I seem to be on a trawl through American literature at the moment (Of Mice and Men, To kill a mockingbird, Confederacy of Dunces, No Country for old Men etc.) and virtually all wallow in the climate of their settings which, apropos of nothing else in particular except that sun and warmth figure prominently, increases the anxieties for the summer ahead. I need to start reading books that celebrate the cold and rain. La Wally in 2011 features an avalanche so it is possible I will welcome a chill north wind come July next year.
There can't be too many opera managers who worry and fret about the weather as much as we do. The concerns for our artistic output do battle with those for the output of Gulfstream and if you believe half of what you read, that is about to head south, leaving us in the grip of an iceage. This past winter has been a rehearsal for such an event so it is lovely to report that my Earls Court cafe seat is bathed in genuinely warm sunshine this morning.
Tomorrow the office decamp to a local hostelry for our now annual away day where everybody gets a chance to contribute to strategic planning for the coming two years or so. If the weather holds it will be pleasant since the hostelry meeting room overlooks the river Thames and Hammersmith Bridge. OK, it isn't Kowloon or Sydney Harbour but it beats the Library roof hands down.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Warmth
Had to post a short news item;
'Warm air in Fulham shock'
Off for walk up the Kings Road. Apparently Sally's moisturiser can only be found in a boutique in Sloane Square.
'Warm air in Fulham shock'
Off for walk up the Kings Road. Apparently Sally's moisturiser can only be found in a boutique in Sloane Square.
Rockopera
I had a thoroughly blokey afternoon in the pub where I met up with a few pals after the Chelsea match. The conversation soon turned to opera.
One of those present is a big rock/metal fan and I was soon holding forth on my theory that opera can be a lot like Judas Priest. I believe this fellow would hear much to admire in Wagner or even Verdi. Indeed I have always felt that growing up listening to the grand episodic music of Yes and Genesis gave me a facility for appreciating opera (where George Duke and jazz fits in I am not so sure). Anyway by the end of the afternoon we had arranged a West London heavy metal chapter trip to the opera to test my theory. A common refrain from those who feel unable to confess a curiosity is that their wife or girlfriend would love it so they will suffer the hardship on their behalf. Regardless I had done my bit (a daily target) to spread the word.
One of those present is a big rock/metal fan and I was soon holding forth on my theory that opera can be a lot like Judas Priest. I believe this fellow would hear much to admire in Wagner or even Verdi. Indeed I have always felt that growing up listening to the grand episodic music of Yes and Genesis gave me a facility for appreciating opera (where George Duke and jazz fits in I am not so sure). Anyway by the end of the afternoon we had arranged a West London heavy metal chapter trip to the opera to test my theory. A common refrain from those who feel unable to confess a curiosity is that their wife or girlfriend would love it so they will suffer the hardship on their behalf. Regardless I had done my bit (a daily target) to spread the word.
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Calm
I have deleted the Villazon post; I'm not a critic..
I have the latest variant/mutant retroinfluenzavirus etc that Fiora has made firm friends with at nursery. She invites them over without asking; they arrive about once a fortnight and enjoy coming here, turning up in Bermuda shorts and sunglasses and making themselves very much at home. Fiora (who is asleep in the new gum boots she refuses to remove)merely has a runny nose for an hour but I appear to encourage greater aggression and bring out the worst in them. They in turn bring out the worst in me (ears, nose, cough etc). I think I would prefer the hangover.
It was a good week for the build. Monday, weather permitting, will see the fabric unfurled and readied for hoisting into position. Once the sky is blotted out the creation of the theatre can begin in earnest and I am only worried by the fact everything seems to be going well. People like us are not at our best when things are going well - it's a little perverse I agree but that is just the way it is. I might invent a problem tomorrow (come to think of it I haven't yet dealt with Tarzan's security hut?)
