A Night at the Opera

A kind friend gave me a ticket to COC (Canadian Opera Company) last night. I dressed up nicely to play along, and sat down for an evening of Florentine silliness, all by my lonesome self. I've not been to the opera in many years, I'd rather go to a dance performance when funds allow, but I do enjoy being there when it happens. It's a curious thing, opera. Basically a theatrical play, with difficult singing and fantastic orchestra at the bottom of the stage.
This one was a double bill, 2 short ones. A Florentine Tragedy by Zemlinsky, and Gianni Schicchi by Puccini. Both sets are done beautifully, a minimal set to transport the audience to the opulence of Florence, where passion and materialistic impulses run high. Gianni Schicchi is funny, I was surprised. There's a solo for one young lady, this famous piece where everyone bursts into applause at the end, it's probably the most recognizable areas of all time. Here it is by the immortal Maria Callas. The words, compared with the supreme singing, are so mundane, the joke is on us.