Das Rheingold

For something completely different, Amy and I attended a live screening of the Metropolitan Opera's new staging of Wagner's Das Rheingold at the local mall. The Met started last year beaming out around a dozen of its performances to locations, mostly theaters, all around the world. (As an aside, prior to the beginning of the opera, we were warned that dangerous solar storms might interrupt the transmission, which is exactly the kind of technological disaster I learned about at my summer school about solar weather). I had missed all of the performances last year, and decided that I should try to make the effort to see a few shows this season. All in all it was a great experience.

The music was splendid. Not being a Wagner scholar, or even a connoisseur of operatic singing, I don't have much to say about the particulars. It was captivating and epic, everything one would expect a Wagner opera to be. James Levine conducted; his was the only name I recognized from the list of principles.

A downside to this performances: the tickets are $24 dollars. But it is live music, which certain people have told me is costly to put on.

I am planning on going to two more this season: Wagner's second part of his ring cycle Die Walküre in the spring and Adam's Nixon in China this winter. Amy is planning on attending the former but will not be attending the later. Something about modern minimalist opera doesn't agree with her.

Enough for now-Hope you all are listening to interesting things as we scurry about our busy lives. Also, congrats to Aaron on your job. Doesn't it feel good to get paid to work as a professional in the field of your choice?

Later- Kris