Now that the jalapenos are taken care of, onto the opera.
It was Gluck's Iphigenia, wonderfully done, I thought. Had not seen it before, had only read the book and myths and some surrounding discourses. Had expected a more depressing end somehow rather than such a seemingly joyous end to suffering-- I don't think one always needs a deus ex machina to end suffering and give absolution, but in this case it worked well. In opera there is always such a sense of definitive closure, with or without some sort of reintegration, a closure which I'm not sure really exists in 'real' life.
The colors were sumptuous, Clytemnestra (all 3 of her) in, well, a striking jalapeno green. They were out of balcony seats when I arrived, so they put me in the orchestra for the same price because it was the last night, and I sat right in front of the altar. I'd read a scathing and stuffy review of it beforehand (called "Iffy Iphigenia") which said that Orestes and his friend/love looked like bums. Maybe, but not such a far cry from shipwrecked prisoners or people with a nasty depression. Orestes really did have a nasty depression, but who wouldn't. Nobody's going to say "well, I killed my mother, I'm shipwrecked, might die soon, in love with my best friend, tremendous guilt, want to die, exiled, flashbacks and nightmares but no, I'll pass on that Zoloft, I feel just great. And on top of it, this goddamn wimpy woman just won't kill me when all I want to do is die, where is Dr. Kevorkian or a bolt of lightning when you need them?" Diana was terrific, all in Xenaesque black leather and flying about. I had not expected so much dancing. If I were to change anything about the story, I would develop Iphigenia a bit further, maybe more about daily life on the island, her political views and her profession.
In any event, family drama can be sublime.
My other favorite thematic developments were the strandedness/homesickness for a home which no longer exists, the value of (homoerotic) friendship, matricide, and putting the world and hope for the future and a peaceful resolution for the family conflict into the hands of the kids, what a hopeful message to leave the audience with.
I also played with different ideas, what if Orestes were the sister and Iphigenia the brother..... or reading both as two parts of a single person, a person who had become alienated from him/herself or conflicted and is blind to oneself until it's almost too late as both parts strive for unity.
Am so glad I went. Much to love about the opera experience as a whole.
Here are two recordings of the production with Maria Callas (so wish I knew more French):
It was Gluck's Iphigenia, wonderfully done, I thought. Had not seen it before, had only read the book and myths and some surrounding discourses. Had expected a more depressing end somehow rather than such a seemingly joyous end to suffering-- I don't think one always needs a deus ex machina to end suffering and give absolution, but in this case it worked well. In opera there is always such a sense of definitive closure, with or without some sort of reintegration, a closure which I'm not sure really exists in 'real' life.
The colors were sumptuous, Clytemnestra (all 3 of her) in, well, a striking jalapeno green. They were out of balcony seats when I arrived, so they put me in the orchestra for the same price because it was the last night, and I sat right in front of the altar. I'd read a scathing and stuffy review of it beforehand (called "Iffy Iphigenia") which said that Orestes and his friend/love looked like bums. Maybe, but not such a far cry from shipwrecked prisoners or people with a nasty depression. Orestes really did have a nasty depression, but who wouldn't. Nobody's going to say "well, I killed my mother, I'm shipwrecked, might die soon, in love with my best friend, tremendous guilt, want to die, exiled, flashbacks and nightmares but no, I'll pass on that Zoloft, I feel just great. And on top of it, this goddamn wimpy woman just won't kill me when all I want to do is die, where is Dr. Kevorkian or a bolt of lightning when you need them?" Diana was terrific, all in Xenaesque black leather and flying about. I had not expected so much dancing. If I were to change anything about the story, I would develop Iphigenia a bit further, maybe more about daily life on the island, her political views and her profession.
In any event, family drama can be sublime.
My other favorite thematic developments were the strandedness/homesickness for a home which no longer exists, the value of (homoerotic) friendship, matricide, and putting the world and hope for the future and a peaceful resolution for the family conflict into the hands of the kids, what a hopeful message to leave the audience with.
I also played with different ideas, what if Orestes were the sister and Iphigenia the brother..... or reading both as two parts of a single person, a person who had become alienated from him/herself or conflicted and is blind to oneself until it's almost too late as both parts strive for unity.
Am so glad I went. Much to love about the opera experience as a whole.
Here are two recordings of the production with Maria Callas (so wish I knew more French):
" O Dolce Suol...O Sventurata"
"Deh! Peolopea Stirpe"
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