A night at the opera
I'm
no snob and really don't know much about opera except it's supposed
to be boring and “you have to wait until the fat lady sings” –
a reference to an interminable Wagner opera that ends with a fat
lady wearing horns giving the much-awaited finale. That's where the
saying comes from.
So
it was with mixed feelings I put on my best clothes and headed for
the La Scala Opera House. It's not every day you
get free tickets to opening night at the world-famous venue.
We had to pass through a phalanx of security – with the Milan Expo opening, an anarchist group called Black Bloc is plotting mayhem – to mingle with mighty and their mates. But I think maybe half of the dark-suited men the lobby crowd were personal bodyguards for people such as Georgio Armani and the President of the Republic.
We had to pass through a phalanx of security – with the Milan Expo opening, an anarchist group called Black Bloc is plotting mayhem – to mingle with mighty and their mates. But I think maybe half of the dark-suited men the lobby crowd were personal bodyguards for people such as Georgio Armani and the President of the Republic.
I
was seated next to a Chinese guy who told me his boss from Shanghai
in the row ahead was the sponsor of the season opening for Turadot,
Puccini's final, unfinished opera and his take on a Chinese theme.
And
as it got underway I was not bored at all. In fact I was engaged in
the whole scene. The staging, the costumes and of course the singing
were stunning. It didn't matter that I understood not one word.
As
a back story: Some 20 years ago someone gave me a videotape –
remember those? – of a Three Tenors concert in L.A. There was a “song” that I watched over and over. I knew nothing about opera,
but this one really grabbed me. The tune has stayed in my head ever
since. As it turns out, it is from the opera Turandot, and I heard it by one of the greatest tenors of today performing it live at La
Scala. I never imagined that would happen. I didn't even know the
aria's title or what opera it came from. I have to admit I was moved.
All
in all, a night to remember.
Here's the actual video I first saw, courtesy of Youtube. If you have the patience to give it a chance, you might agree these guys can really crank it up:
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