Cate's happy opera day
It seems the opera gods love me today.
I wandered into the library of the Banff Centre, looking to write for a while, and in searching out a good place to camp out, I see a row of opera DVDs. Naturally, I have a look. Renée Flemming, a few other vaguely interesting ones. Then my eyes see an ultrasilm case with "Le Nozze di Figaro" on the side.
We all know how I feel about Figaro, so pulled it down to see if anyone interesting is in it.
Hells, yes, there's someone interesting. It's the production with Dorothea Röschmann as Susanna that's out of print. (!!!!)
The case is empty, and it's on a shelf marked "for library use only" so I take it over to the information counter. Taking my "Artist's Card" as hostage, the lovely librarian gives me the DVD, a bagful of remotes and a set of headphones sending me upstairs to the big screen TV viewing area.
Sidenote: It hurts to wear headphones for three and a half hours straight.
When I returned all the paraphernalia, the librarian commented that I wasn't kidding about my afternoon plans being shot.
I enjoyed the production, and Röschmann was a fabulous Susanna, but in the end I find I still prefer the production from the Royal Opera where she plays the Countess.
Other than Röschmann, the best part was Cherubino, who was a complete little shit (and who stepped way over the sexual assault line from a modern standpoint). What's usually the Countess's ribbon was in this production a pair of thong underwear, which at one point Cherubino stuffs in his mouth.
The opera news continued when I released my ears (those headphones hurt!), came back to my room and checked my Facebook page.
It seems the Ben Heppner has dropped out of the San Francisco run of Moby Dick for personal reasons. While I'm sad that Heppner feels he can't perform, I was thrilled to see that SFO have announced the JayMo is taking the entirety of the run. Chalk up one more in the Being the Understudy column for Jay!
This also means I get to see him perform twice, after all. I'm a little concerned that my performances are now at what will be the end of a long run, but I'll trust him to take care of himself.
Okay, and in writing this, I've just flipped channels for background noise and found the Met Ring Cycle's Die Walküre.
I was going to write about how the writing gods are loving me too, but it seems the opera ones won't shut up.
Cate
I wandered into the library of the Banff Centre, looking to write for a while, and in searching out a good place to camp out, I see a row of opera DVDs. Naturally, I have a look. Renée Flemming, a few other vaguely interesting ones. Then my eyes see an ultrasilm case with "Le Nozze di Figaro" on the side.
We all know how I feel about Figaro, so pulled it down to see if anyone interesting is in it.
Hells, yes, there's someone interesting. It's the production with Dorothea Röschmann as Susanna that's out of print. (!!!!)
The case is empty, and it's on a shelf marked "for library use only" so I take it over to the information counter. Taking my "Artist's Card" as hostage, the lovely librarian gives me the DVD, a bagful of remotes and a set of headphones sending me upstairs to the big screen TV viewing area.
Sidenote: It hurts to wear headphones for three and a half hours straight.
When I returned all the paraphernalia, the librarian commented that I wasn't kidding about my afternoon plans being shot.
I enjoyed the production, and Röschmann was a fabulous Susanna, but in the end I find I still prefer the production from the Royal Opera where she plays the Countess.
Other than Röschmann, the best part was Cherubino, who was a complete little shit (and who stepped way over the sexual assault line from a modern standpoint). What's usually the Countess's ribbon was in this production a pair of thong underwear, which at one point Cherubino stuffs in his mouth.
The opera news continued when I released my ears (those headphones hurt!), came back to my room and checked my Facebook page.
It seems the Ben Heppner has dropped out of the San Francisco run of Moby Dick for personal reasons. While I'm sad that Heppner feels he can't perform, I was thrilled to see that SFO have announced the JayMo is taking the entirety of the run. Chalk up one more in the Being the Understudy column for Jay!
This also means I get to see him perform twice, after all. I'm a little concerned that my performances are now at what will be the end of a long run, but I'll trust him to take care of himself.
Okay, and in writing this, I've just flipped channels for background noise and found the Met Ring Cycle's Die Walküre.
I was going to write about how the writing gods are loving me too, but it seems the opera ones won't shut up.
Cate