Wife and I went to Wolf Trap, at the Barns, for a performance of Rossini's The Touchstone,
which the Post reviewer called a deservedly forgotten opera. It was enjoyable, but a bit long for my old bones. Maybe I need to invest in another seat cushion (my wife has one)? Anyway, the Wolf Trap Opera has a blog, and here's an interview with last night's female lead. My old-fashioned preconceptions got a jolt from it.
Showing posts with label opera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opera. Show all posts
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Wolf Trap: Where Elephants and Donkeys Play
Went to Wolf Trap last Sunday for an opera at the Barns*. It was good, would have been better if I'd roused myself to get my cataracts corrected in time that I could read the supertitles.
Turns out Bill Kristol, the conservative pundit, and wife were there the previous performance. A couple years past the Notorious RBG was there the same night as we were. That's proof there's no polarization in the DC area, nothing that can't be bridged by enjoying old operas sung by young singers.
* the "barns" are two old New York barns, disassembled and moved to the Virginia suburbs and arranged into a venue seating about 375. The larger barn reminds me of the design of the one on the farm I grew up on. Get nostalgic every time I go.
Turns out Bill Kristol, the conservative pundit, and wife were there the previous performance. A couple years past the Notorious RBG was there the same night as we were. That's proof there's no polarization in the DC area, nothing that can't be bridged by enjoying old operas sung by young singers.
* the "barns" are two old New York barns, disassembled and moved to the Virginia suburbs and arranged into a venue seating about 375. The larger barn reminds me of the design of the one on the farm I grew up on. Get nostalgic every time I go.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Two Recommendations--An Empire on the Edge and Ghosts of Versailles
Just because, I'd recommend a book and an opera.
The book is one I haven't finished reading, but I like very much. It's "An Empire on the Edge", a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer. It's the British side of the road to our Revolution, with lots of stuff I didn't know. (John Brown played as big a role in the Revolution as John Brown did in the Civil War.) Particularly like the interplay of politics, personality, economics, and government, with just a tad of bureaucracy thrown in.
The opera is "The Ghosts of Versailles", which we saw at Wolf Trap Friday in a chamber version. No DVD available for anyone outside the 1 percent, but if you have a chance, go see it. Laughed until I cried.
The book is one I haven't finished reading, but I like very much. It's "An Empire on the Edge", a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer. It's the British side of the road to our Revolution, with lots of stuff I didn't know. (John Brown played as big a role in the Revolution as John Brown did in the Civil War.) Particularly like the interplay of politics, personality, economics, and government, with just a tad of bureaucracy thrown in.
The opera is "The Ghosts of Versailles", which we saw at Wolf Trap Friday in a chamber version. No DVD available for anyone outside the 1 percent, but if you have a chance, go see it. Laughed until I cried.
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