Oh, how nice, and what a full circle this makes...

When I first arrived, the friend who help get me started surprised me with a ticket to a guest run of Porgy and Bess at the opera.

I was stunned off my ass in the upper balcony. Wonderful.

We have a summer arts festival run by Nicholas Harnoncourt. He is a direct descendant of the Archduke Johann, who was a brother of the last Kaiser, and did much for the state.

And all of a sudden, there were posters up that he was going to do a concert version of 'Porgy and Bess' here. And I tried to get a ticket, oh boy did I try....

I haven't mentioned that Harnoncourt is a bloody GENIUS. He is a stickler for sticking to the original score, never messes around with the tempi much, he brings it as it was written.

And every time I have attended one of his concerts, I learned. I didn't like Haydn all that much, church music? He gave an evening of other things that showed the humour and joy in his personality, and pieces that were absolutely wonderful.

And so many other things.

Whatever, I was disappointed. I couldn't get any kind of ticket for this concert version of Porgy and Bess.

I do not know if any of you have ever seen it, but it is overwhelmingly good. And it was a breakthrough in American theater. African Americans on stage, hey.... In the forties, or something.

But the historical meaning is less than the musical one. Sure, it borders on opera. And it is tragic, and ends horribly.... Even over thirty years later, I still have this image in my mind of Porgy, an amputee, wheeling himself out on a board, going to New York to find his Bess.

(Sort of hard to figure, right?)

Whatever, the good news is.... the national radio is going to broadcast it LIVE and in Dolby tonite. And I am so looking forward to it I could just piss my pants for joy. I finally get something I pay for.

(Yes, you have to pay tee-vee and radio fees here, and ignore them since they went to minimum info on EVERYTHING.)

Wish me a nice evening. Have to sleep two hours, and then I get to hear something wonderful. And if the fucking Couch Critter decides to drive me crazy, will throw him out of my house for three hours.

Am not in the mood for that.

Update: am listening to a live broadcast. Could cry at not having a ticket to be there. Musically, a revelation. Am enjoying totally.

The Arnold Schönberg Chor ist so good, it's to die for. I like most of the soloists. The woman singing Bess has a marvelous voice, but I would wish she had a better enunciation, she leaves me confused.

Update 2: The second half was breath-taking. There is a huge storm sequence. And Harnoncourt inserted some score that has never been publicly performed before. The sudden calm, and insect noises, and African drums... Even W. perked up at that one, said, that sounds like 'Africa at night.' And I replied, 'That is what he intended it to be..' The audience went nuts at the end.

During the intermission, a moderator gave a mess of info on background. Was astounded to learn that the orchestra was composed of 144 musicians!!!! And how they sounded, hey! To die for. The soprano who sang Bess had a wonderful voice... but was somewhat unclear in the enunciation, and that was the only drawback to the entire performance.

And I so wish I could have been there. But it was beautifully done, and very complex.

And links to the photos of what that looked like are here.


Update 3: Thanks to musicfiend76 below for the correction. During the intermission I was being berated by someone in my apt. who just did not understand the music, and seemingly I misheard, and musicfiend is correct, of course. And yes, it is Harnoncourt who is 80.