The new joint venture of Juilliard and the Metropolitan Opera produced the best-ever production of Smetana's "The Bartered Bride": young voices and bodies, sweet romantic style, cheek without tongue-in, lively dancing, and in the orchestra pit, conductor, creator and driver James Levine, who never came up for a curtain call.
At today's annual Met press anouncement, I asked Mr. Levine why he didn't, when we were waiting to stand and roar for him. Instead of all the false answers one can imagine, he forthrightly said, "Because my back hurts," and he went on to explain honestly how that works, ending with hopes of improvement.
"How is your health"" was, I now see and he instantly perceived, my real question, and he gently removed the window-dressing and addressed it fully, senza rancor. The man is a genius, nothing less will do.