ByGD
Jacob Lucas photo c/o Seattle Opera
I almost didn’t get to see Beatrice and Benedict at Seattle Opera, but my mom saved the day and bought tickets to opening night. I’m so glad we got to go, because there was so much to love about Seattle Opera’s Beatrice and Benedict. Besides being wonderful in all the usual Seattle Opera ways, it introduced me to a new composer and took a balletic, Shakespearean approach to opera. I probably need to explain that last comment.
ByGD
This week I’m studying Article 1 §8.6 of the Constitution. It’s about the Congress’ power to establish a postal system. I’m more interested in the Postal Service than the postal service, but I am interested in living in a country that works. In the wonderful anime series Kino’s Journey, a character who’s looking to settle down wanders into a nice, boring country where people live in peace and freedom and are welcoming to newcomers. His companion says it seems like a perfectly normal place, to which he replies, “A lot of people have to work very hard to make a place normal.”
Democracy is not for spectators; but to participate, you have to know the rules. That’s why I’m studying the Constitution, one clause at a time. I’m up to Article 1 §8.7. Read More
ByGD
Once again, last week the music I liked was determined what I watched. Like everyone else in America, I saw Black Panther at the movie theater last week. I was also part of a smaller group that watched Seattle Opera’s re-premiere of the opera Beatrice and Benedict by Berlioz.
ByGD
A few years ago I was trying to improve as a photographer. Since then, I’ve kind of given up and reverted to cell phone snap shots. So I was impressed when I stumbled on a stash of flower photographs from that time period. Some of them were pretty good. I think this shot of bicolor daffodils in my front yard looks like it came from a flower catalog. I would buy them.
ByGD
John Moore and Matthew Gills in Barber of Seville Photo by Philip Newton c/o Seattle Opera
Today I am sad. Berlioz’ opera Beatrice & Benedict opens at Seattle Opera tomorrow, and I don’t have tickets. I could not go on the day press tickets were offered, and I haven’t figured out how or if I will buy tickets for this production I really want to see. For today, I am consoling myself by looking at the 2018/19 opera season announcement. Read More