Wednesday 30 January 2013

the pile on my desk....


What is that pile I keep making bigger but never seem to go through???  Notes on scraps of paper, newspaper clippings, ticket stubs, concert programmes, business cards and that's just the top half.

So glad I kept the programme from my first experience attending the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos.  Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 (for those of you in the know:))) was so beautiful.  The acoustics, uuufff! Centennial Hall it ain't.  The second half of the programme was La vida breve (an opera-in-concert) written in 1905.  So, imagine full orchestra on stage with The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (120+members) in an upper balcony behind and then 9 singers and 1 dancer all in a row in front of the orchestra.  Talk about park and honk! Not exciting staging but how it was meant to be performed.

Synopsis, Granada, turn of the 20th century, a marriage promise is made to a beautiful gypsy girl, her intended arrives, a "rapturous duet" occurs and then he leaves.  She, her sister and grandmother discover another  promise has been made and a wedding to a wealthy socialite is to take place the next day, lots of anger and angst and scheming.

The jilted fiance appears at the wedding, misery. The groom sees her, nervous.  She offers to sing and dance for the guests, insert flamenco dancer here, jilted fiance denounces groom and falls dead at his feet.  The end.

Enjoyable even though I was in a very bad seat.  Will know better for next time.  The most memorable singer is in the clip below.  She is an extraordinary mezzosoprano who made all the other performers pale in comparison.  I couldn't find a clip of same opera but I liked this link the best because the set and costumes are kick-ass!!

Enjoy Christina Faus:)


No comments:

Post a Comment