29th
L’Opera: Un Ballo de Maschera
Tonight I got the opportunity to see my very first Opera. I’m still processing it, even hours later. About a dozen of us went to the matinee showing of “Un Ballo de Maschero” or “A Masquerade Ball.” Its actually set in Boston, Massachusets, but it was written and performed in Italian. The experience was dramatically different than I imagined, but still incredible. I was able to follow the basic storyline despite the language barrier, but it was still a bit frustrating to miss so many of the details. From what I gathered, an imortant diplomat was told by a fortune teller that he would be betrayed and killed. He fakes his own death, then hides out and watches the people closest to him under a disguise. He discovers that the conspirator is his best friend, secretly in love with his wife. He (the “dead” diplomat) reveals himself to her during a masked ball in the last act. Unfortunately, his friend had come to the ball under a disguise as well, and kills him after all. It was very energetic, but also very dark - the set was painted entirely black, and the entire cast, save the fortune teller in the first act, were clothed primarily in black. I spent a lot of time watching the conductor of the amazing orchestra, as he was incredibly energetic. The music was fantastically moving.
On the way home, a smaller group of us went to our favorite caffe in Scandicci. We ordered sandwiches, cappuccino, and pastries, and sat outside enjoying the cool evening breeze. We sat for over an hour just reflecting on the experience and enjoying each other’s company.
