We had a rather cryptic message from Nicoline today. She set up a WhatsApp group between the three of us ages ago and, every now and then, a message will pop up. Today she wrote, “Are you interested in horse poo? I have a secret source…” I’ll leave Mirinda to answer it, as I think it may have more to do with her than me.
Speaking of Mirinda, she was feeling a lot better today. We were more than a little concerned that she’d be sick for another three weeks, like she was the last time the snotty-nosed kid, via Liz, via Amanda, infected her.
I went to the opera tonight and figured she’d be in bed, fast asleep, by the time I returned home but, no, she was watching a movie and full of beans. Or chicken soup, actually.
The opera was a new one for me, La rondine by Puccini. It was at the Trosa Bio; one of those live-streamed from the New York Met performances I used to see at The Maltings in Farnham. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
And not just for the opera. The thing I like with the live-streaming is the fact that the artists are interviewed during the intermission. If I ignore the fact that the women who do the questioning come across asd a bit wanky, it’s great to hear what the cast think about the roles they’re singing.
It’s also a chance to take a photo of the screen during the break.
One of the interviews was with the conductor, Speranza Scappucci. She was talking about the quartet from Act II and a snippet was shown, as above. This is in Bulliers, where the main characters meet up and Ruggero declares his love for Magda.
Mind you, things didn’t get off to a great start.
Before the curtain was raised, the head of the Met walked onto the apron to make an announcement. The auditorium was hushed. Everyone was expecting news of a substitution through sickness, tardiness or having been eaten by a goat. But, no, he assured everyone, the cast was as advertised. The reason he was addressing the audience was to announce that Jonathan Tetelman was suffering from hay fever and, while he battled on, we should forgive him for anything not up to snuff. Or sniff.
Well, I have to say, he was superb. Jonathan I mean, not the head of the Met. I guess whatever drugs, tea or cotton wool he was using, worked wonders. He said he was drinking a lot of tea during his interview backstage. I reckon a lot of hay fever sufferers would like to know what this secret tea is because it’s clearly magical.
Actually, the title of this post comes from Jonathan. He was talking about his love for Puccini’s work (he’ll also be singing in Madama Butterfly in a few weeks) and described La rondine as not quite a tragedy because, though sad, there was no dead body in Act III.
So, his performance, as far as I was concerned, was excellent. I wondered about his very close moments shared with Angel Blue. I know what Mirinda is like when the hay fever strikes and being a safe distance away is always a good idea. Still, there were no explosive sneezes or nasal dripping.
Speaking of Angel Blue, her voice was spectacular. The final note of the opera, for instance, was extremely high and beautifully delivered. No accompaniment, no clues, perfectly produced. She also had a bittersweet melancholia that was perfect for Magda.
But for me, the highlight of the opera were the performances of Emily Pogorelc and Bekhzod Davronov. They both worked extremely well together and provided the lightness that the opera needed. Emily, in particular, was delightfully animated with a fantastic voice (obviously) and she lit up the stage every time she entered.
All in all, it was a great first time for me. Both the opera and attending a live stream at the Bio.
And, to be fair, it wasn’t the only firsts for today.
Now that I feel confident walking the myriad of trails around Mount Trosa, I try and take different paths. Today was no exception.
Not only does it make each walk different, it also tests the dogs as Emma tends to follow previous paths until she realises she’s no longer with me and Freya.
All in all, a marvellous day.