Friends are booking thousands of tickets but I will not have the clear picture for a little while. The Friends, at all levels, are being terribly generous and supportive at the moment; our membership is well up, donations are growing, our lecture series could have been sold twice or even three times over and the annual 'Prelude' concert is almost at its limit. To top it all the new production syndicate has been very popular at our first attempt. All very humbling really and our gratitude is endless.
I have the latest variant/mutant retroinfluenzavirus etc that Fiora has made firm friends with at nursery. She invites them over without asking; they arrive about once a fortnight and enjoy coming here, turning up in Bermuda shorts and sunglasses and making themselves very much at home. Fiora (who is asleep in the new gum boots she refuses to remove)merely has a runny nose for an hour but I appear to encourage greater aggression and bring out the worst in them. They in turn bring out the worst in me (ears, nose, cough etc). I think I would prefer the hangover.
It was a good week for the build. Monday, weather permitting, will see the fabric unfurled and readied for hoisting into position. Once the sky is blotted out the creation of the theatre can begin in earnest and I am only worried by the fact everything seems to be going well. People like us are not at our best when things are going well - it's a little perverse I agree but that is just the way it is. I might invent a problem tomorrow (come to think of it I haven't yet dealt with Tarzan's security hut?)
Friends are booking thousands of tickets but I will not have the clear picture for a little while. The Friends, at all levels, are being terribly generous and supportive at the moment; our membership is well up, donations are growing, our lecture series could have been sold twice or even three times over and the annual 'Prelude' concert is almost at its limit. To top it all the new production syndicate has been very popular at our first attempt. All very humbling really and our gratitude is endless.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Stars
It would seem that the lavish new dressing rooms that we have designed for 2010 are not a moment too soon in their creation. Previously, our stars have shown commendable patience when confronted by cabins joined by leaky walkways. And neither have they enjoyed much privacy - a school of thought (one that has the smack of truth to it) determines that the communal nature of the OHP backstage area is an integral part of our success. However, the burgeoning roster of starry singers gathering for the Richard Bonynge Gala will be delighted to find they have arrived, by comparison, in the Algonquin. Enough separate rooms now exist, lavishly appointed, and with doors sturdy enough to post small name plates. In the world of the temporary theatre we rank in the upper echelons technically. From the accommodation point of view, there wasn't an echelon low enough to warrant the use of the word. Such advances matter.
James and I are turning to confront Wagner. He sits at home listening to Dutchman ("Its bloody overture is longer than the whole of L'amico Fritz") and I can almost hear his brain whirring from here. I have no fear that we'll make the right call on this one; we took ten years to decide the time was right for L'amore. No doubt it will make the board when - and only when - we have the nerve, the resources and the right planets have aligned. I cannot deny that it is an exciting prospect though. Wagner is a part of our journey to this point, if only in spirit. So, I suppose, is Debussy who makes his debut in June. Come to think of it, Beethoven's Fidelio carried with it a frisson of fear and that too returns in the summer in the form of a revival of our splendid 2003 production so maybe we worry too much. Hubris, however, is forever haunting us; it knows us because we know it right back. Many things that make us successful 'impresarios' can be self defeating burdens but blessed be their unmistakeable weight, ensuring we remain fully aware of them.
James and I are turning to confront Wagner. He sits at home listening to Dutchman ("Its bloody overture is longer than the whole of L'amico Fritz") and I can almost hear his brain whirring from here. I have no fear that we'll make the right call on this one; we took ten years to decide the time was right for L'amore. No doubt it will make the board when - and only when - we have the nerve, the resources and the right planets have aligned. I cannot deny that it is an exciting prospect though. Wagner is a part of our journey to this point, if only in spirit. So, I suppose, is Debussy who makes his debut in June. Come to think of it, Beethoven's Fidelio carried with it a frisson of fear and that too returns in the summer in the form of a revival of our splendid 2003 production so maybe we worry too much. Hubris, however, is forever haunting us; it knows us because we know it right back. Many things that make us successful 'impresarios' can be self defeating burdens but blessed be their unmistakeable weight, ensuring we remain fully aware of them.
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