no joys above the pleasures of love

I have Been To The Opera! I am vastly excited about this.

The opera was a radical interpretation by Mark Morris of Purcell & Dryden’s King Arthur, mostly without the Dryden and with a lot of country-dance inspired dance awesomeness. I'd read about it beforehand and was therefore forewarned about the abandonment of plot. So: a King Arthur that not only left out the Guinevere/Lancelot boringness, but apparently never had it to begin with. I am strangely fascinated by this. But, as to what I saw:

I particularly liked the “Follow, follow, this way bend” scene with the fairies leading people astray in a wood. With flashlights and mirrored doors. One of them had those running shoes with the little lights. I kid you not! LOVE.

Also the menagerie scene from the last act, featuring a classical ballet prince and princess (making that REALLY TYPICAL ballet running-around-the-forest entrance- you know the one, where the prince in white tights and a blue velvet jacket runs on beautifully, arms spread wide, seeking his betutu’d true love)... and a full chorus of giraffe, lion, flamingo, and random mallard duck. AWESOME. Yeah, I laughed my ass off.

And then there was always one person supremely graceful. That perfect control of muscle and movement, that elasticity, that harmony of skill and nature and dance...

Sometimes the Greeks got it right, you know. (All they needed was, like, some feminism.) The human body as ultimate beauty. Yes.

And, because a report on the opera would not be complete without a report on Opera Finery: I was resplendent in my black layer skirt of ballet floaty and my sparkly shoes of awesome.

Note to self: try Fourth Ring cheap seats next time, with low numbered seat if possible. Or spring for something in the middle. Fifth Ring has a terrible view of the stage, although a good view of the audience. Still, it was pretty cool being way up top of the jewelry box. I’ve always liked heights.

In summary: Hot. Bizarre. Hilarious. Fantastic.

no joys above the pleasures of love

I have Been To The Opera! I am vastly excited about this.

The opera was a radical interpretation by Mark Morris of Purcell & Dryden’s King Arthur, mostly without the Dryden and with a lot of country-dance inspired dance awesomeness. I'd read about it beforehand and was therefore forewarned about the abandonment of plot. So: a King Arthur that not only left out the Guinevere/Lancelot boringness, but apparently never had it to begin with. I am strangely fascinated by this. But, as to what I saw:

I particularly liked the “Follow, follow, this way bend” scene with the fairies leading people astray in a wood. With flashlights and mirrored doors. One of them had those running shoes with the little lights. I kid you not! LOVE.

Also the menagerie scene from the last act, featuring a classical ballet prince and princess (making that REALLY TYPICAL ballet running-around-the-forest entrance- you know the one, where the prince in white tights and a blue velvet jacket runs on beautifully, arms spread wide, seeking his betutu’d true love)... and a full chorus of giraffe, lion, flamingo, and random mallard duck. AWESOME. Yeah, I laughed my ass off.

And then there was always one person supremely graceful. That perfect control of muscle and movement, that elasticity, that harmony of skill and nature and dance...

Sometimes the Greeks got it right, you know. (All they needed was, like, some feminism.) The human body as ultimate beauty. Yes.

And, because a report on the opera would not be complete without a report on Opera Finery: I was resplendent in my black layer skirt of ballet floaty and my sparkly shoes of awesome.

Note to self: try Fourth Ring cheap seats next time, with low numbered seat if possible. Or spring for something in the middle. Fifth Ring has a terrible view of the stage, although a good view of the audience. Still, it was pretty cool being way up top of the jewelry box. I’ve always liked heights.

In summary: Hot. Bizarre. Hilarious. Fantastic.