Feature: ONLINE VIRTUAL OPERA TOUR at Home Computer Screens

Los Angeles Opera opens its Digital Shorts Series with Gabriela Lena Frank's commissioned revision of The Five Moons of Lorca, (Las Cinco Lunas de Lorca). This collaborative piece involves the work of librettist Nilo Cruz, choreographer Irene Rodríguez, and filmmaker Matthew Diamond. Musicians include countertenor Jacob Ingbar, pianist Nicholas Roehler, and members of the LA Opera Chorus. The Five Moons of Lorca, will be streamed through December 25, 2020.

https://www.laopera.org/performances/upcoming-digital-performances/five-moons-of-lorca/?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=LAOOnNow12%2F4&utm_content=version_A&sourceNumber=44830

Last week I received a phone call from frequent tour member Jose Rodriguez who said his dog sitter cannot come this week. I agreed to let him bring his medium-sized brown mixed breed, Coco, with us. Coco had a sad life before Jose rescued her and one of her front legs had to be amputated. She gets around amazingly well on three legs, however. I've yet to tell this story to Manon-la-Chat.... Too late! Manon has seen Coco and her back is up in the air. "Coco won't bother you if you stay on the upper route, Manon." The dog is prancing gleefully thinking someone gave her a kitty to chase. This will be a interesting trip.

Our group, which includes several children, is attending the 1981 San Francisco Aida in 80s garb. I see boys with high-waisted spandex pants and girls with skirts topping leg warmers getting on the Magic Opera Flying Carpet. Some of the men wear mullet wigs and lace shirts in neon colors while most of the women have teased hair and dark eye makeup. For dinner, we have a modest in-cabin sandwich buffet with tea, juices, and coffee, but later we will have a disco ball streaming it's reflections on canapés and soft drinks for our après ópera party.

This 1981 San Francisco production of Aida directed by Sam Wanamaker, boasts Margaret Price in the title role and Luciano Pavarotti as Radames. Both are in superb voice. Pavarotti sings his initial aria, "Celeste Aida," as a showpiece, ignoring Verdi's pianissimo ending. Price is a touching Aida and Stefania Toczyska is a compelling Amneris. Garcia Navarro conducts.

This video has English titles.

Aida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8rsOzPzYr8

After our disco party, we take off for Santiago, Chile. We have already brought some Chilean cuisine on board and for breakfast the next morning we serve a famous Andean dish, pastel de choclo (corn pie). Typically, the dish is made with sweet corn meal and ground beef mixed with butter, spices, onion, and olives. For lunch, we have deep fried Chilean empanadas filled with pino, a mixture of minced beef, onions, raisins, black olives and chopped hard-boiled egg.

For our pre-show dinner, we head to the Ana María, a picada or Chilean style restaurant. Its bright yellow walls sport memorabilia that includes photographs of hostess Ana Maria with notable guests. It's charm makes the meal of pickled rabbit, roast brisket, stewed quail, or raw sea urchin most enjoyable.

At Chile's Teatro Municipal de Santiago, we see a film of Giordano's opera Andrea Chénier. Chenier is Jonas Kaufmann, Maddalena di Coigny is Eva-Maria Westbroek, Carlo Gérard is Željko Lučić, Bersi is Denyce Graves, and the Contessa di Coigny is Rosalind Plowright. Antonio Pappano conducts the Royal Opera Orchestra. Titles are in English.

Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Chénier

Andrea Chenier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIksJIRXs_s

The next day we board the Magic Opera Flying Carpet for a short trip to Mocha Island. On December 14, 2020, Chile will observe a total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between earth and the sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the sun for a viewer on earth. We will see it from Mocha Island, a small piece of land located in the Pacific Ocean west of the Chilean coast. In Mapuche indigenous mythology, the souls of dead people travel west to visit this island. Today, most of the island is a national reserve. Although the island is noted for numerous historic shipwrecks, its nearby waters are a popular place for recreational deep-sea fishing. More eclipse information can be found at:

https://www.space.com/total-solar-eclipse-2020-preview

Leaving Chile, we fly to New Jersey where we will bus to New York City and the Met. On Monday, December 14, we attend the Met's 2018 staging of Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila starring Elīna Garanča, Roberto Alagna, Laurent Naouri, Elchin Azizov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy. The performance is conducted by Sir Mark Elder.

