A Night at the Haunted Opera

Last Saturday, on Halloween, we went to the Metropolitan Opera for the fourth time in the past two years. With ticket prices soaring elsewhere, the Met has become the most affordable place to see world-class art and entertainment—if you choose your tickets wisely.

Our favorite seats are the balcony boxes. You can get a small platform with two chairs and room to stretch your limbs. The downside: you see less than two-thirds of the stage. But for an opera, that doesn’t matter much: sometimes you have to listen to a disembodied voice from the blind spot, but in general you can follow the action.

While Elke and I enjoy classical music, we’re not really opera fans, but we are intrigued by all things musical. On Saturday, we saw Lincoln in the Bardo, a critically acclaimed new work composed by Missy Mazzoli, the first female composer ever to have a work world-premiere at the Met¹.

It took a while to get into it. Modern operas, of course, lack the well-known hits of classical pieces; the music is complex and difficult to follow. On the other hand, the story was more in tune with what we are used to today. Unfortunately, we literally slipped in just as the doors closed and the lights went off, so we didn’t have time to read the playbill synopsis. Once we got the idea, however, we could immerse ourselves in the story.

The action takes place in a cemetery populated by ghosts who aren’t ready to move on. Creepy “tendrils” crawl across the floor at unexpected moments, and some scenes, including those involving a tormented young girl who cannot let go of life, verge on horror. During the intermission, a dark, unsettling sound played over the PA system. But it has a happy ending—if you can call moving on and finally dying “happy.”

And it was Halloween, with many in the audience and even some in the orchestra pit dressed up. So everything came together for a great, spooky night out.

Discovery of the Week: October Albums

October is a prime month for discovering new albums and artists. You can always find some inspiration on our Favorite Album page, but here are our latest favorites;

• V.V. Lightbody Period Piece: A bright, light pop album by a Chicago flutist.
• HAAi DIGITiZE: Made for the club, but it works on your headphones anywhere.
• Detalji Imagine Life: A journey through synth-pop that also works in the club.
• The Hails Duckpond: A perfect guitar-pop album where every song makes a case for being the favorite.
• Lily DeTaeye EVEN WITH MY EYES CLOSED: An emotional journey into the past from a Brooklyn-via-Iowa singer-songwriter.
• Art d’Ecco Scheele’s Green: A wild, sprawling opener gives way to inviting melodies, with adventurous arrangements and political bite running through it all.
• Poesie Nature Mother: A kaleidoscope of pop songs that go in many different directions, lyrically and sonically.

Cover Song of the Week: Yanuka - Today

Back in 1993, “Today” seemed to be everywhere, helping turn the Smashing Pumpkins into one of the defining bands of the decade. Now Brighton rock trio Yonaka revisit the song for Sending Hearts to All My Dearies: A Tribute to the Smashing Pumpkins, and theirs might very well be the finest cover of “Today” yet—and there’s no shortage of contenders.

This Week in glamglare history

1 Year Ago: Ellur - The World Is Not An Oyster

“The World Is Not An Oyster” recounts an experience from Ellur’s childhood. It is from her 2026 album, At Home In My Mind.

5 Years Ago: Ross Newhouse - Ohio

This beautiful folk-pop song took 10 years to reach its final form. Ross Newhouse released a new album, I’d Rather Feel The Weight, last May.

10 Years Ago: Howlite - Storm Chaser

“Storm Chaser” is the first song by Australian musician Alison Thom, aka Howlite. The SoundCloud link is broken, but you can listen on Spotify or Apple Music. Howlite has continued to release new music since then.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.

• TÁR - Isn’t Life a Bitch
• Mia Joy - Wings of Desire
• THAO - Take It Easy
• Tessa Rae - All I Ever Wanted Was Us
• Rebekka Louise - all in my head
• Lily Gasc - 30
• Inventory - No Design

We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.

Marathon Days, Opera Nights

From the subway to the opera, with a little autumn sunshine in between: New York offered plenty of reasons to reach for the camera. On my way to work at the Javits Center, there was music underground and sunlight breaking through between the buildings. The New Balance floor looks almost serene before the rush, while Oliver’s photo of me afterward catches the other end of the workday, still in my New Balance gear.

The Central Park photo is a particular favorite: low sun, long shadows, and autumn colors on the last afternoon before the clocks went back. I’m holding on to that light.

Halloween evening took us to the Metropolitan Opera for “Lincoln in the Bardo.” I’d booked specifically to see Yannick Nézet-Séguin conduct—and somehow landed on the only one of nine performances he wasn’t conducting. I had to get past that disappointment before I could really get into the modern opera and its stunning stage production! A glimpse from the boxes, a stage photo taken after the performance (observing the “no camera” rule), and, of course, a selfie of the two of us after a long day and a fabulous night out!

1. Performances are running until November 14, but are mostly sold out. ↩︎