La Traviata

Last night His Lordship and I donned our glad rags to join the glitterati of Edinburgh at the opera.
We exchanged Coronation Street for La Traviata, a Scottish Opera production at the Festival Theatre. It was my birthday present (yes, alright I am spoiled considering my boots were also purchased for me). It is an opera loved by HL, a man of some introspection and often dark thinking. I found it to be somewhat morbid and gloomy.

I can’t fault the production with its large cast, beautiful costumes and atmospheric scenery, but it left me somewhat depressed with all the blood stained handkerchiefs, illness and the lingering death scene. Not so HL who identified with Alfredo’s father and was almost singing along with him.
However, I did like the bawdy party scenes with the rousing music and unseemly dance antics of the gypsy dancers, and especially the matador’s high leaping. My true character comes to the fore!

Personally it’s Mozart’s cheery operas that give me a buzz- I think HL has taken the message on board for the next time.

We had a remarkable coincidence as we took our seats at the beginning of the opera when we found we were sitting directly in front of friends in the row behind. I wonder what the odds of that happening given the Theatre was full and there was no one else we even recognised.
These were the very friends we hadn’t seen for 6 months and whom I hadn’t quite got around to asking for lunch in the near future.
There was no phone call procrastination, they are coming for lunch next week.