It’s Not As Much Fun As It Used To Be

                                                 Or

                                                Sad

Going to the opera, the opera, travel. Pretty sad.

All alone, the only person on the longest escalator in Martin Place. No ads on the sides of the dark walls.  Sad. A few people waiting for the train. A few people around the city, a few more than there were, not many. Mostly all masked. Many shops closed, others doing little business. Sad.

Way fewer people at the Opera House. Sad. And a trickle on Circular Quay. No longer all those Asians taking selfies.  The hall less than half?  full;  yes, there were a lot of cancellations, said an usher, who urged us at the ends of the rows to move to the middle. Nice for us and for the performers.  Nice for me who likes to cross my legs wide over each other, taking up nearly three seats of perfect comfort! 

Few people means softer clapping. No matter how hard I clap. Sounds less enthusiastic. Is not less enthusiastic. Just fewer hands. A couple of delays , at the beginning, apologised for, and before the 4th act. Everything understandable. Forgivable. 

They were here, all of them or a lot of them, orchestra players, singers, and all the crew who make it happen. Fewer of them, too. 

As the orchestra tuned- what a delight, forgotten, taken for granted, an orchestra tuning- I was surprised to pick up every tune , every phrase, and so with the music of that dear old  warhorse, La Boheme. Am beyond counting how many times I have seen and listened to it. I seem to know every bar. Whatever else, it is still Puccini and it is still gorgeous and it is still romantic and it is  still heart breaking. 

That the 2 lead singers had no ’shakti’ together, no romance, no sex, and that they had big voices with little quality, hardly mattered. The music carried the opera. 

And, after all, they did it, they sang and performed it, and I was there. Pure joy. 

It was different to gauge my experience as opposed to my reaction to the event. Quite separate. The experience was heaven, the performance ordinary. Something of a first. And I bet more to follow as long as we are stalked by Omicron.