Or, why I am reluctant to sit in the balcony for the opera. My thousand (plus) words can be found here. The curtain makes the stage look much larger than it actually is.
Or, why I am reluctant to sit in the balcony for the opera. My thousand (plus) words can be found here. The curtain makes the stage look much larger than it actually is.
4 comments:
It's too bad that Balcony doesn't work for you. It's not that bad for me, but then I am small and slightly built (I do have personal space issues as though I were of linebacker proportions, however). I spent years sitting all over Orchestra and Orchestra Rear (was taking my then-small daughter and it helped keep her engaged when she could see details of faces and costumes), and the sound was often horrendous: muddied, muffled, all tympani or all horns, you name it. Seriously, Don Carlo was almost wholly instrumental (no, didn't take my daughter to Don C). I suppose the shame is how hard it is to get both the visual and auditory.
I was hoping I would be delighted with the balcony, but unfortunately I wasn't -- even more unfortunately, I also wasn't horrified, so I have no clear guidelines for myself. I think perhaps I'm now used to the sound in the orchestra seats -- it's less blended and refined than upstairs, but I think I'm used to the stronger feel and perhaps more garish colors. And seeing the drama is very important to me. By the way, when I was up there, I did keep my eye peeled for a woman with a bag from Citizen Cake, hoping I'd get to meet you at last.
I might well still be hunting for Orch. seats with the right sound if I could justify the expense (there's a big difference between what I will spend on my daughter and on myself). I too like seeing the action, so I think I'll try bringing my husband's binoculars. I like the Operavison screens, despite feeling like I am watching TV with the sound cranked (having said that, Die Tote Stadt would have been 83% invisible without the screens, so yay for the screens). Sadly, my tickets this season do not coincide with Operavision performances (except for Nozze, which I don't actually need to *see* again). Elizabeth Falkner really messed me up by moving Citizen Cake. No longer can I park where I always park, walk by the storefront and act gently surprised: "Why look! Cupcakes! How very interesting! Well, just this once!" Yes, in my imagination I AM a Helen Hokinson matron, sans hat.
ha ha! I know exactly which Hokinson cartoon you're referring to! I think Citizen Cake is moving up to Fillmore, which really is out of the way for opera-goers.
They have a physically attractive cast for Nozze this season, but I loathe their dull and vulgar production, so you wouldn't be missing much if you only heard it.
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