article by Jay Nordlinger from New Criterion
In the Met’s pit was Daniele Rustioni, the fine young Italian conductor
…Carmen showed up at last (musically). Rustioni and his forces did far greater justice to the opera. The prelude to Act iii was lovely. And the maestro did something I had never seen before. As the audience was applauding the prelude, he tried to acknowledge the flutist. This is easier to do in a concert, with an orchestra on a stage. Acknowledging players in a pit is tricky… the graciousness—the generous spirit—of Daniele Rustioni… to acknowledge the flute player. When the maestro took his final bows, he insisted on doing so alongside Donald Palumbo, the chorus master.
