Looking forward to Akhnaten

I missed going to Puccini's Butterfly this morning.  It was a conscious choice.  Rebecca and I are going to spend 5 quiet hours on a Saturday in her office instead -- hoping to get ahead with writing, though that never really happens, does it.

Anthony Roth Costanzo in Akhnaten Karen Almond / Met Opera

We already have our tickets for Phillip Glass's Akhnaten to be telecast January 23rd.

She flies out that evening to Australia and I go back to Calgary.

Normal people would be packing that day, but what isn't packed the day before is not going with us.  Opera first, vacation comfort second.

I don't know much about Phillip Glass.

Anthony Roth Costanzo in Akhnaten 
Paola Kudacki / Met Opera

So I will make some notes between now and then.  Here are the places I am going to visit on my notes taking tour:

The review of Akhnaten from The Guardian when the opera played at the Collesium in London and closed February 2019 was my beginning place to learn a  bit more.

And go inside rehearsals is a good link of 28 seconds of juggling in Akhnaten from the Metropolitan site.

Here is a review from Playbill which is where I will go to take most of my notes.

Here is an 8 minute you tube clip of The Window of Appearances for anyone who might not be able to get there, but who has 8 minutes to watch an 2013 production of the opera.

That is about it on how I am going to go about my homework for Akhnaten.

Arta

Norma - Coming to a Theatre Near You

Jamie Barton, kneeling, and Angela Meade, as the title character, 
in Bellini’s “Norma” at the Metropolitan Opera. 
Credit Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

What makes the opera so much fun for me now, is all of the work I do getting ready to go to it.

 Now it is not all that much work.

 I do read the reviews and in the case of Norma, one of the reviews involves listening to some quick utube renditions of the tunes I will be hearing.

I have been known to take a few notes and try to learn the names of the protagonists.

All of this makes me pretty happy when I get there.  Such a joy to watch the New York Metropolitan Opera, brought to the comfort of a theatre that is only an LRT ride away!

If you plan on going to the opera, here are some reviews. 

I am going to have to catch it on the Encore for I have another appointment on Saturday.

Hear what makes Norma the Everest of Opera

Star Singers Lift a muddled 'Norma' at the Metropolitan Opera

Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss, by Max Liebermann, 1918

What is Richard Strauss?

That is the question I woke up with this morning.

Tonia had picquet my interest in hearing a bit of Elektra before I went to see it this morning.

She had done this by saying she was going to go out and hear a bit of The Light in the Piazza, and I thought, why not.  Why not that and a bit of Elecktra.  But hearing a bit wasn't enough.  An hour later I thought, hey!  The opera is only a bit over two hours long and now I have listened to half.  And who is this composer?  Late romantic and early modern.  Not the Richardt Strauss of the waltzes I know.

Nice to have electronics that let me check out my misperceptions.

And I had my question answered and found out that I know his works, but I don't know who compoased those works.

And now I do.

Here is a partial list:

Der Rosencavalier,  and Salome for operas 

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks for a tone poem

If I am ever in a contest that has "music" for a category, I should not pick it.

Arta

Electra - Review

Nina Stemme as the title character in
Richard Strauss’s opera “Elektra,”
which opened at the Metropolitan on Thursday night. 
Credit
Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Hello,

Here is the New York Times review  of "Electra" which will be shown in movie houses this Saturday.

The review is long, and in fact riveting and well worth reading, whether opera is your thing or not.

A joy to live in a world where this is available.

I saw some other reviews, but you are on your own for I got a message that said I had already read my 10 free articles in the Times for the month.  Well, that makes me look forward to May which is right around the corner.

Arta

Full Saturdays

The baritone Peter Mattei, left, as Wolfram
and the tenor Johan Botha as his romantic rival,
the title character, in “Tannhäuser,”
conducted by James Levine
at the Metropolitan Opera.

I had some time to look at the internet today, trying to figure out when New York Met operas begin.

I looked for NT Live performances from London as well.

I added in the encores, since I like to go twice, even three times.

I looked for reviews for myself and for dates and times.

Tomorrow is Tannhäuser.  Here is the New York Times Review.

I read it once, but that is not enough to get me up to enough speed that I will really enjoy the performance.  So there is work ahead for me to do.  And even if I don't get prepared, why isn't it alright just to go and soak up what I can.

Coming Up
Jan 9 - Tannhauser - 4 hrs 15 min
Jan 16 - Pearl Fishers, 2 hrs, 54 min
Jan 23 - Jane Eyre 3 hrs 30 min (saw it once, going back)
Jan 30 - Turandot - 3 hrs 35 min
Feb 6 - Lulu 4 hrs 15 min (saw it once, going back -- chilling and compelling)
Feb 20 - Pearl Fishers (actually saw it for the first time in London at the Colesium)
Feb 27 - Dangerous Liaisons 3 hrs, 30 min

A big thank you to Catherine Jarvis who was the first one to tell me to go to these events.

Another thank you to friends and family who have accompanied me along the way:  Lurene Bates, Tonia Bates, Charise Bates, Wyona Bates, Fazeel Kayyum, Duncan Carter-Johnson, Alex Carter-Johnson,  The Doral and Anita Johnson Kids (Meighan, Ceilidh, Dalton), The Jarvis Kids (Rebecca, Catie, Thomas), Trell Johnson, and Ina Given.  The more names I type, the more I think of, so to the others, leave me a comment and remind me which shows we saw for it has all been fun.

Maybe the moment that goes deepest into my heart has been when another audience member stops me in the hall or on the theatre stairs and says, "I see you are here with your grandchildren.  You are lucky."

I know I am fortunate.

Arta