Wednesday 23 April 2008

Birthday Opera




One thing that I always wanted to do was to see an opera.  Guess what, I saw one last night.  La Traviata.

Nadalene bought me tickets for the opera for my birthday.  It was wonderful, magnificent, intense, and divine.  The set was brilliant.  The opera singers, I don’t even know what you would call them, but their voices were angelic.

I am at the end of the evening; I need to waltz many dances back with Nadalene to get to the beginning.

Nadalene looked stunning in a teal sweater dress with a black shawl draped in some kind of stunning fashion.  I looked stunning in black pants and a top with rhinestones (thanks Liz, I don’t know if you knew that you left it at my house or that I was going to wear it, I didn’t either).

The evening started with dinner which was maple chicken and roasted carrots and potatoes.  We both kissed our husbands goodbye and walked out the door.

Just when we reached the opera it started to rain with thunder that shook us in the car.  (Charlton did tell us to bring the umbrella.)  Of course, we didn’t have an umbrella so we had to run for it.  My run is a little slower than a snails pace so needless to say we got wet.  It was wonderful.

We got there and ordered our drinks for the intermission.  A fancy little trick that allows you to pre-order so that you don’t have to wait in the line-up.  I learnt this at my savvy daughters’ knees.

I get to our seat which was marvelous.  We were in the 19th row on the main floor, almost dead center.  The view was glorious.

Before the opera started, I was sitting in my chair and Nadalene had stepped away.  I saw her come back and in front of her were an elderly man and woman.  I watched for approximately 10 minutes while Nadalene in her beautiful dress was trying to adjust the man’s walker so that he could sit and then I saw her get it to the side and the man was holding on to both her hands while she tried to help him in his seat.  All this time there were about 15 people behind her waiting for the man and woman to sit.  I was really surprised to see that no one else helped them.

Okay back to the opera.

La Traviata is about a courtesan (Violetta) who allows herself to fall in love with one of her patrons.  Violetta moves to the country with her young man, after three months his father appears and tells her that if she really loves his son, she will give him up, because after all he is from a good home and she is a courtesan.  She gives him up.  He disappears and she ends up very ill and is dying.  He and his father come back on the scene the day she dies to tell her that the father was mistaken and she and his son should be together.  She dies in her lover’s arms.

Favourite quotes from the opera (they have it in subtitles above the stage).

While they were dancing “Life without pleasure is madness.”

While she was dying “The roses on my cheeks have faded."

Thanks for the birthday opera Nadalene.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW

i feel like i just went to the most wonderful magical place in my imagination and feel so uplifted.

WOW

Anonymous said...

I wish I went. Let me repeat my groundhog night...
Fed Josephine (and Don), bathed Josephine, fed Josephine some more, put her to bed, made tea, kissed my husband goodnight, went on the computer for too long and then...Fini. Dreams of feeding Josephine some more.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it funny, my day at the opera started Sunday, when I got to have my two sisters and niece come and visit, then the next day I got to spend the afternoon with Renee and Nad (missed you AJ), yes I love that Ang got to feed Josephine, miss her like crazy, and yes it is true, even uncle Rick said that she does look like me.... What can I say, no not your opera (which sounds absoultely wonderful), but my own little opera for my birthday. And to me it was wonderful. Thanks girls.
Love AC

Anonymous said...

In honour of italian operas:

Ti amo mamma - il piacere è stato tutto mio!

(I love you mom - the pleasure was all mine!)

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful gift not just the Opera but the whole dressing up and dinner sounds so nice. I totally see Nadalene helping the elderly couple it is without doubt the right thing to do, show a kindness to people whenever we can. TOTAL CLASS NADALENE I love you