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The end of the season . . .
Mar. 4th, 2006 10:53 pmthe Lyric Opera season, that is. A "wow" finish, Gluck's Orfeo with David Daniels in the title role. He was simply extraordinary. The production was very stark. No scenery to speak of. or props (other than a shovel in the first scene and flaming chalices in the second). In the first scene, in the graveyard, the chorus enters to the back of the stage in a funeral procession. They come up and around to the front. They are all dressed in black (reminded me of a '50s Italian movie, someone else of a Jewish funeral). Stage left is a hole and a mound of dirt - the grave. That is all. In the second scene, in Hades, the chorus members lie on the floor, shrouded in white, each with a flame in front of him(her). As they address Orfeo, they move, rising on an elbow, then more movement. This scene reminded me of Bosch. When Orfeo's plea is granted and Euridice allowed to return to the world with him, the chorus removes their shrouds, very slowly, and are again in the black of the first scene. Set designer Tobias Hoheisel said, "It's a world where nature is reduced to stone, air, water, and fire", and he evoked it magnificently.
The use of light was brilliant (no pun intended!). Instead of the usual curtain, when the lights when down in the house, the proscenium arch was brightly lit, but the stage was plunged into complete blackness. Throughout the show, the use of light and shadow acted as almost another character. It was probably the finest use of lighting I've seen in an opera. The lighting designer was Peter Van Praet, and this was his first work for Lyric. He'll be back next season to light Iphigénie en Tauride, something to look forward to!
We began the evening at Trattoria No. Ten. I did salad and an appetizer of sweet potato gnocchi with leek, cinnamon, orange zest and butter. It sounds odd, I know, but it worked. The flavors were delicate, yet identifiable and complementary. Because the opera was short (ninety minutes, no intermission), we'd decided to go out for dessert and drinks afterwards. However, we ended up at a place called The Tasting Room, which specializes in wine and cheese "flights". We ordered flights of Italian, Spanish and French cheeses, which were accompanied by artisanal breads, sliced pear, dried cranberries, and nuts, and also Spanish olives. Jim had a sherry flight, but the rest of us just had glasses of wine. Altogether we spent a lot more time eating than we did at the opera!
Other stuff
Audio Consultants finally fixed my CD player, so I went and picked it up today. Nice to have it back; I've missed it!
Then I went by 57th Street Books to pick up the Book Club's March selection (which is Geraldine Brooks' March) and to find a birthday present for my sister. I bought her one of the A View from Chicago's City Hall: MId-Century to Millenium, one of the Images of America series, as well as this amusing item. Now I just have to mail them. I managed to find a couple of other books for myself on the sale rack.
Channel 11 (our local PBS station) had three hours of The French Chef this afternoon (pledge drive), so I had to watch it all. It inspired me to go make myself an omelet during a pledge break! They also had some clips of people reminiscing about her, and I realized that Jacques Pépin and Bill Kurtis were separated at birth.
The use of light was brilliant (no pun intended!). Instead of the usual curtain, when the lights when down in the house, the proscenium arch was brightly lit, but the stage was plunged into complete blackness. Throughout the show, the use of light and shadow acted as almost another character. It was probably the finest use of lighting I've seen in an opera. The lighting designer was Peter Van Praet, and this was his first work for Lyric. He'll be back next season to light Iphigénie en Tauride, something to look forward to!
We began the evening at Trattoria No. Ten. I did salad and an appetizer of sweet potato gnocchi with leek, cinnamon, orange zest and butter. It sounds odd, I know, but it worked. The flavors were delicate, yet identifiable and complementary. Because the opera was short (ninety minutes, no intermission), we'd decided to go out for dessert and drinks afterwards. However, we ended up at a place called The Tasting Room, which specializes in wine and cheese "flights". We ordered flights of Italian, Spanish and French cheeses, which were accompanied by artisanal breads, sliced pear, dried cranberries, and nuts, and also Spanish olives. Jim had a sherry flight, but the rest of us just had glasses of wine. Altogether we spent a lot more time eating than we did at the opera!
Other stuff
Audio Consultants finally fixed my CD player, so I went and picked it up today. Nice to have it back; I've missed it!
Then I went by 57th Street Books to pick up the Book Club's March selection (which is Geraldine Brooks' March) and to find a birthday present for my sister. I bought her one of the A View from Chicago's City Hall: MId-Century to Millenium, one of the Images of America series, as well as this amusing item. Now I just have to mail them. I managed to find a couple of other books for myself on the sale rack.
Channel 11 (our local PBS station) had three hours of The French Chef this afternoon (pledge drive), so I had to watch it all. It inspired me to go make myself an omelet during a pledge break! They also had some clips of people reminiscing about her, and I realized that Jacques Pépin and Bill Kurtis were separated at birth.
