Welcome!
Me in front of the Golden Met!
Hello out there, and welcome! I’m Violette, the Girl of the Golden Met. I’m passionate about classical music, especially opera. In this blog, I will lead you through the miracles of these magical arts.
For three years, I was a Metropolitan Opera regular. I love the glorious singing, the creative stagings, and the beautiful scores — but most of all, I love the experiences beyond what I see on the stage each night. The thrills of the curtain rising, the lights dimming, and the chandeliers soaring up to the ceiling — they move me without fail, whether it’s the first, 12th, or 20th time.
Then BANG! Coronavirus swept the world, my family locked down swiftly, and in March 2020, the Met Opera closed its curtains. First out the window was the rest of the 2019-20 season. Then, the 2020-21 season opening was bumped back three months. And finally, the same September, the entire 2020-21 season was canceled, barely three weeks before its original opening night.
Although I was crushed, I coped with the loss of live performances by devouring albums, watching Met Opera On Demand (the Met’s online streaming service), keeping up every day with news of the opera world, and religiously attending the “Met Opera Stars Live in Concert" virtual series. Whenever I could, I worked patiently on introducing opera to a friend by means of online opera viewings and the sheer force of my enthusiasm. My friend was not a classical music fan and had never heard of, heard, or seen an opera.
That was in 2021. Now I send her an opera clip every week and we hope to go to the Met together one day. She’s not the only one on whom I have performed my opera spell — I’ve motivated other friends to go to the opera with me (and without me!).
I helped my friends know the wonders of opera, and I hope to do the same for you.
Whether you have been an opera lover all your life, are just starting out on your musical journey, or just stumbled upon this looking for something new to read, this blog can be for you. Opera is for everyone. It is a solid fact that love for classical music does not have to come at the cost of love for other kinds of music. Scores (ha) of opera singers love pop or jazz, for example. Personally, I enjoy Broadway, salsa, and traditional songs from many cultures. The passion of young people for opera can be as pure and joyous as anyone’s, if not more!
At The Girl of the Golden Met, I’ll delve into the biggest classical music stories, I’ll regale you with my adventures at the Met, I’ll explore different works, I’ll review select performances live from the Met — whether it be in the theater, in cinemas, or over the radio —, and I’ll talk with opera stars.
Through the comments, I encourage you to talk about your experiences with opera and classical music.
I hope that with The Girl of the Golden Met, you will discover a new world, one which anyone can be a part of. I can’t wait to get to know you all. Now, choose an article and start your journey through the wonders of opera!
— Violette
