Opera's not my thing. Not at all. Music to bend metal with. And it is a mistake to translate it. I once went to a uni production of Carmen because I had a friend singing in it. Unfortunately they did it in English. The lead female was rather...large; the male lead this tiny little tenor. When she sang Carry me over the hiiills we collapsed in hysterical giggles. No idea how she thought he was going to manage that!
So yeah, I'm a cultural vandal but I have a cousin who is a mezzo soprano & is doing the Trav this season & I am seriously considering wrangling the girls into going to see Ri do her thing with Queensland Opera as Annina. It's 3 hours & a lot of money for something I'm not sure I'll even enjoy & total melodrama all the way to the grave. Oh, & I'd have to be semi~highbrow 'cause they don't allow thongs {as in footwear, people!} & give Ditz the low down on how it is adapted from Alexander Dumas' La Dame aux Camelias ~ which is much nicer all round than La Traviata, which translates as The Woman Who Strayed. Never mind the really horrible men in this piece.
So when I sort of sounded out Liddy her first question was, 'But do you even like opera?' Well no, not really. I like individual bits, & some composers more than others. Verdi. Do I even know Verdi? And can I bear 3 hours of Ditz if she absolutely hates it? Being Ditz she probably will. Worse, I will hear how much better she could do it herself & all about every wrong note. Seriously. The child's fast becoming a musical snob ~ or something.
What do you think, people. Do I bite the bullet & risk a complete fiasco or opt for another night in front of the t.v & computer? What would you do?
13 comments:
I'd go once and probably never again if I hated it, only ever enjoyed Madam Butterfly because Malcolm Maclaren did a version I rather liked.
The shoe thing could cause more dramas than it is worth though..... but it is family so...
yeah I'd risk it
xc
in case you were wondering (you weren't? oh ok) I do go through that exact process in my head, so now you know
I'd say go...because I'm sure you will have some marvelously witty commentary after the show.
I think you should go, but if it was me, I wouldn't. :-P But that's totally off the cuff, so take it for what it's worth.
ha ha we are sooooooo helpful, not :o)
lol people. I went round the girls & they were tentatively interested ~ even Ditz. She spent ages on the QLD opera site looking at everything. :D So I thought {yeah I know, I shouldn't do that!} I could include Sian & my mum if they were interested & now Kimba has invited herself {s'ok Kimba, we love you} so it looks like I go ahead & see if I can get a matinee....
Why do they care what you wear on your feet?? Bet they'd hate my crocs too, which I live in once the snow is gone. ;-)
I've never seen any opera outside of the television...
You'll have to tell us what it was like (sounds like you made up your mind from the last comment) :-)
Moly: I have seen live opera. When I lived in Sydney I had a friend who worked in the SOH ticket office & she gave us tickets to all sorts of things, often dress rehearsals which are far more interesting than the actual performance; great costuming, terrific sets but those high notes! Aaargh!
First of all - bless your heart for being honest about hating opera. I absolutely cringe everytime I think of it (or hear it). Can't stand the stuff either!
On that note, if the girls are interested, I say, "Why not?" But if they aren't - there's got to be a theatre production or other cultural event that you could spend that same hard earned money on, right? (I'm not very helpful, am I?)
oh ganeida... you cultural vandal you! (sorry, i just collapsed into a giggle when i read that, lol)
i don't know about going... i'd probably tell my girls, "well i'm not honestly sure about going." then i'd leave it up to them.. if they wanted to go i'd take them, and if not, then we wouldn't go. (call it the Lord's leading;))
You should go if you have other stuff to do out that way. WOW I don't think I could do that much travelling for something I didn't like all that much. So what else is there to do there?
Ladies, I can write this off as a school activity ~ cultural education as well as music field trip & hey, icecream at Southbank afterwards to make it all worthwhile! :P
I see you worked through this one, which is good as I never like to give advice. I have enough trouble making decisions at my own place!LOL But, I have to tell you this piece really had me laughing. Your sense of humor is so good for me and keeps me coming back. Then again, I think all people that hs simply must have a sense of humor to survive!
Blessings to you,
Jan Lyn
Oh yes. Jan Lyn! Homeschoolers need a good sense of humour ~ & so do people with hardships...something about why clowns clown. I don't blog the hardships. Living them is quite enough, thank you, but often this is my recovery room where I can allow humour to restore a sense of balance to my life.
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