. . . . an easy daylight drive in light traffic to Campbell, and at 11 am Sunday there I was attending
MARIA STUARDO
Donizetti
Performed at Teatro alla Scala, Milan
CAST:”¨Â Mariella Devia (Maria Stuarda), “¨Anna Caterina Antonacci (Elisabetta)”¨, Paola Gardina (Anna)”¨, Francesco Meli (Leicester)”¨, Carlo Cigni (Talbot)”¨, Piero Terranova (Cecil)
PRODUCTION TEAM:Ҭ Conductor: Antonino FoglianiӬ, Directed, designed and costumed Ҭby Pier Luigi Pizzi
HD at Camera 7 Pruneyard, Campbell, CA
This weekend I saw three operas in a 28-hour period. It’s too much, but what can you do? Saturday morning was the Met HD production of Aida, starting at 10 AM Pacific time; Saturday evening was West Bay Opera’s production of La Bohème; and Sunday I was at the La Scala HD of Maria Stuardo from 11 am to 2 pm. Now, at 10:30 Sunday night, I am at my computer writing my impressions of the third and final opera.
This is one of Donizetti’s three “Queen” operas. I don’t think I’d ever seen that one before, but with Donizetti’s music, you can’t go wrong. I enjoyed it enough to go again this Wednesday. Based on my experiences last year, I’ll be better prepared to write about it then – but I probably won’t.
And so ends the saga of 3 operas in 2 days, soon to be extended to 5 operas in 6 days as I plan to see Maria Stuardo again Wednesday night and Aida again Thursday afternoon.
Ciao – – Philip
PS  FYI, here is the complete Met HD 2009-10 schedule as of today. I’ll let you know if I find out about any more Matinee Encores:
MET HD 2009-10 Season
PPS As a special reward (PUNishment?) for reading this three-part saga to the very end, here are 15 composer riddles, sent to me by Jerry, my opera friend from Minnesota. (Hint: the answer to number one is a composer best known for his many light operas such as La Vie Parisienne but also composer of a frequently performed dramatic opera where some of the principal roles are sometimes played by 3 different singers in the 3 acts)
Identify a well-known composer with each of the clues:
- Frequently at the rear
- The majority of the paintings
- Exhibit kitchen utensil
- What to do when a bowl is thrown at you
- Composed before the Mass in B
- Scram, fellow
- Hut where marriages are dissolved
- Half of a child’s game
- Jointly designed
- What to do after you aim
- What to tell a tired hog
- Knock the bread baker about
- Stout and sturdy wizard
- Over there, a bank draft
- Not on
If I remember I’ll send you the answers next time I write, along with recognition of anyone who sends me 10 or more correct answers before then. – – ph