I made a last minute decision to go to the opera on a Friday night in downtown San Diego. Those who live in this area know that driving downtown is a pain, but throw the Friday commute into the picture and double the time.
So after an hour and a half in my car (ignoring half of the ridiculous suggestions google maps offered to avoid traffic), I pulled into the parking structure. Side rant coming. There are only two parking structures I’ve ever got lost in, both in San Diego, and this is one of them. After taking careful mental notes on how to get back to my car, I exited to the street out a side door.
Lost! I had no idea where I was and to top it off, I have the worst sense of direction. This was when I saw a woman wearing evening attire walking the opposite way. Stopping her, I said, “Excuse me, you’re so nicely dressed, any chance you’re going to the opera?” She answered in a lovely accent that she was and let me follow her. I told her my dilemma about the parking structure and she agreed, saying she never parks in them because they are so confusing.
We parted to get our tickets and met again outside where we chatted over our dinner crepes from a food truck. A few moments later, another woman asked to join our table. At this point we all introduced ourselves. Rosalind was from England and Blanca was from Argentina. Blanca told us this was her first opera since going with her family as a child in Buenos Aires. Rosalind, on the other hand, had lost count of how many operas she’d been to. I loved that our trio covered three continents.
The San Diego Opera provides a pre-lecture before the show which we went to together. I’d never been to one before and must admit that it really helped. Although I enjoy the stories told in operas, I really go to hear the power of the orchestra and the big arias. Rigoletto is a difficult opera by Verdi. Reviewers say is “not for the faint-hearted.” It involves a hunchbacked court jester, a sexual predator duke, the slaying of two innocent young women…violent and tragic.
Our seats were in different sections of the Civic Center and we went our separate ways. When the orchestra started and the curtain rose, I was immersed in the story, but still waiting for the arias. The jester’s daughter sang “Cara Nome” with beauty and her high notes were heavenly. The duke (who we all hated by now) sung the popular “La Donna E Mobile.” That song stuck in my head all night long. Everyone knows this melody from films, commercials, and sporting events. Go ahead and listen to Pavarotti’s version. The 1983 film is grainy but the vocals are crystal clear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFEk6Y8TmM&index=1&list=RDxCFEk6Y8TmM Pavarotti La Donne E Mobile
In my younger days, the thought of doing something alone conjured up negative self-esteem issues. I’m so glad I learned the value of doing things by myself. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met Rosalind or Blanca and I would’ve missed a wonderful opera.
