Monday, April 06, 2009

A Night at the Opera

I was invited to the opera with my friend, Ann. It was La Triviata. I didn't know the story, but I knew it was about a sick prostitute - aren't they all? I had the story line of La Bohème in my head and I kept thinking, My goodness but they've left a lot out. Ann had gotten the tickets from her husband (who happened to be in the production) and they were sort of amazing seats. Third row.

We sat close enough so that I could see a guy playing a really strange brass instrument (sort of a trombone looking thing, but with vertical pipes, a fingering mechanism on the right side, and the bell beside his head - and sitting next to the trombones) holding his ears when the tympani was making a lot of noise. There were subtitles, but they were in Dutch and they were way up high, so I mostly tried to figure it out on my own or just enjoy the ambiance. It was a very modern set, some of which Ann did not agree with. It was a little slow in the third act, but overall, it was a really nice performance. They did some very interesting things and the sound is very different than where I've sat before.

Afterwards, the three of us had beers at a bar a few blocks from the opera house. We sat outside and it was just perfect. It was interesting to get some behind the scenes stories. Being a member of a chorus in an opera - or being in an orchestra - is a job I never considered that is appealing to me now. Of course it would mean working nights, but it sounds like fun and at one point in my life, I was on track to do something like that if I'd have just made a different turn. Yes, my life would be completely different, but would I know that? No. And I'd probably be just fine with it.

Riding home, I thought, I have a really lovely life. For one thing, I got a wonderful seat to a very nice opera for free with a good new friend, and secondly, today was the last day of the one job for a bit. I only work Mondays and Fridays at that job and this coming Friday is Good Friday and the following Monday is Second Easter Day (also known as White Monday), so I don't see those kids again until the 17th of April. (Thank God for these religious holidays.) They really are such great kids. It's just spring time. And having worked with the mentally ill, I know that there are some things that you just have to accept. These children have spring fever.

I've got some free time coming up. I need to think of a way to be productive. I've got a couple of things in mind.

By the way, I've heard that that sculpture in the picture above is by our fair queen. (It's at the opera house.) I have no proof, but it always makes me think of her. I almost don't want to hear different because I like the idea so much.

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