At any given moment, life is completely senseless. But viewed over a period, it seems to reveal itself as an organism existing in time, having a purpose, trending in a certain direction.
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An opera audience is a unique group. At 51 I feel like the kid in the crowd with much of the audience made up of seniors. Moving around the opera house can be a real challenge, it’s a senior minefield! Dodging slow moving seniors is a little known skill required of the “young” opera goer that you won’t read about in the promotional literature or opera magazines. Getting to your seat, heading to the bathroom at intermission, leaving the building to catch a late night ferry home is frought with danger. Being tall and usually quick to move from place to place, I’m not one to be looking down at what lies ahead… I just go. At the opera such behavior can result in disaster. Slow and steady, scanning the carpeted terrain below is a must. How horrible the thought of trampling someone’s grandmother or grandfather!
All joking aside, how nice it is to see older couples all dressed up for the evening, 
Original production 1881
L’Opéra-Comique many I’m sure having spent many an evening over the years at the opera. For me a rookie after two full seasons, every opera is a new experience. For these veterans a lifetime of opera must bring a different focus to the evening. I can only use my opera mentor, Gregory as a model. After 30 or so years of serious opera going he has seen many operas multiple times. His understanding and grasp of opera is astounding making our intermission debriefings and discussions very meaningful. This past week’s performance of “Tales of Hoffman” (Les contes d’Hoffmann) by Offenbach is a case in point, I believe he has seen it three times. A little background I learned: Offenbach died before the opera was finished in 1880. Consequently it has been the subject of many variations over the years. Apparently no two stagings are ever alike; music is added, acts omitted or rearranged, dialog added and so on. There are four women (subject to variation as well) in the opera who are the object of Hoffman’s obsession. Historically some productions have one woman singing all four roles, a major undertaking since they are all very different in range and style. The great Joan Sutherland was one of the few in recent history capable of handling such a daunting task and performed the opera in Seattle in 1970 (read a review of her Met performance 1973). Beverly Sills was another known for brilliantly handling these parts.
One of the marvelous things about opera is its rich history and the role that every new production and performance has in shaping that history. As our experience grows as opera lovers ( I guess I can say that about myself now) we too shape the history of this unique art form. If not for the patronage (and generous financial support I might add) of the many loyal and aged fans of opera there would be no opera for us youngsters to attend! I just hope the next generation of young opera goers (ya know the 40 years olds) will keep any eye out for me when I’m shuffling around the opera house!
Photo Claude Delorme Ever since high school I’ve been a fan of the band Jethro Tull. While not acquainted with the group’s music in the last few decades I still love their old stuff from the late60s and 70s. Great music does indeed stand the test of time and in my opinion Jethro Tull was one of the best. Those not familar with the band, Tull emerged in the late 60s as a blues/rock band with a very unique and unmistakable sound. Ian Anderson, flutist, vocalist, acoustic guitar player and leader of the band pioneered the flute as a rock instrument with a breathy style and stage presence that rivals the better knownfrontmen of that era (Jagger, Morrison, Plant). His trademark playing of the flute while standing on one leg added to his command of the stage.
A few weeks back I had the idea of Googling original Tull bass player Glenn Cornick’s name just to see what ever happened to him. Glenn always dressed in flashy pants and shirts with long straight hair and a colorful headband. After poking around at a number of fan sites I ran across a site that was Glenn’s. The site is very simple but had a great collection of old Tull photos obviously from Glenn’s personal collection. In addition it has photos of his family over the years. On the site was an email link for Glenn so I dropped him a note. To my surprise I heard back from him the next day. It was a short note but answered a number of questions I had and pointed me to a new release of a film from the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival (Jimi Hendrix’s last show) showing Tull’s performance. I promptly ordered the Tull DVD fromNetflix and had it a few days later.
Photo Andreas Buttman
What a stroll down memory lane! I had seen the band probably five times in the 70s and once about 4 years ago and had forgotten how fabulous they are live. At the Isle of Wight Festival Ian Anderson pulled out all the stops, he was just incredible. Also notable is Clive Barker’s drumming. Again, he rivals many of the better known drummers of that era (and he is still alive!). And of course Glenn’s playing was as steady as ever.
Glenn told me that he still plays a few times a year. On his site there are a number of pictures of him playing at “Tull conventions” and at several reunion events. Glenn reports that many of the Tull cover bands he has played with are better than the current incarnation of the band!
“When the devil tries to irritate you over trifles, or stir you to anger, to destroy your peace of soul, just say, ‘Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen!’ He fears these words above all. They scorch him like fire and he will flee from you.”
Schema-Elder Michael of Varlaam
The history of the Church is replete with stories of saints who spent some point in their “formation” on Mt Athos. During the long nights of services on my trip to Mt Athos I couldn’t help but look around at the young monks (good news, there were many monks in their 20s and 30s) wondering how they made it to this incredible place. What brings someone to leave the world behind and devote themselves to the “angelic life” of prayer, fasting, obedience and labors? As history has shown, the regime and structure of the monastic life can transform the soul to the degree that one is sanctified and immersed in the light of God.
We had the occasion to meet a young American monk at Xeropotamou Monastery, Fr Theodocius. He is the brother of Fr Luke, a priest in Dalles, OR where my traveling companion Patrick will soon be a parishioner. Now 24 years old, Fr Theodocius apparently showed up at the monastery four years earlier after the gate was closed and pounded on the gate until the monks let him in; he has been there ever since. To leave the relative comfort of American life to journey to Mt Athos is a huge leap of faith even for the most devout Orthodox Christian. With such zeal and devotion perhaps he, like others before him, will be transformed in the crucible of monastic life on Mt Athos to one day be numbered among the saints.
