Lovers Separated by a Sea of Light in Met’s Production of ‘L’amour de Loin’
Early in the first act of Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de Loin, which enjoyed a successful Metropolitan Opera premiere last night, a dreamy troubadour describes his ideal lover as “belle sans l'arrogance de la beauté," that is, beautiful but without having the arrogance of beauty. That phrase could just as accurately be applied to Saariaho’s shimmering music: gorgeous, if a bit self-effacing.
