Last week some friends of mine and I went to an opera appreciation class for �The Magic Flute�. For the cost of 25 euro, I�ll tell you what I did and did not appreciate:

Things I DID appreciate:
The guy was probably in his 60s but wearing jeans and a sweater.
He had an awful lot of opera-y movies as well as classical ones.
He really knew his history and art.
He served lots of wine and cheese.
We watched tv.
I actually learned stuff.
It was a fun evening all in all.

Things I DID NOT appreciate:
The guy stuck his butt in my face like 5 times �adjusting the tv.
I was getting dizzy from the wine.
The cheese that looked like it had mold in it really did. I was literally about to hurl. I didn�t even have a napkin to spit it in. It tasted like moldy Brie. I love cheese for the most part but that stuff was just nasty. Stay away from the moldy cheese.
I felt pretty uncultured with my major lack of knowledge in the artsy/opera-y department.

Anyway, last night was the opera. We went to this gorgeous Opera house here in Vienna and it was just incredible. Most of the original opera house was destroyed in the war then rebuilt but what is there is breathtaking. The ceilings are covered in murals and there are statues and golden stairs.

I stood out on the balcony sipping wine and thinking about how 10 years ago I never would have imagined I�d be in that spot. Back then I lived in small-town Duncan, Oklahoma. I lived near the outskirts of town and had to hang my clothes out to dry. Cows would wonder up in my yard and moo at my back door. I had to cross the street to get my mail. The highlight of my week would be a trip to Wal-Mart. I felt deeply then that I was meant for something more. This, this living here in Vienna, Austria and going to Operas and visiting castles is beyond my wildest dreams.

As far as �The Magic Flute� it was a fun light-hearted opera. The music was beautiful and the opera was colorful. It�s not long and depressing, as I would expect from an opera. My favorite character was Papegeno the birdman who wanted nothing more than to find him a wife and get some nooky. There is a bit of comedy in it. If you have never gone to an opera and get the chance, see The Magic Flute. It�s by Mozart. See, I told you I learned something.

3 comments so far

Previous - Next