Monday Night with Ponchielli, Puccini, Mozart and a Woman with a huge hat!

ON Monday night I was invited to see three scenes of three different operas at Civic Orchestra of Chicago, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, in memory of Florence Boone, a devoted Lyric Opera of Chicago supporter since 1960 who passed away on APRIL 2012, at the age of ninety three.

The first musical piece was “Dance of the Hours” from act 3 of Amilcare Ponchielli’s La Gioconda (The joyful girl).

The second piece was Act 4 of LaBoheme by Puccini.  And the third piece was Act 2 from the Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Mozart.

My friend preferred to sit on the balcony, I preferred the center orchestra. The tickets were already purchased and I had to respect my host. A woman next to me asked: What perfume do you wear? I told her. She was drowned into the scent of my perfume and the radiance of orchestra Hall…then she said: Your pink scarf matches beautifully with your black dress! I felt delightful! 

A woman with a round black hat sitting on front seat with peculiar fake aristocratic gesture, blocking my view from seeing the singers, reminded me of Charlie Chaplin’s movies. Distressed by the hat, I busied myself with the book, following the librettos. I wanted so badly to see Mimi and Rodolfo’s face, the sweat on their foreheads, the sparkle in their eyes when they sing the words of love, but I swallowed my longing for those moments…

Mimi: I have many things I want to tell you,

Well only one, but it’s huge as the ocean,

As deep and infinite as the sea…

(She puts her arms around Rodolfo’s neck.)

You’re my entire life,

You’re my love!

Rodolfo: Ah Mimi, my beautiful Mimi!

Mimi: Do you still find me beautiful?

Rodolfo: As lovely as the dawn.

Mimi: You’re wrong in the comparison.

You should say: Lovely as the sunset

As Mimi, Tracy Cantin, soprano, had a "presence" on the stage.