It is 6:30 AM in Harper’s Valley and I am preparing to go to the opera.
One of the quirks of our little red state in the sun is that we do not change our clocks with the rest of the country. It is part of our cowboy ethos, ‘We don’t need no stinking daylight savings time.’ Today’s Met “Live in HD” simulcast is Francesca da Rimini. Because it is on the long-ish side; a little under 4 hours including 3 intermissions; the powers-that-be at Lincoln Center opted to start the performance at noon (EDT) instead of the usual 1:00 PM. Last Saturday that would have meant a 10:00 AM start in Arizona. This week, because of that DST thing, it starts at 9:00 AM instead.
I’m intrigued to see this opera; as intrigued as I can be to see any opera at this hour; because it is one with which I am completely unfamiliar. Indeed, I don’t think I’d heard of the composer, Riccardo Zandonai, before this season was announced.
Consulting the reference books at hand, I find The Limelight Book of Opera mentions neither the composer nor the opera. I am more successful, however, by flipping through to page 1031 of Kobbe’s Complete Opera Book. F da R is an early 20th century piece with a text by Tito Ricordi based on a play of the same name by d’Annunzio. It premiered in London in 1914 and at the Met in 1916. The synopsis tells me it will be a tale of star-crossed lovers thwarted by an arranged marriage. In true operatic style, the lovers die in each other arms. It is sure to be a toe-tapper.
My best friend, Wikipedia, tells me Mr. Zandonai composed 13 operas, a number of sacred works. symphonic works including concerti or violin and cello, and the score for a 1936 French film. Who knew?!
*****
On a possibly unrelated note, apparently I have become a saint. Having only a passing knowledge of all things papist, I am not sure how these things happen. For starters, I thought one had to be dead. I thought there was usually some kind of martyrdom or suffering involved as well. I did have to get up at 6:00 AM on a Saturday to get ready for Francesca da Rimini. Come to think of it, there is a new Pope; Francis. Francis?….Francesca?….hmmm. At lunch I shall try to turn water into Malbec.
Harper's Valley 
In just 50 mins from this moment the BBC Music radio channel will start relaying this very same performance. I too had never heard of Zandonai but I’ll give this a go, though unless it really grabs me I doubt if I’ll last much more than an hour, which is par for the course for me. Francesca da Rimini? Hmmmm You shouldn’t be needing to use any of the Met’s heating, then.
(Hope I don’t hear your coughing at all that smoke!)
Yes, do try to transform that water into something with a little more ‘buzz’.
Funny how all the necessary so-called ‘miracles’ required prior to canonisation turn out to be physical ‘healings’, which could well have happened anyway. Why can’t a prospective saint be a bit original and, say, levitate the entire structure of St Peter’s 500 feet and bring it back down to earth safely with no one injured. Now THAT would help me (and millions others) believe!
But becoming a saint has become a bit easier thanks to the helpful intervention of Papa J.P. II who not only lowered the bar requiring, instead of three miracles, now only two – though I’ve got a feeling it’s now come down to just one – and his also abolishing the role of ‘Devil’s Advocate’ the office of the person who was to argue AGAINST that particular person being canonised. In doing so, J.P. II also made it so much easier for HIMSELF to be made a saint – not that that had any influence, I’m sure!
Looking forward to reading your opera report – and perhaps hearing of a miracle you worked during it!
Love the halo, maybe being from the State where you live in martyrdom enough. Enjoy Francesca da Rimini, a sad and tragic story. Rimini is a lovely town, birthplace of film producer Federico Fellini.
it just may be pope francine! good to see you posting again. c ya next week in DE!
Congratulations (?) on becoming a “Big S Saint”. I had a feeling that you were already a “little s” saint.
PS Dangers of reading too quickly onisufficient coffee – for a moment I thought the composer was Zamboni.
If Zamboni were the composer it could have been done on ice!
Who knew that Arizona and I would agree on something? Daylights Savings Time is an abomination (but I am still not moving to AZ so I can avoid it).
I hope you take well to hugs. I got a big one ready for you.
Looking forward to it.
Sent from my iPhone
Can I kiss your holy relics?
I love Raybeard’s thoughts on miracles.
Now YOU would be performing a miracle if you could get ME to sit down at 9 in the morning to watch a four-hour opera!