This is Essential: Classical

Metropolitan Opera

Watching the chandeliers rise at the Metropolitan Opera
Even for regulars, there’s nothing more quietly dramatic than the sense of anticipation prompted by the moment those crystal constellations ascend to the ceiling. (What happens next is nothing to sneeze at, either.)

Prowling downtown spaces for the newest sounds
From standbys such as the Kitchen, Roulette and Experimental Intermedia to upstarts like Issue Project Room, the Stone and (Le) Poisson Rouge, New York provides the world’s richest laboratory for emerging composers and performers.

Catching world-class artists at a rock-bottom price
For more than a century, Peoples’ Symphony Concerts has presented first-rate artistry for a song—even now, the top price is less than $20—and the Frick Collection offers critical favorites and tomorrow’s stars in a genteel setting for $25.

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