I haven’t seen the vid, but I did see this production at the Met, and was disappointed… Not in Ms. Fleming but in the production. For one thing, the set pieces didn’t seem to fit together, there were gaps between pieces which was odd (yes, some were not supposed to fit together, making a river, but there were other gaps that were definately NOT supposed to be there!). The use of color WAS stunning, and Flemings gowns by Lacroix were great. But except for the use of bold color, the set was boring. Thais’ house, on the outside, looked like a frosted cupcake that fell on the floor upside down. The inside of her house was cavernous with with poor use of space (her bed seemed like a throw pillow in that great room). Only the slightest hint of lighting effect was used for the burning of Thais’ house. Overall, the production was simply a direct reading of the libretto… no attempt at reinvention or interpretation, in other words, a stale production with vivid, technicolor mold growing all over it. I would buy a cd recording of this production, and there is a recording with Fleming from Chicago, but I would not buy this video, other than purely to stare at Fleming’s costumes, and listen to the music.

I found Thais to be a wonderfully entertaining production in every aspect. The singing, staging, costumes, orchestra were all top-notch. This is the epitome of what a Met production should be. The updating did not lose any of the exotic atmosphere. Rene Fleming was superb in the title role, and Thomas Hampson was excellent. My only problem is with the opera itself, the plot. I’m not sure what the point was. Was the monk misguided in trying to help a fallen woman? I can understand his attraction, but it seemed odd that she embraced faith while he lost his. I might expect a bit of ambivalence, but this seemed over-the-top. This aside, I can’t imagine any opera lover not enjoying this gem. The “Meditation” is a highlight, and I’m glad the soloist was recognized at the end. For those who can’t make it to New York, it’s great how the Met is making opera available to the public.

There is no ballet in this production. You would think that if a company was going to commit a production to DVD, that they would do a full length production. Unfortunately the ballets are often cut. In this case, only the La Chameuse portion is presented. I’ve never found that particular piece very interesting. The production itself is pleasant. However, I think they could have spared the viewers the behind the scenes set changes. Seeing the sets dismantled and reassembled only serves to destroy the momentum of the story itself. The time period itself is obscure. Its definately not Egypt in the 4th century, but more likely in the late 1800′s, during the Ottoman rule. That said, it was a pleasant prodution and far superior to either of the other two currently available.