The Opera Tattler

* Notes *

The third performance of Parsifal  (Act III, Scene 1 pictured, photograph by Cory Weaver) San Francisco Opera was yesterday afternoon. I was lucky enough to attend this opera in Box Z, which is pretty much as close as one can get to the stage. Again, new details revealed themselves, and as always, it was fascinating to watch the orchestra and Maestra Eun Sun Kim.

On Saturday, the Wagner Society of Northern California hosted a talk by Professor Thomas Grey entitled Outside/Inside: Sacred Spaces in Parsifal that I attended and it made me notice that the three dancers in Act I Scene 2 were fluttering their hands to represent the Holy Ghost.

I did spend most of my time watching Maestra Kim and the orchestra and was very much impressed by the woodwind and string soli. The brass were right under me and it was interesting to feel the vibrations of the instruments in my body.

Mezzo-soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner is growing on me, her voice is not beautiful but it is appropriate for her role and her German diction is exceedingly clear.

* Tattling *

The line to get into the opera house was quite long at noon, and someone jumped ahead, causing great dismay.

There was a lot of electronic noise, in Act I it sounded like either a cellular phone had a chiming ring or there was a hearing aid having lots of feedback, but it lasted for a long time, which makes me suspect it was the latter.

Two rings were also heard in Act III during some quieter moments.