Only two operas left before we have a break, but tonight it’s San Francisco Opera‘s Cyrano De Bergerac with Placido Domingo.
I’m looking forward to hearing Domingo from the audience. I’ve heard him before, but I was seated behind him, playing English horn. I can’t even remember when it was, but I seem to recall it was an arena performance … [insert pause here] … yes indeed, it was April 2, 1995. I read about it here. I wish I could actually remember more of the thing. I remember he was very nice. I remember we did some Spanish songs. But that’s about it!
It’s nice to have this article, though, and I now know that we did the Pavarotti concert only the year prior, in 1994. Man, those are such distant memories. (This also makes me wonder if the Domingo concert was the one at which the conductor tripped and fell face first down on stage. I’ve always thought it was a the Pavarotti concert, but I’m now thinking I was wrong about that … any readers out there remember?)
Patty, I’m sure it was the Domingo concert where the conductor tripped. Pratfalls are s’pozed to be funny, but this sure wasn’t…
And remember when he wanted a flute lick to be different than what was played and sang the part, making instantly clear what he wanted. To a flute, for gosh sakes, and he a tenor…
We are spoiled as pit players: we play the popular operas many times and the less well known ones get much more rehearsal. Either way we get to know them intimately. Going to hear a new or little known one from the audience leaves us hungry for a more intimate knowledge.
I wonder how much the (generic) audience knows what it’s missing…
Thanks for the info, Bob. I DO remember the HUGE gasp from the audience. I don’t remember the flute thing at all … my memory is really rotten. Sigh.
We are definitely spoiled, aren’t we? Man, I love my job! 🙂