2008.1.30. St Olaf Choir preformed at Benaroya Hall. 70+ gorgeous voices. Fancy arrangements. Most religious songs, one of which back traces every generation from Jesus to Adam and then God. A little too godly for me.

2008.1.29. Seattle Opera lecture series at Seattle University. Perry Lorenzo was giving the talk "Puccini’s Theatrical Genius" in time for the upcoming performance of Tosca -- dubbed by Kerman as "shabby little shocker" in 1956. Full of funny remarks and historical anecdotes. Most enjoyable and educational.
This is my first attendance of this series, even though I am aware of its existence for a few years. Will try to come more often.

2008.1.28. A book talk about Ascending all 14 peaks over 8000m by Ed Viesturs at the Seattle Mountaineers. Great photos, crowded auditorium. The author seems to be more normal than I imagined. Quite humble. Maybe that's why he's still alive after where he has been. (Too bad, the Mountaineers is moving its office out of downtown.)

2008.1.25. Leoncavallo's Pagliacci by Seattle Opera. The shortest opera I've ever been to: less than 2 hrs, including a piece of music borrowed from another Leoncavallo's opera Zazà, stitched into the beginning of the 2nd act. Great voices over a large orchestra. Single stage set, beautifully done. A dream section with acrobat (and borrowed music) gave us a glimpse of the past of Canio and Nedda, a clever idea spawn out from just one line of the libretto.

Canio: John Uhlenhopp
Nedda: Eva Batori
Tonio: Mark Holland
Silvio: Morgan Smith

Overtures to the Opera is now presented by Seneca Garber, the new education associate. He's just not fun. Since the opera ended early around 9:40, I went the Q&A session by Speight Jenkins.

2008.1.14. Cold. Hail. Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Breach by Catherine Filloux, Tarell Alvin McCraney & Joe Sutton. Directed by David Esbjornson.
Three separate stories at New Orleans in the time of Katrina: a family on the roof, a man in wheelchair, and a reporter investigating the "rumor" of a levy in a poor black neighborhood. Not very coherent. The man in wheelchair talks to a strange ghost, the reporter talks about big ideas. The author also brings a service man in Iraq, which has nothing to do with Katrina.

2008.1.11. Seattle Symphony performs Baroque in many forms:

Gary Thor Wedow, conductor
Ben Hausmann, oboe

Handel: Concerto Grosso in F major, Op. 6, No. 9
A. Marcello: Oboe Concerto in C minor
J.C. Bach: Symphony in G minor, Op. 6, No. 6
Rameau: Suite from Dardanus

The 2nd movement of the Oboe piece is quite pretty. The ballet suite is ok. The rest are boring.

2008.1.7. Guest

2008.1.7. Finally my guest is departing after 5 days. Even though she's a very nice girl, mature and independent beyond her age, I'm still glad to have the place to myself. Especially yesterday when I learned that Z.Y. (a friend I used to hang out with), someone of my age, died 10 days ago.
Last Saturday, we shared one dinner together and watched a new documentary Kike Like Me (the director is a snob, but the movie has some interesting bits). She made Greek salad with feta cheese, Tahina dip, and sweet Sahlab drink. The latter two being my first. She also tasted for the first time: jelly fish, tong ho, and ginkgo seed.
I've planned to make a proper dinner sometime and invite her over, since she'll be in Seattle for at least 4 months.