La Traviata

What a delight to see La Traviata on Thursday evening. Forgive me for being boring but I have also seen this in Vienna at the Opera House, but more exquisitely at the Sydney OH with Dame Kiri when she was only a superstar rather than a megastar!!
At this point my opera loving second daughter punches me in the face and tells me to stop being so boring! And quite rightly so too! But they are highlights of my life.
Any way the Adelaide "Traviata" was fabulous, Kate Ladner was a stunning Violetta, almost as good as the wonderful Kiri. Sets were applauded. The Adelaide Symphony was terrific (particularly Paul Blackman the first bassoon.......husband of no 3's cello teacher!!!, Helen Blackman).
What I like about "Traviata" is multifold but some points are:

• it's a terrific story...based on Dumas' "La Dame Aux Camellias" it tells of how lkove should, and does transcend social pretension. We like to think that we have put this issue behind us. But I wonder?
• Verdi has some of the most emotive music he has ever written. Daughter 2 looked aghast when I told before the last Act that she would cry!.."You're going to cry aren't you?" she asked incredulously. I looked haplessly and sure enough I did.
• This is what I love about opera, the unashamed attempt to ravage the deepest emotional self. Once, in a group of ministers, a pathetic little Welshman said about German songs..."I can't imagine German music being emotional!"
• The Lutherans, who constituted half of the group almost choked on their sauerkraut. I began to sing like a Rhein maiden....Aah, aah, AAAAhh....and then extolled the beauties of Schubert. It was then I realised just how wonderful classical singing really is.

My aim is to mortgage my life and see the next Adelaide Ringe Cycle....it would be wonderful to join Peter Bassett (former Governor's secretary in SA) and see the Copenhagen Ring Cycle. Barring a lottery win it won't happen. Well you can see that Trav has made me higher than a kite. Go and see it if you can!! Expensive but worth it!