I have booked up for a couple of goodies over the next few months.
First up, I am going to see the Anthony Minghella production of Madame Butterfly at the English National Opera. I saw this last year and found it so wonderful that I simply have to see it again. When you think about it, the story is pretty repellent, American sailor 'marrying' a fifteen year old innocent girl and then abandoning her to pregnancy and poverty without a backward glance. Pinkerton must be one of the biggest cads in all opera. All he is interested in is instant gratification with no thought to the cultural differences and the fact that this marriage will cause Butterfly to be abandoned by her family. I know he reappears at the end but that is only to claim his son and take him away with his new American wife. Wonder what she made of it all one wonders?
Many many years ago, a very close friend of mine saw this at the Colosseum with the English tenor David Hughes singing Pinkerton. When he rushed on at the end in this particular production and threw himself over Butterfly's body he fell very clumsily. Curtains came down and then nothing. A sense that something was wrong and then the call 'Is there a doctor in the house?' David Hughes had a heart attack and had died on stage. Apparently, he had complained of not feeling well and had felt it coming on but wanted to finish his performance. It was a terrible shock as he was only in his early 40s.
Other goodie is the new production of Don Carlos at the Royal Opera House in June. Rolando Villazon who has been ill and only just returned to the opera stage, is down to sing the title role but nobody is laying too many bets on it at the moment. My personal view is that his voice is not the right one for this part, but we shall see what transpires. It is a Nicholas Hytner production (Madness of King George, Magic Flute at ENO) so it bodes well.
For both of these evenings I have booked decent seats. I like to do that every now and then. Most of the time I am happy in the amphitheatre and if you can get the block in the middle, Rows C-F (which I did for Beatrix Potter the other night) then really, you cannot complain. sound and sight lines are good. However, to have a splurge and sit in posh seats is fun.
The English National Opera season is an interesting one with a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor, but may give that one a miss, I still have fond memories of Sutherland/Callas which would impinge too much, and later on Der Rosenkavalier which is very tempting. I saw the Jonathan Miller production of this at the Colly back in the 70's and very gorgeous it was too so this is on my wishlist. I am not booking yet though as I have to see how my very battered credit card is faring.
I have also applied on line to be put in the ballot for tickets to the New Year's day concert in Vienna in 2009 but I am not holding my breath on that one.
I think I have enough to be getting on with for the moment.
