Nixon in China. Orth in Portland.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had been to the Stars of Così concert where, among others, Robert Orth had performed. What I did not tell you was that on that very day I had purchased a copy of the new, concert version of Nixon in China, starring Bob Orth and Tracy Dahl, both of whom appeared in Portland Opera's production a few seasons ago, and both of whom will be reprising their roles in the upcoming Vancouver Opera production. I asked Bob to sign the insert to the CD package and that is what you can see right here. "To Operaman!" Incidentally, while on the subject of Vancouver Opera's production I should mention that they have just begun an excellent on-line study guide for Nixon in China which will last for a total of four weeks. It is free of course. I have signed up for a couple of reasons: I think I would like to learn more about this opera which, while I enjoyed it when I saw it here, I believe would improve with a more detailed understanding. Also, I just love Vancouver Opera! Their web-site and all of their communications and community stuff (Twitter, etc.) is first class. And who can resist their manga strips? I'll be reviewing the album and the study guide within the next week or two.

Super Bowl XLIV

Great game and I was delighted that the Saints won. But the half-time show? -Lame! It was The Who and for someone of my age and provenance they are something of a rock and roll touchstone. So why wasn't I moved? After many years of what I thought were totally mediocre half-time shows, Bruce Springsteen last year brought a degree of respectability back to the art form. This year I was back to yawning. What did you think? Thank goodness for the eTrade Baby commercials!

Così fan tutte

I went to the final dress rehearsal on last Wednesday evening and opening night on Friday and, you know what? I think I am a convert to this opera. I do not know the piece really well but on watching it on previous occasions I always let the weirdness of the plot and the strange change of pace that takes place in Act 2 become somewhat off-putting. Finally, this was a production that allowed me to live with all the silliness of the plot, while being moved at the extraordinary music and able to appreciate Lorenzo da Ponte's skill in providing a libretto that would inspire Mozart to such heights. I shall attend performances on both Thursday and Saturday evenings, and I expect after those I shall be a true fan.

Metropolitan Opera Simone Boccanegra

After way too little sleep, following opening night and the party that followed, I was at the Regal movie house bright and early for the HD transmission. My main interest in this production was not the music or the production but the fact that after a life time of wishing to do this, Plácido Domingo was to play the name role - one Verdi wrote for a baritone. Like many people I had my doubts that Placidone could get away with this. Could he make himself sound like a Verdi baritone? (answer: nope). Would we be able to forget that he is one of the major tenors of the last 40 years? (again, nope). The problem with this is that while he has a distinctive voice as a tenor, there was something rather generic about the sound he makes as a baritone. Okay, so be it. Now here's the strange part: it didn't matter one jot. He owned the role start to finish. While he was on stage, at any time did we believe he was really a baritone? No, we didn't. But we absolutely believed he was Simone Boccanegra and that was what made us believe and moved us. We felt for him, whether he was being the retired pirate, the statesman Doge, the wily politician, the grieving lover or the doting father. I think Verdi would have loved him! If you missed Saturday's performance I would encourage you to go see the encore performance on February 24th.

Anyone for karaoke?

I thought that the booing at opera houses around the world may be getting a bit out of hand but then I read this article in the New York Times. Apparently, giving an out-of-tune rendition of Frank Sinatra's My Way can get you killed. And messin' with John Denver's Take Me Home Country Roads could get you AND your family wiped out (insert your own joke here). How do you feel about having a belly-full of beer and serenading your friends now?

Have a happy and constructive week and check back here for my mid-week offering, okay?

Plàcido Domingo

Alles gute zum Geburtstag, Herr Mozart!

Earl Wild

If you read todays title and said to yourself "Wha....?" then you had probably forgotten that today is the anniversary of the birth of Scotland's eternal poet laureat, Robert Burns. Now, I have to admit to feeling somewhat conflicted about this occasion. I have never had any particular fondness for the Scots, their weather or their cuisine. It's a personal thing I would rather not go into here. And yet I have a very soft spot in my heart for Burns. He was a liberal, a romantic, a socialist (when that really meant something), a poet, a lyricist and a world-class lover (were he alive today I suspect he would currently be sharing a cottage with Tiger Woods at the Gentle Path sex-addiction rehab facility in Mississippi). I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you this delightful rendition of one of his most famous poems, Ode To a Mouse. I shouldn't worry about being able to understand every word; think of it as opera where, even if you cannot understand what they're singing about, you just love the sound it makes. However, for those of you who would like an explanation of the poem and a translation, here's a link that will help you.

Breakfast in London, dinner in Chicago, baggage in Bahrain!

The Scene: The passenger compartment of Air Canada Flight 284 as the airplane approaches London.

Dis-embodied Voice : Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your Captain speaking. We are just about 20 miles from Heathrow Airport where the weather is fine and although there has been a good deal of snow, we are told it should present no problems to our landing. Unfortunately, because of the backup caused by the weather Air Traffic Control has informed me that they have no gate available. We are therefore being directed to go into a holding pattern over Windsor until we run out of fuel when we shall plunge into the icy waters of the North Sea. First Class and Executive Class passengers will then be led by our trained cabin staff to their heated life rafts which will be by the First Class exit. The rest of you are just going to have to swim for it. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for flying Air Canada today and hope we shall see you again soon. Hahahahahaha!

Well, okay, I made the last bit up but it is a fact that after a nine and one half hour flight from Vancouver, we did circle over London for about 30 minutes before landing and then spent a further one hour and ten minutes sitting on the tarmac while the ground crew managed to get the air bridge working sufficiently to enable us to de-plane. My brother, bless him, was there to meet me and we drove north to Ipswich, a distance of about110 miles, through snow-covered landscape and pretty gnarly weather to Ipswich in Suffolk, my final destination and where I am to spend nine days. And the reason for this trip: I am here to help celebrate the birth of she without whom there would be no Operaman. My mother is 91 today!

Where the devil did this year go? It seems like it is just a few weeks since I was sipping a glass of the refreshing bubbly stuff and wondering what 2009 would bring. Needless to say it brought a great deal, much of it good, some of it great. There was other stuff too but, hey, what do you expect? Anyway, since we are just hours from ringing in 2010 may I take this opportunity to wish you all a splendid year, thank you for being with me over this last twelve-month and ask that you keep coming back?

I would like to give a big shout-out also to the Marketing and Public Relations Department at the Portland Opera. Week in and week out they have been the ones who made sure that Operaman has been here for you. Thanks, y'all!

The holiday period can be very stressful for many people and then in the days immediately after Christmas there can be a sense of let-down, coupled with "All that effort just to have the worst hangover of the year and to put on six pounds in weight?!" So, it's a fine time to just put your feet up, pretend that you are not back at work, and spend a few minutes with me here, isn't it?