Opera: Death in venice

Went to the Coliseum tonight, to see Death in Venice. I was curious to see what the operatic version would make of it.

As usual, of course, I was galloping to make it in time. My, the exercise I'm getting, running for shows! I went via Leicester Square this evening, and had a breather on the escalator to the exit, while the busker behind us played Castle on a Cloud on the violin. The second time I've heard that there. Lovely..

Panted my way down the road to the theatre, showed my pre-printed ticket, and started the long, long climb to the balcony. It occurred to me, not for the first time, that if anyone were to ask my seat number rather than reading it from the ticket, I wouldn't have the breath to tell them. Anyway, once more I made it without collapsing, and stumbled my way down to my seat. The couple who had to stand to let me in reassured my panting self, with a laugh, that I had lots of time! In the event, I had about 5 minutes before the lights went down - long enough to notice that the house seemed full. Good job I found out about this at the weekend - tonight was the last night.

The show starts dark and brooding. I was worried that there were no surtitles, but this was an unusually clearly enunciated opera, and after a while I got used to just listening. It's magnificently staged, starting in melancholic fashion with our hero alone on a dark stage, lamenting his writer's block. He ultimately decides to go to Venice, and my, that's where the show really takes off. All of a sudden, we're plunged into light and life, and the story of his obsession with a young boy staying at the same hotel. It's interesting, because the boy has no lines, and is played by a ballet dancer, using dance to demonstrate his athleticism and youth, along with his friends. This contrasts sharply with the gloomy songs of his older admirer. Also a very evocative use of light projections onto screens, to depict city backdrops or water. Magnificent, powerful, and moving - a show where the visual aspect is as important as the music. Terrific. I joined many in the audience for a standing ovation.

Mind you, not everyone felt this way, and there were several empty seats after the interval. Hey-ho, more space for bags, more space to shift in your seat (I had been feeling a bit cramped), and a better view, with the seats in front of me now free! And the busker in the station was playing cool jazz on my way back. And my legs certainly feel more toned after the night.

Thinking of going to the pictures tomorrow, and if I do, it has to be Before Midnight. Wow, I just checked, and it has actually gone up in IMDB ratings! From 8.4 to 8.5. That's unusual at such a high level. I am so glad, considering how good its predecessors were. And I have a voucher for a cheap Odeon ticket, so can go see it cheaply in my local! Good stuff..