La Traviata - Questions

Lest anyone romanticize the idea of a conversation
between a grand daughter and a grandmother,
here it is -- done over cereal
with the cat looking on.

Question time which ends up in me giving $10 to anyone who can ask or answer 10 questions about the opera, happened this morning.

Rhiannon started in the car on the way home.  If she hears the request for "maestro to the pit" she considers that attention to the opera for which she gets the first dollar.  As well, the architecture of the building which usually is evidenced in a shot of the lights, which she calls spider lights, gets $1.  And the camera landed on that 3 times, so $3.  Can you hear me laughing?

I gave her the programme in English, which Trell picked up somewhere.  He got his own laugh when I picked up a programme and then he carried it for me to the "gods" where we were sitting.  When he handed it to me, he then said, "Good luck.  It is in French."  The print was so small when I picked it up that I hadn't noticed what the language was not one I could read.

I put the programme in her hands and then asked questions, telling her that the answers were there.  And they were.  What is the name of the conductor?, the name of the woman who played Violetta?, the man who played Alfonzo?  The questions quickly added up to finish off the maximum of $10 per opera.

I had forgotten that as the events roll around and we go to what is offered, she happens to be available when the operas are on.  That poor child.  She 10 and has sat through four (at least) of them now, Cendrillon, Samson and Deliah, and now La Traviatta, besides lots of musicals -- War Horse and Everybody's Talking about Jamie, etc.

Naomi like to ask the questions, not answer them.  That makes giving away the money a little harder for me, since I both loose money and face when I can't answer the questions.  Asking me to name the country the composer was from was a funny question, given that Yannick Nezet Sequin ignored the call to the pit to say just one more thing to the French Canadians.  How about that -- sending love to them and telling them he will always be Canadian.  I wonder if he will endear himself to the opera world.  His loose of the baton at the beginning of the second act should not be taken as an omen that things will not go well for him.  He did the unheard of.  At least to me.  As the applause was going on for groups of singers and dancers, he took his own bow and then had the whole orchestra come on stage, all carrying their instruments.  A fabulous gesture, since they usually just take their bow from t he pit.

Well, on to other questions.  Naomi gave me a yes or no question.  Yes or no.  Was Rolex a sponsor of the opera.  That question really made me laugh.  As well, she asked me for the middle name of the tenor, a question I will always get now, but that I had to use the programme when I went to find an answer.

One way or another, questions tumbled out until the payoff came.  I only have to ask question of, or be interrogated from Naomi's friend who came with us -- Diego DaSilva.