The Enchanted Island.

1-16-12 SHORT HILLS: On Saturday we saw The Enchanted Island at the Metropolitan Opera. The production is a pastiche, a new production made by stitching together music from prior operas, a tradition of the 18th century. In this case, Jeremy Sams and company used music of Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau and a few other baroque composers and Shakespeare’s plays The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with new lyrics, in English, from Mr. Sams to create a feast for the eyes and ears embellished with electronic effects and graphics.

It is set on Prospero’s island and has ship wrecks, sorcery, storms, spells, duets, quartets, mermaids, animals, deep-sea adventures and everything else you expect in an opera.

If you can’t see it live, try the HD movie events. Clips below....