Going to the Opera

National Galleries

It was Thursday and I decided to go to the opera. Well, it was kind of planned but all the ones I wanted to see were sold out at the Opera House.

In the morning though, I went to the National Galleries to visit the paintings mentioned in the Da Vinci Code. It has quite an elaborated collection on the impressionists as well, but I didn't like their selection of renaissance sculptures. Anyway, it was all good and I even managed to stay for hours in the computers department to learn more about some of the paintings. I just love to read the stories depicted by the paintings, and explore all the symbols used in the pieces.

One Botticelli painting in particular was pretty funny. I think the title was Venus and Mars.

And the explanantion was that they had just made love and Mars is so exhausted and snoring his day out. Now, that was a surprising interpretation! I must say Venus looked pretty calm and very composed, while Mars had totally lost it. He even surrendered his saber to the little satyrs... 

At the English National Opera

I managed to get tickets at the ENO for one of the Wagner ring series for 10 pounds each. It is just off Leicester Square, not far from Trafalgar square and the national galleries. So I met Alan after work and headed for the ENO. on our way though, Alan had to grab some food because the poor thing had had no food all day. I really don't know how he manages to stay up all day, I can barely think without my food every 4 hours! Anyway we went into a McDonalds a few blocks from Trafalgar square I think. It was a fancy one too. And as we walked briskly to the ENO, we passed by a movie theatre (probably the Piccadily Circus one, my directions are all mixed up), and there were tons of people attending the premiere of Starsky and Hutch. They were waiting for the actors to arrive, but we could see all those people with the posters of the movie, hanging out on the borders of the red carpet. I was tempted to hang around too, for a bit of the excitement. But the opera was way more interesting because it was one of those rare things to do.

So we got at the ENO like 5minutes before curtains, and got up there, on the balcony. The theatre was great, all very classical, with all the architectural baroque details. I mention that because the Rhinegold was a piece that was very surprising in this space.

The Rhinegold was the name of the piece and we didn't know anything about it. I knew it was a Wagner piece and therefore I would know some songs, but I had no idea what the story was about. When the curtains lifted, we were faced with a sparkling light curtain and 3 girls, in sparkling blue flapper dresses and blue short wigs, pole dancing on stage! Now THAT was an ouverture worth mentionning! Needless to say it was riveting. I was wondering what I got ourselves into, but Alan looked like he liked it so it was all good.

On the surface, the story was hilarious. These 3 ladies were pole dancing, then there is a mad scientist in some underground green lab wearing a huge diving helmet and dealing with lots of tubes. Then there is an apartment with a couple of mad characters, arguing against each other. It also involved a bathroom, with a bathtub. And at some point the helmet is stolen and the people in the apartment open their ceiling and have long firetubes going up throught the ceiling door. Also, in a scene, the bathtub is stolen...now it was rather baffling and I laughed half the piece! The singing was in English and the costumes were 20th century suits and jeans. 

When trying to make sense of it all, it appeared that maybe the Rhine had something precious in it, and that somehow the mad scientist had managed to mate its power. But among the crazy family, trouble was around and somehow the power went into the wrong hands. I am still trying to make sense of the stealing of the bathtub....(help!).

For more details, it is better getting a proper explanation from the script. One description is available here for example. All in all, it was excellent entertainment. The chairs were comfy, although there were barely room in front for the legs. We had a great view from the balcony and I didn't even need my binoculars that I bought at the london Aquarium(which were missing the lenses!..five pounds down the drain!).

We got home laughing and I swear, crashed again like dummies...too much excitement