As usual, Ron and I flew to the Bay Area for our Thanksgiving visit with my sister Jeanne and her husband Norm. On Saturday, after spending two days with them, we drove around the East Bay to some of our favorite haunts--the Eileen Fisher outlet store in San Leonardo, Wente Brothers Winery for a tasting and a gourmet lunch, and later to Berkeley for dinner at Bistro Liaison.
While in Berkeley, we tried to see Lincoln, but it was completely sold out; eventually we saw it in Austin with Daniel over New Year's. On Sunday, we took BART into San Francisco for the opera: Tosca, with Angela Gheorghiu and Massimo Giordano. Roberto Frontali was that performance's Scarpia; I would have preferred to hear Mark Delevan, the alternate, but you take what you can get. Gheorghiu had previously not been well, and I thought she was good enough but not electrifying. Giordano's interpretation of Cavaradossi was more nuanced than most, especially in Act III. The common impression is that he goes to his death believing, like Tosca, that the execution is a sham; but this Cavaradossi appeared to realize, just from his facial expression, that Scarpia would never have granted a safe conduct. Nevertheless he does not reveal his doubts to Tosca and plays along, even while suspecting that he is about to die. That would make him much more of a hero than he is usually allowed to be. I liked that idea very much.
For my birthday, Daniel gave me a Pashmina shawl, which I wore to the opera--see my profile. We had brilliant weather, and the Bay Area was beautiful, with the grapevines showing their fall colors.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Thanksgiving in the Bay Area
As usual, Ron and I flew to the Bay Area for our Thanksgiving visit with my sister Jeanne and her husband Norm. On Saturday, after spending two days with them, we drove around the East Bay to some of our favorite haunts--the Eileen Fisher outlet store in San Leonardo, Wente Brothers Winery for a tasting and a gourmet lunch, and later to Berkeley for dinner at Bistro Liaison.
While in Berkeley, we tried to see Lincoln, but it was completely sold out; eventually we saw it in Austin with Daniel over New Year's. On Sunday, we took BART into San Francisco for the opera: Tosca, with Angela Gheorghiu and Massimo Giordano. Roberto Frontali was that performance's Scarpia; I would have preferred to hear Mark Delevan, the alternate, but you take what you can get. Gheorghiu had previously not been well, and I thought she was good enough but not electrifying. Giordano's interpretation of Cavaradossi was more nuanced than most, especially in Act III. The common impression is that he goes to his death believing, like Tosca, that the execution is a sham; but this Cavaradossi appeared to realize, just from his facial expression, that Scarpia would never have granted a safe conduct. Nevertheless he does not reveal his doubts to Tosca and plays along, even while suspecting that he is about to die. That would make him much more of a hero than he is usually allowed to be. I liked that idea very much.
For my birthday, Daniel gave me a Pashmina shawl, which I wore to the opera--see my profile. We had brilliant weather, and the Bay Area was beautiful, with the grapevines showing their fall colors.
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