The opera season has begun! I missed Act 1 of Fidelio last night due to badly managed travel arrangements (the stagecoach between Las Vegas and Los Angeles suffered an unexpectedly long change of horses in Baker) but Act II and the beautiful Leonore Overture #3 was magnificent: a standing ovation from the entire house for Anja Kampe's Leonore and Klaus Florian Vogt's Florestan. Eike Wilm Schulte played a deliciously wicked Don Pizarro, earning boos, hisses and applause! In my opinion however, nearly tone deaf as I am, the star of the show was the production design by Pier'Alli that depended heavily on projection of moving images upon several transparent scrims, confusing the artificial reality of the stage with the illusionary reality of the screen.
I have tickets for Janecek's Jenufa tonight but will have to miss it, for my coach takes me back to Las Vegas in a few minutes.
In haste,
Y.
5 comments:
Ah! :D Fidelio always makes me think of one of my little art boys, who liked classical music but couldn't talk about it with other students as it was not "cool." We'd sit there making things from clay or painting, and talk about it, though. Cody was only about 8 or 9. He was saying he liked Beethoven, and mentioned opera. I said, yes, Beethoven did write one opera, Fidelio. Cody thought for a minute. "Didn't he also sing?"
Madam,
I had the good fortune to discover your blog in August, but failed to bookmark your journal. Upon discovering it again, I am overjoyed that you have not only maintained your efforts through eloquent writing and intelligent insight, but have continued your intriguing travels of the worlds.
Kudos on transcribing your voyages, and I must admit I look forward to your next entry!
Very Respectfully,
Rafael Fabre
Alas, your photograph has not come through to my eyes! I long to see it and hope that it will soon appear. Could it be that you somehow telegraphed it from the stagecoach?
I am informed the only time Beethoven sang was in a Saturday Night Live sketch in which he was played by Jim Belushi. Perhaps young Cody was thinking of that. Fidelio is of course the sacrificial lamb, Christ descended to hell, suffering with grace and forgiving his jailers, ever faithful to his gentle principles, but his wife Leonore, who does not believe him dead, dons a boy's disguise and apprentices herself to Rocco the jailer (causing his daughter to fall in love with her) is the real hero(ine) of the tale. For whatever else could a woman in man's clothing be but a hero with the loftiest ideals!
I have swapped picture sources, Enjah, I trust you can see the resurrected prisoners now!
There are few things as good as opera.
Post a Comment