I'm away from home. I came down to Glasgow and The Beatson for a review of the drugs trial from which I am benefitting. It's also been a very good opportunity to catch up with some of my friends down in this neck of the woods. I've been staying with Anna (whom I first met in New Zealand in 2006).
I passed my 'service' and the car has had its service too and new rear tyres.
Tomorrow I shall drive to Penrith and meet my brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law will then hand over her husband into my care and I will return with him to Anna's.
Monday should be a good day for visiting a couple of Glasgow's museums and art galleries.
On Tuesday we will return to Lewis.
The most fascinating thing this week has been a trip to the opera. Scottish Opera were doing an 'outdoor' and socially distanced performance of Verdi's Falstaff. Why, in heaven's name they chose the one opera which Verdi wrote that he definitely should have left unwritten, no-one knew. My speculation is that it was guaranteed an audience simply because everyone was grateful for the opportunity to get out to see and hear a performance again.
I am not an opera fan so one of those vacant chairs would have been mine.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, I am, as you will have gathered, an opera lover. There were no vacant chairs whatsoever when the opera got under way.
DeleteVisiting museums and galleries on a Monday would be rather difficult in this country - over here, it is typically the one day of the week where museums and hairdressers are closed.
ReplyDeleteHave you and your brother seen each other at all during the last year? I like the idea you two will spend time together.
As for the opera, I can not remember when I‘ve last been! The State Opera in Stuttgart was going to re-open last week when a thunderstorm hitmthe building and damaged the roof. My Mum and her friend had tickets but the performance was cancelled.
Meike, I discovered that one of the art galleries that I wanted to take CJ to is closed on a Monday. Thank you for your thoughts.
DeleteFalstaff would have been more like to keep me away than to encourage my attendance. Definitely not Verdi's finest work. Now, had they chosen "Aida" for an outdoor show, that would have been a different story altogether.
ReplyDeleteDavid, you're right in that I would never have gone to see Falstaff in the normal course of events but on this occasion I was a guest of a friend and enjoyed it just for the wonderful singing and the atmosphere of being at a live performance once again.
DeleteOh please take photos of where you go, most of my ancestors came from there so i'd love to see what you see.
ReplyDeleteRight, Amy, I'll try and do my best.
DeleteLong time since I went to the opera. I don't really like the singing. I prefer ballet by far.
ReplyDeleteTasker, I do love opera (though definitely not Falstaff) but also love the ballet. When I was living in New Zealand we went to the ballet every season when the New Zealand Ballet did its summer tour.
DeleteYou have been a busy lad, you gadabout! :)
ReplyDeleteTake care. :)
Thanks, Lee.
DeleteI'm sure many people would like to be "not at home " right now. Interesting venue for an opera.
ReplyDeleteRed, 'interesting' is a good adjective for the venue. It was, as it happens, amazingly good from the acoustic and physical distancing in the open air points of view.
DeleteThe seating venue is casual, which is probably suitable these days. How interesting it would be to hear Verdi's work, where I liked it or not.
ReplyDeleteSusan, in normal circumstances I'd rather be in a concert hall but then these are far from normal times and I, for one, am not ready for an indoor concert yet.
DeleteGlad your service went well. I imagine John is really looking forward to getting back on Lewis again with you. Hope you both have a great time together. The seating arrangements at the opera look really odd, makes me realise how lucky we are here.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pauline. Yes, I think John and, later Jo, will both enjoy a spell on the Island.
DeleteThat venue does look rather strange; I presume the set is their own and was erected for the occasion. Do Scottish Opera have several different travelling casts? When in Brighton I used to be a regular at The Theatre Royal, but in these strange times I would be a little hesitant to return.
ReplyDeleteCro, the venue was strange but then these are very strange times and I wouldn't not have attended in a proper theatre however well physically distanced we all were.
DeleteNoting Tasker's comment, French opera has both ballet and singing and anything that Verdi wrote that was commissioned by the French had to include dance. This was for the French noblemen who liked to see the dancers and during the interval would meet them and arrange to "see" them after the performance. The French version of Aida which is performed occasionally today but rarely because it costs so much to put on includes wonderful scenes of ballet dancers. Aida I believe, so far at least in my studies, to be the best Verdi opera. However I have two to go, namely Otello and Falstaff, Falstaff being his last one.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Rachel. As a lover of both opera and ballet I confess that in some of the later French ballets where it was incorporated it seemed to be a distraction. I always regard the grand Verdi operas as a 'spectacle' rather than as opera or ballet but on the whole I confess to preferring to be able to concentrate on one or the other. Aidi is regarded by most as the best of Verdi's operas but I always used to listen to La Traviata and Il Trouvatore more frequently
DeleteThe Santa Fe Opera held it's first performance of the season last night. This opera house is a wonderful venue perched on top of a mesa (or maybe it is a butte, not sure which?) and opened to the air. Santa Fe loves its Opera and there were photos in the morning news of attendees enjoying tailgate parties prior to the performance.
ReplyDeleteJill, you mentioned that the opening night was The Marriage of Figaro. I notice too, that the company puts on some quite adventurous (for my taste) operas. I would have enjoyed that.
DeleteOh I agree!
DeleteOops! Sorry I forgot to mention the opening performance was The Marriage of Figaro.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have yet more pleasant times with your brother.
ReplyDeleteThank you, YP.
DeleteI have been woefully AWOL, apologies :-)
ReplyDeletePenrith? You were only 30 miles from Bag End, if I had been more organised and there was more time perhaps I could have driven over to say hello? What a shame I missed the opportunity.
My first outdoor opera was Cavalleria Rusticana at Kenwood House in north London. It was many many years ago and by the look of your photos we were much warmer that evening! But regardless of having to bundle up, how lovely to be able to get out and enjoy live music.
Jayne, I've been woefully absent a lot too. It's what happens when our 'real' life gets in the way of our Blogland life. Perhaps there will be other times in your neck of the woods or perhaps you will eventually venture into the Islands.
DeleteGlad your service went well. Opera in the cold wouldn't be for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane. I'd have preferred it warmer too.
DeleteAdmittedly not a big opera fan, I will admit to having seen several when we lived in NJ years ago and amazingly they were performed in English! Nice that you are getting around with both visits and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beatrice. Life is certainly full on here at the moment.
DeleteI hope you are having a good time away. I look forward to reading about your travels.
ReplyDeleteI'm back, Maywyn.
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