By ANTHONY TOMMASINI [NY Times, 11 January 2007]

The Metropolitan Opera has to be discouraged by the mostly negative critical reactions to “The First Emperor,” Tan Dun’s ambitious opera, which had its world premiere at the house on Dec. 21. The good news for the Met, though, is that its run, through Jan. 25, is sold out, including this Saturday’s matinee, to be broadcast on radio and in high-definition screenings at more than 100 movie theaters around the world. Could opera companies have better proof that today’s audiences are hungry for new works?