Un Ballo en Maschera
Pizza at the Masked Ball
Hitty Constance attended the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD presentation of Un Ballo en Maschera by Giuseppe Verdi. We traveled out to the Star Cinema in Sidney because we like the small theatre and homey atmosphere. The proprietors offer coffee and muffins at the interval, and if it is a long opera with two intermissions, they send out for Pizza. We are glad to have something to eat so that we don’t expire of hunger while the various opera singers are expiring operatically.
Today’s dramatic expiration was a stabbing due to a tragic misunderstanding, performed by Dmitri Hvorostovsky (stabber) and Argentine Tenor Marcelo Álvarez (stabbee). It is based on the real assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden in the 1790’s, which actually did happen at a masked ball. Because it was turned into an opera, a love triangle was added to the political story, and because of censorship, the names were changed and action was moved to Boston. In this production, the story was moved geographically back to Sweden, and temporally forward to the twentieth century.
.
.
Quimper Hittys 
Constance looks very excited to be able to enjoy the yummy pizza. She’s wearing another lovely dress and a glam mask!
Pizza and Opera – Constance was in heaven…she thanks you for the compliments about the dress and mask!
How wonderful that she got to spend some more time at the Opera and have pizza as well! She looks just perfect in her wonderful dress and mask.
Thanks – the mask didn’t slow her down at all when she was nibbling so daintily on the bubbly crust, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil! The Opera was great too!
What fun!
It was fun! We like the views behind the curtain as they change scenes and interview the divas.
Got to listen to some of this live opera myself yesterday on the radio….thought of the Quimpers enjoying it.
Friendship through the airwaves – or was it the electrons? I am never sure these days…
I would never have known it was you, Constance!
The little mask is a perfect disguise! Constance thinks she might be a raccoon next Halloween, or maybe take up a career robbing stagecoaches!
It looks as if she might be singing along while getting the pizza ready. Cheerful young lady, that is for sure.
Verdi is very tuneful, that’s true! And Constance knows the difference between Art and Life, so she can remain cheerful through all the mayhem.
I love the explanation of the opera’s convoluted history and Constance’s lovely mask (is that from Venice?). The pizza sounds delicious!
The mask is made from an old wool felt hat, and some silver baby rick-rack. Constance reports the pizza was delicious!
I hate misunderstandings, especially when they result in untimely stabbings. So sorry to hear that Gustav III had to expire in such a tragic and sudden way, but at least some great folks had a chance to sing about it! That pizza there, looks mighty good… tell Constance to guard it carefully, I suspect there’s a pair of hungry Toads nearby!
Famished Toads, oh no! Constance would be delighted to share her pizza with you…or wait a minute do you have room in your stomachs after all those mince tarts!