https://metoperafree.brightcove-services.com/?videoId=6213623653001

From December 17 to 21, the Metropolitan Opera presents a free online family program that includes a free student stream of Hansel and Gretel. On Thursday, December 17, at 10 am, the Met offers Get to Know Hansel and Gretel. At the same time on the following day they offer Feeling Crafty. On Saturday, December 19, at 8 am its Kid in the Holiday Kitchen, on Sunday, December 20, at 10 am, Its Creative Carols, and on Monday, December 21, at 10 am, Solstice Songs. Finally, on Monday, December 21, at 11 am it's the Met's Solstice Dance Party

All events will be hosted on YouTube and Facebook Live, except for the Solstice Dance Party, which will be hosted on Zoom. All times listed are Pacific Standard Time

On the bus ride back to New Jersey, we munch fruit and drink soda pop. Then we embark for Italy and that enormous arena in Verona. The Magic Opera Flying Carpet slips through the air with the smoothness of crême brulé and we arrive outside of Verona before the sun comes up. At some point, a crew member opens an exterior door and Manon sneaks out, only to find herself in heavy rain. Although she seeks shelter under the vehicle, she is thoroughly soaked by the time someone lets her in. That's when she jumps on my pillow and wakes me as she shakes drops of freezing water on my head and neck.

For dinner, we eat risotto al tastasal at a restaurant near the theater. Tastasal means a taste of salt in Veronese dialect, but it actually refers to the seasoned pork sausage the chef mixes with the risotto.

At the arena we see Tosca, in a 1984 production made for TV by Brian Large. The cast includes Éva Marton as Tosca, Giacomo Aragall as Cavaradossi, and Ingvar Wixell as Scarpia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLGkXg3j49s

In the morning, more ambitious members of our tour group, including José with Coco-the-dog, enjoy views of the river Adige around the Ponte Pietra and some people even climb the spiral staircase in the Lamberti Tower to survey the city. We leave for the short hop to Milan in the early afternoon

Ossobuco, (bone with a hole), is a braised crosscut veal shank with jelly-like marrow at the centre of its bone. At our downtown restaurant, it arrives with onions, carrots, celery, and polenta. There are wines for the adults, a variety of soft drinks for the youngsters, and sweet, cream-filled cannoli for all.

At La Scala we see Rossini's La Cenerentola in a 1981 production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle conducted by Claudio Abbado. Angelina (Cenerentola) is Frederica von Stade, the Prince is Francisco Araiza, Dandini, is Claudio Desderi, the ugly sisters are Margherita Guglielmi and Laura Zannini, and Don Magnifico is Paolo Montarsolo.

Titles are available in Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaLhcc6Bh5k&feature=youtu.be

Early in the morning, we fly across the Alps so the children on board can experience sunrise over the high peaks of the Bernese Oberland.

There is a description of these mountains at: https://www.komoot.com/guide/209342/peaks-in-the-bernese-oberland

From there we fly north and east to Dresden, the city once known as the Jewel Box, because of its baroque and rococo city center. The controversial bombing of Dresden in World War II destroyed the center of the city. Restoration work done since then has helped to rebuild much of the historic area.

It's still cool and rainy in Dresden, so we opt for a hot, spicy dinner including Sächsische Kartoffelsuppe (Saxon potato soup). Potatoes are the base, but the chef adds hot sausage, diced bacon, and dampfnudel (slightly sweet) dumplings.

At the Staatsoper in Dresden we see their 1992 version of The Tales of Hoffmann. Hoffmann is Francisco Araiza, La Muse/Nicklausse is Anne Sophie von Otter, Olympia is Eva Lind, Antonia is Jessye Norman, Giulietta is Cheryl Studer, Lindorf/Coppélius/Miracle/Dapertutto is Samuel Ramey

Antonia's Mother is Felicity Palmer. Jeffrey Tate conducts the Staatskapelle.

Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tales_of_Hoffmann

Hoffmann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF590PPnrv

Back at the Magic Opera Flying Carpet, we find that Manon and Coco have been playing games like, "See if you can hit me with what you throw off the shelf, kitty" and "Catch me if you can, doggy." The crew tells me Manon finds a glass with some eggnog in it and falls asleep after a few alcohol-laced sips, but Coco runs around for hours. The animals get some indoor exercise and don't cause any major damage.

Now, having spent a week between the US, South America, and Europe, we fly back to sunny Los Angeles where we can shed all our heavy, water-resistant clothing. There's just enough time to rest up for next week's trip.

Photo of Irene Rodríguez courtesy of LA Opera.

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