Just for fun-a rehearsal snapshot.

[trusty elf]

Rehearsing a scene from Händel's "Semele", in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.

From left to right: Elaine Tyler-Hall (assistant stage director), Cecilia Bartoli (Semele), Brigit Remmert (Juno), Robert Carsen (stage director).



The Theater an der Wien is a beautiful old theater where Mozart and Beethoven once worked.

[Mira]

1. I remember it. It's a beautiful place I walked past it and

have been in it when I spent my fourth grade year in Vienna with my grandparents.
It's a beautiful place and I love that it still so gorgeous and in use with you in it.

Just to get to hear Cecilia Bartoli sing I would hide in one of the "Loge" seats.
She looks good. I'm glad to see it. Barefoot on the stage.
Priceless.

I never heard of "Semele".

Thank you for letting us share a little of what you see.

[trusty elf]

2. It really is a lovely old theater, with superb acoustics!

A pleasure to play in!

The story of the opera in a nutshell is that Zeus falls in love with Semele, who is a mortal. Zeus's jealous wife Hera, disguised as Semele's sister, suggests to Semele that she should ask Zeus to make her immortal by showing her his true form, rather than his human shape. Hera tells Semele that she should withhold her favors from him until he grants her a wish- without however telling him what it is before he assents. Thus Semele gets Zeus to agree to this, and she then asks him to reveal himself in his immortal splendor. Of course, this proves to be her undoing, as no mortal can survive beholding Zeus in his true radiant form. She's toast! :-D

Interestingly, in the original myth, Semele is pregnant by Zeus, who rescues the yet unborn child before Semele perishes. He then sews the child up in his leg ! ! and carries it to term ! ! !

This child is Dionysus, the god of wine. :-)

:hi:

[Mira]

5. Oh my Zeus!

Opera plots slay me.
They also leave me speechless.

Thank you for taking the time to tell me,
especially the gestation in the leg part.
Who knew?

[JeffR]

3. Your Leica (and you) do a superb job in low light conditions.

The richness of the building is well captured. And I like the first one. It really communicates the hard work that goes into a performance.

[trusty elf]

4. It's mostly the camera. :-D

I do want to start shooting in RAW so I can tweak with the photos after I take them.


:hi: