wordless wednesday: not
opera-length "winter hips" necklace: red aventurine and blackstone
Yesterday evening's last minute decision to go to Vancouver Opera's production of La Traviata was a good one. OK, so I didn't have time to dress up in the interlude between end of piano lesson, hastily scooped dinner and departure, but in the darkness of the auditorium no one can see your jeans.
(no, I didn't wear jeans, just a denim jacket for denim day) and no one can see you blub all over your favourite opera either.
The (Dr) Jonathan Miller staging of Verdi's famous opera of love, loss, and how to insult a woman definitely hit the spot. From the first thin strains of the strings to the final dramatic death bed scene (yes, an unhappy ending) I was entranced. Some of my favourite arias and reprises filled the QE theatre and warmed my creative heart. Bravo to the singers,stage hands and orchestra for sharing such a sumptuous yet minimalistic production.
This was the first opera I have ever watched with surtitles, the translationary teleprompter for the audience so it was also the first opera where I could follow the action word-for-word. Sadly, this emphasised how unemotionally the character of Alfredo was portrayed. It may have been a deliberate ploy to emphasise his shallowness,but I felt that he was almost uninvolved in what should be a great and tragic love affair. The only time when he showed any emotional response was in result to the shame of realising he was a kept man bu Violetta selling off her property to keep them in rural bliss. No - the most emotional and harrowing scenes I found were the duets and encounters between Violetta and her lover's father. I could see the torture that the father was going through in asking for Violetta to give up his son, and also his shame when Alfredo verbally abuses her in public. The death bed scene, as usual, was heart rending and impressive, sung from a semi recumbent position (bravo!).
The last night of this amazing production is tomorrow - beg, steal or gatecrash to get a ticket.
