Parsifal in Chicago

[mlr]

...the road was denied me by a curse that made me stray...
Doch ach! den Weg des Heiles nie zu finden, in pfadlosen Irren trieb ein wilder Fluch mich umher.

Last May, muckefuck surprised me with a text message enquiring if I was coming to Bear Pride. I had flight reservations but wasn't sure my annual trip was possible this year. I did express a desire to visit Chicago sometime during the Lyric Opera's season, inspired partly by his regular opera reviews. Later this fall, it was slim pickings when I was scrambling at the last minute to find some remnant of the Wagner bicentennial. Only two events left - both new productions of Parsifal, one in London, one in Chicago. So I opted for Chicago and made some reservations.

And surprisingly it all came about and we went to the opera together. It was a pleasure to be in muckefuck's affable company, to be in his civilized home, to meet the warm & thoughtful people in his life, and to ramble around on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

About the Parsifal production, I can only say how much it moved me. The staging was a little too eclectic for my taste, but it played its part to set afloat the Medieval tale with its most sublime music.

A flickr set from the weekend.

Comments

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Now that you're back, we're not letting you get away so easy!

Did that pic of me in the t-shirt turn out? I'd love to have a copy for my own use.

[mlr.livejournal.com]

on its way...