I caught the New York City Opera presentation of Telemann's Orpheus at El Museo del Barrio last night, and find myself in accord with the Zerbinetta take. I'm happy to have seen the work, and Rebecca Taichman's staging has some vibrant touches (the scene centered on Nicholas Pallesen's commanding Pluto is a delight), but the score is quite far from being a neglected masterpiece, and, as Zerbinetta says, many Baroque operas — including at least four or five by Cavalli — deserved a New York staging in front of this one. Certainly, City Opera made good use of the Museo del Barrio theater, which turns out to be a fine venue for Baroque opera. Two performances remain.
