Verdi’s ‘Don Carlo’ last night. What a cast! Wasn’t it Rossini who said that the three most important things in opera are: “Voice, voice, and voice…”? Well, good casting is where it all begins.
One of the perks of being retired as longtime soloist from the Paris Opéra is being invited to all of the dress rehearsals, with a guest, all of the operas and ballets included. Even if every time you don’t feel you’ve struck gold, there are those rare, golden moments…This was definitely one of them.
As some of you know, the last few weeks for me have not always been so easy. I have been guilty of leaving messages unanswered (sorry, Doug Curzon Road), retracting from lunch dates (Serge Cheze je t’embrasse fort), and sometimes of neglecting my own needs (thankful nod to concerned friend Craig Rutenberg).
During the second intermission I got in my call to Mom, who sounded wonderful. Our short exchange was meaningful, and she was delighted to hear where I was. Then I ordered the Taittinger champagne, and my people did this impromptu photo op (joking) just before the scene in the King’s Study in Madrid.
Just lucky, I guess.