Sister Song

 

I recently mentioned going to see a production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte last month, but it wasn’t the only time I saw the opera that week.  In fact, I saw about thirteen hours worth of Cosi spread over three different performances (!). Two of them took place at Opera in the Heights and one was put on by Rice University—starring my friend, Kelley (she of the best fall day evar), who was an undergrad at the University of Michigan when I was there but is now getting her masters from Rice.

Post-game pic!! Fioridi-GETIT!!

 

One of my favorite parts about the opera—and especially how Kelley’s Fioridiligi and the student playing her on-stage sister, Dorabella, play them—is the relationship between the two sisters.  They get some of the best music as well, so for those of you interested in a bit of Mozart then enjoy!!

 

Renee Fleming and Joyce di Donato (of this epic blog post) singing “Ah guarda sorella,” in which two sisters jokingly gloat about their lovers, constantly trying to one-up each her.

 

 

In fact, the way that Kelley and her counterpart played it, the duet kind of reminded me of a scene in Luc Besson’s (the director of The Fifth Element and the opera scene from this blog post) most recent movie, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec.  The movie is basically a French, female [have I already alienated some of my readers?] version of Indiana Jones [did I win you back?].  Basically all you need to know is that Adele’s sister is wounded and Adele spends the whole first part of the movie going to Egypt to steal a mummy who she thinks is a pharaoh's doctor and, with the help of a mystic professor, attempt to bring him back to life so that he may heal her.  You know, or as we say here in America: Tuesday. At any rate, this scene explains how Agathe became wounded in a tennis match that began as a bit of sibling rivalry and ended in a grunty, sweaty, pointy, tragic hot mess.  It’s a really fantastic movie (which I never saw in theaters because it never came out here… I had to watch it on a tiny tiny screen on an AirFrance flight two years ago and was grateful for it!) and I highly recommend it. If you can find it, that is :(

 

 

Aaaaaand now that you’ve indulged me in that bit of mental circuitousness… here’s the second, and last, of the Cosi clips for the day. Ana Maria Martinez, Sophie Koch and Sir Thomas Allen singing "Soave sia il vento,” in which the sisters bid their men farewell as they go off to war (though in reality they haven’t left at all and later pretend to be Albanians in order to test their girlfriend’s fidelity… it’s your basic Mozart plot).  At any rate, this is just STUNNINGLY beautiful music and singing:

 

BRAVA, STARZELLEY!!

Artist: Idina Menzel / Album: Live from the Zipper Theater

Albert!

 

Last night I was supposed to go see my friend, Molly, sing in the U of H’s production of Albert Herring, Britten’s comic opera which is also known as “Is that the one where that boy get’s away with it?” by my mother, who saw the production I was in at U of M. (The title character squanders money and prizes given to him by the town on alcohol and when caught he basically snubs his nose at them and the opera ends with all the adults waiting for a redemption that never comes, and if that isn’t Britten in a nut shell then I don’t know what is!)  Needless to say it was too much for my Southern Baptist mother… maybe if she were a German-Jewish-Presbytarian-Southern Baptist like Jan’s mom it would have made a better impression?  When I told her Baylor was doing it recently she just said: “WHAAAAT!??!!??”

My favorite quote was a response to a question from my friend, Kelley, who sat next to her for the show, and I think it perfectly encompasses a certain southern charm needed to navigate thorny situations:

Kelley: So, Mrs. Roberts, what did you think?!  I knew nothing about it but I’m pretty sure it’s my new favorite opera.

Mom: WELL, it certainly seems like they did put a lot of hard work into it, doesn’t it!” 

 

The runner up would have to be a conversation with my roommate, Lembit.  For a little backstory, I played the role of the town Vicar.

Lembit: (Knowing that mom’s experience of opera didn’t involve the more chromatic, less “sweeping” melodies of Britten’s style.) Wasn’t it nice that Joseph had a lot of the pretty music in the show to mirror the music of hymns and church litergy?

Mom: Oh… that was the pretty music??

 

Now to be com.plete.ly fair my parents are amazingly supportive and have seen me in many many productions, from Puccini to Mozart to Smetana.  If you know Britten, then you know that it is a different animal than its predecessors and isn’t the most easily accessible for the casual opera goer.  I totally get that it’s probably not the easiest thing to sit through. These are more just anecdotal episodes I remember and think are funny.

