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U of H can reallly put on an opera. I am SO sorry you missed this one. It's the Ivo I got and you didn't.
The production, from the set (minimalist ground cover and foliage, a few staircases) to the lights (magic) to the costumes (soooo fantasy, without being cliche), to the direction (went in a few directions low-comedy-wise that didn't occur to Rice, and you could hardly hear the singing for the laughter in the audience... surtitles are a good thing) to the actual talent (nothing to sneeze at)... was sublime. And Oberon was played by a real countertenor, the only one at U of H. And he was GOOD. So much better than suspending disbelief for a busty mezzo. So clear, so precise, so musical. I lovvve this Britten opera. It must be a time of inspiration and discouragement, because that is my reaction to everything lately. I want to finish Starbirds, but it will not be that cool. Nothing could ever approach the coolness of Shakespeare set by Britten. Aaahhh
I said hi and had quite a conversation with Eric Rodriguez at the second intermission. JD disappeared; didn't talk to him. I came home and decided not to stay up all night being inspired and writing, because I have an 8:00 performance class in the morning.
And then.
Hurrah for middle-of-the-night excursions to Brown so Stephan can play me almost every single constituent of the musical Ragtime and analyze it to me! Not that it's not a good show. It is. We decided that it's a musical on the level of the great works, but with the musical theaterness level of Annie. I challenge someone to write a Broadway musical which does not modulate to the dominant in the middle of every other phrase. He also showed me some Mussorgsky in a last-ditch effort to get me to appreciate some Russian mezzo's tone. I don't dislike it, I just prefer less manufactured roundness.
We talked about music, and musicians, and composers, and composing, and musicology.
Then we talked about life. A lot of life seems to get talked about in the middle of the night in Stephan's room. I told him the Alan story, complete with electrocution simile, and he pointed out something that had not occurred to me; Alan likes me, and thinks I like him, and I am leading him on. But he is cool, and I want to be his friend! Apparently, that doesn't work. But he knows about Reggie! Stephan said that doesn't help. I told him the logic I applied to it was that I am undeniably in love with Reggie, and I don't kiss him, so what makes anyone think I'd kiss anyone else? He couldn't refute that, but apparently I can't expect Alan to understand it. ?
I have piano at 8 in the morning. I have to get up so I can practice beforehand, because I'm not practicing now, and there's a transposition due. Blah.
The production, from the set (minimalist ground cover and foliage, a few staircases) to the lights (magic) to the costumes (soooo fantasy, without being cliche), to the direction (went in a few directions low-comedy-wise that didn't occur to Rice, and you could hardly hear the singing for the laughter in the audience... surtitles are a good thing) to the actual talent (nothing to sneeze at)... was sublime. And Oberon was played by a real countertenor, the only one at U of H. And he was GOOD. So much better than suspending disbelief for a busty mezzo. So clear, so precise, so musical. I lovvve this Britten opera. It must be a time of inspiration and discouragement, because that is my reaction to everything lately. I want to finish Starbirds, but it will not be that cool. Nothing could ever approach the coolness of Shakespeare set by Britten. Aaahhh
I said hi and had quite a conversation with Eric Rodriguez at the second intermission. JD disappeared; didn't talk to him. I came home and decided not to stay up all night being inspired and writing, because I have an 8:00 performance class in the morning.
And then.
Hurrah for middle-of-the-night excursions to Brown so Stephan can play me almost every single constituent of the musical Ragtime and analyze it to me! Not that it's not a good show. It is. We decided that it's a musical on the level of the great works, but with the musical theaterness level of Annie. I challenge someone to write a Broadway musical which does not modulate to the dominant in the middle of every other phrase. He also showed me some Mussorgsky in a last-ditch effort to get me to appreciate some Russian mezzo's tone. I don't dislike it, I just prefer less manufactured roundness.
We talked about music, and musicians, and composers, and composing, and musicology.
Then we talked about life. A lot of life seems to get talked about in the middle of the night in Stephan's room. I told him the Alan story, complete with electrocution simile, and he pointed out something that had not occurred to me; Alan likes me, and thinks I like him, and I am leading him on. But he is cool, and I want to be his friend! Apparently, that doesn't work. But he knows about Reggie! Stephan said that doesn't help. I told him the logic I applied to it was that I am undeniably in love with Reggie, and I don't kiss him, so what makes anyone think I'd kiss anyone else? He couldn't refute that, but apparently I can't expect Alan to understand it. ?
I have piano at 8 in the morning. I have to get up so I can practice beforehand, because I'm not practicing now, and there's a transposition due. Blah.
