I managed to make it

P1000995
Originally uploaded by freyjawaru.

and now I'm exhausted. I was a total tourist and took pictures, in case I don't go again for a long time. I never took pics of the Lyric when I was a subscriber, but, eh.

I've decided that if I do ever write a master's thesis in musicology it will be on Why Verdi Sucks. Not musically of course, but politically and librettically. :) Every time I hear the last note of a Verdi opera at a performance, I inevitably roll my eyes. The Curse Has Landed! or Oh, no, she's dead!, or something to that effect. Good grief. I seriously need to read Clement's Opera, or the Undoing of Women, because I'm sure there's a load of stuff in there about Verdi operas. The women are such helpless victims. Unless they're conniving, of course.

Anyway, it was a very, very good production. The tenor was excellent; the soprano did a wonderful job with Caro nome, but swooped up for her high notes in several other duet numbers and soforth. Every time I hear La donna e mobile, though, I can't help thinking about the Rather Good elephants animation. Pop culture has a way with things. I also tend to think of that aria as "If you like spaghetti, just like I know you do" from the Pillsbury commercial in the '80s. :)