ANYWAY… that being said, I didn’t actually get to go to the production last night, which really bummed me out because: A. I have been excited for months since I found out they were doing it and B. my friend Molly was in it and I absolutely love her voice and I imagine she was a fantastic Ms. Wordsworth.  I got a text from Mallory, who was to join Jennifer and I:

Mallory: Hey, so I woke up feeling really clammy and I think I have a fever.  I don’t think I’ll be able to make it tonight.

Me: Ugh, I was literally just thinking I might have a fever.

Mallory: Looks like we got sick together when you stayed over the other night :(

 

Sadly I wasn’t able to make it, but this is probably the only time for a while that I can retroactively post some pictures from our U of M production!

PREACH IT!!

 

The Town Council: [L-R] Elizabeth Stoner, Miss Wordsworth; Brian Tanner, Mayor; Jonathan Christopher, Superintendant Bud; Jody Doktor, Lady Billows; Joseph, Vicar Gedge; Monique Holmes, Florence Pike

 

SISTERS!!

 

Artist: Benjamin Britten/ Album: Albert Herring

Fancy

 

This past weekend I went to the Third Annual Tacky Sweater Christmas party held by my friend, Stephanie.  Basically the rules are thus: wear a tacky sweater and bring something to dip into the chocolate fountain.  I’m not the best costume dresser (as you may remember from my Halloween post) so I opted for a “red and green” theme.  I must say the host of the party did steal the show, though.

 

Making our Christmas card photo. LOOK HOW HAPPY WE ARE!

 

This isn’t my first round on the tacky sweater party merry-go-round, either!  Stephanie actually had her first one in Ann Arbor two years ago.

With special guest stars, Kevin Miller, Kelley Kimball and Jeremy Reger (And yes, despite Stephanie having on the exact same outfit in both pictures—HOW TACKY—they are actually from 2008 and 2010, respectively)

The irony of it all is that as I am writing this post based solely on a party with a cold-weather-clothing theme I am sitting at a coffee shop enjoying a refreshing iced coffee in EIGHTY DEGREE heat.  So… you know, Merry Christmas from Texas and all?

And it’s supposed to get warmer :(

 

Artist: Meagan Mullally (that would be Karen from Will and Grace)/ Album: Big as a Berry

The Excited Southerner Orders a Meal

 

I had the pleasure of getting to see my dear dear friend, Kelley, this week while she was in town having some lessons. You might remember Kelley from a previous post on my favorite Fall day in Ann Arbor. Basically all we did was eat (gain calories) and laugh (burn calories), so it was a pretty balanced trip for all involved I would say.

The first place we went was actually new to me as well but I have always wanted to go: Mama Ninfa’s!!!!  For those of you who don’t know, Ninfa’s is a Tex-Mex chain here in Texas that is pretty popular, and the original is right here in Houston.   Oh yeah… and it’s also where the fajita was invented.  It’s basically the Mecca of Tex-Mex.

Look how happy she is making us food!!

 

Before (Avacado’s are the good kind of fat, right?)

 

After: TAH DAH!!

 

After “after”: Sopapilla surprise!

 

Just me and Mama

 

The best part of Kelley coming to Texas was that I got to introduce her to the heaven that is Blue Bell ice cream… or Blue Bell-polooza as we affectionately called it.

Look at all that protein!!!!… in the box of Kashi underneath the icecream.  (What? She needed to sample!)

 

Two unfortunate things, one of which I am secretly okay with:

1. Now I have a freezer full of ice cream!

2. For some reason Kelley and I didn’t get a picture together, so here is another one from our Fall day!

 

Artist: Adam Sandler/ Album: What the Hell Happened to Me!

When Autumn Comes

 

To commemorate my 75th blog post I thought I would post about one of my absolute favorite days while at the University of Michigan.  And, since fall in Texas is the seasonal equivalent of the tooth fairy (ie. it doesn’t exist… sorry J.R. ), I figured some of you might enjoy seeing the leaves changing from green to yellow to orange to red, instead of just green to compost like in the Lone Star State.

Usually we had choir rehearsals Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays during the early afternoon, but one Friday Dr. Blackstone decided to cancel and my friend Kelley and I took the opportunity to head to the Three Cedars Farm and grab some fresh apple cider, doughnuts and sunshine.

Pumpkins… hay ride… heaven!

 

Oh yeah, and adorable animals, they had those too.

 

CORN!!

 

 

Maize maze! Kelly: “Which way do I goooooo?”

 

Joseph: “Not this waaaaaaaay!”

KLERP IT!

Having some extra time to spare, we also went to the Ann Arbor Arboretum, which if you ever have a chance go walk around is absolutely gorgeous any time of year.  Just especially more gorgeous during Fall.

Told you so!