2024-10-02
This is entry 3 of 100 for #100DaysToOffload.
Today we went to the Royal Opera House to see Eugene Onegin. It was my first ever opera, and I went with my parents (who also do not go to the opera). It was, honestly, lovely.
I initially felt a little awkward, and as the story started I didn't really know who to look at, what to focus on more (the music? the acting? the surtitles?) and generally felt not quite into it. From the second act though, I was into it, and enjoyed certain parts of the actual singing in the second scene, even if it dragged on... my did it drag on. The third and fourth acts went by like a fleeting memory, and, after the break, I found that I also immediately got back into "the zone" and greatly enjoyed the last three acts, especially the final act due the amazing singing.
Of course, I've never watched opera, so going in I thought it was going to be very awkward, sitting there and watching people sing and dance about and not really being into it at all. Sort of like Mark and Jez from the Peep Show on that @@[double date watching the play][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9GCHxJ3FWM].
In reality, after the first scene, I was into it. I was emotionally invested in the story (though see below) and honestly, from the start the music and the singing was beautiful. I thought at one point early on "even if I don't enjoy the story the music is wonderful".
YMMV, but I find romances quite silly. As in, I do understand the wonder of that passionate feeling in your chest when you fall in love, but also I don't entirely get the obsession that everything (books, songs, plays...) are all written about this one sort of emotion. And it is called love, and yet it can be debated whether it is truly love at all, or just infatuation...
But, still, despite my cynicism about love, I do in a way enjoy stories about them, and certain I did enjoy this. I think it is a bit silly, and the things that people do are very dramatic, but there is an extent to which one has to just suspend disbelief... Once done, it really was quite nice, if fairly simple.
In fact, I thought it was going to be particularly complicated, or that it would be very hard to follow the story given all the singing. But actually a lot of the singing was in prose almost, just everyday conversation but in song, where I expected it all to be very hard-to-parse poetry.
I don't even have the words to describe this. Just, when the instruments fade down and the voice is the only that is heard reverberating through your eyes... truly enrapturing.
Since it started at seven, and we wanted to be there early, it was a little difficult in terms of food, but now it's been done once I think it would be quite easy next time. Simply, go immediately from work to the ROH, and I can book at table either at the Zizzi's just outside, or at the Ivy in Covent Gardens, or at any number of other places nearby. But definitely it will be possible to find somewhere. They also have a lovely bar inside the ROH which served a very nice mocktail of ginger and soda (I can't remember what the barman called it but it tasted very good) - food from the ROH is incredibly expensive though so best to avoid.
Definitely. In fact, I have La Boheme booked in already for January next year, with a really nice front row seat gotten for cheap because of the Young ROH scheme. Honestly, I might actually have to do this more often... It is actually really good. Maybe I just ended up with one of the good ones, and the next one won't be as good, but still... I'll definitely see some more.