GREs and Tosca
It was approaching 12:30 yesterday(it was really more like 12:15, when I entered the Prometric Testing Center in DC to take my GREs for the second time, which were supposed to start at 1. But it turns out they don't do these things quite as advertised anymore. On the good side, I did get seated and was allowed to start as soon as the paperwork was all in order. On the other hand, the controlling has gotten to the point of paranoia. My prep book told me to take ID and writing utensils, and to dress in layers, so I could dress or undress in accordance with the temperature. it was a good thing I didn't do the latter, as not only were we obliged to use their writing utensils, which I suppose is harmless enough, but those who were wearing sweaters were advised they if they wore them going into the room they would not be allowed to take them off. We were assured the room was a very regulated temperature. More to my annoyance was that after taking the three sections of the exam, we were obliged to face another experimental exam, given by the ETS purely for their own research purposes. Students exhausted from taking GREs should not be turned into guinea pigs. I felt that very strongly, especially as I just wanted to get out of the place by then. Only when I'd done their twenty extra questions was I allowed to view my scores: 630 verbal, 740 quantitative. Not sure how I got either, and I'd be a little disappointed at the former, but the latter will more than make up for it, at least if my writing scores is good. But that, of course, must be graded separately.
It was a little past 12:30 today when I walked into the crowded theater at the Hoffman for the Met broadcast of Tosca,which also was supposed to start at 1, and discovered just about all the seats had been claimed already, some by large parties where only one or two people had arrive! I ended up in the second row from the back, next to an elderly couple with a copy of the New York Times commentary, and I learned from them that this new production was controversial. Opera is a conservative world, indeed, if Scarpia properly showing what a monster he is in ways that wouldn't raise eyebrows elsewhere is controversial. We were just wondering when the slideshow would give way to the house when we heard someone announce in the house that due to technical difficulties, the opera would start ten minutes late, and a placard appeared advising us that due to "extraordinary sun interference" the broadcast in North America would be vulnerable to being disrupted. Nonetheless, about five minutes later they went to the house and there was no more difficulty after that.
I admit my perception of Tosca before this was shaped largely hearing Cavaradossi's death aria too many times. But the opera, taken as a whole, truly is beautiful. When I first listened to the Te Deum on CD, for an assignment, isolated from the rest of the opera, I was confused as to why I was supposed to listen to this section in particular. This afternoon, I understood. George Gagnidze making a creepy Scarpia didn't hurt either. What a contrast to Marcelo Alvarez, the big Argentine Cavaradossi(and during his interview, he was specifically invited to speak Spanish to those watching in the cinemas in Argentina), who got loud applause every time he opened his mouth and displayed that passionate voice of his. By the time we got to that infamous aria, I didn't mind hearing it again; in fact, I was disappointed it didn't go longer! At first I was worried that Karita Mattila's two male co-stars were going to overwhelm her, but she just got stronger and stronger as it went on. She also spoke in Finnish during her interview, after Alvarez's. Poor Gagnidze; they interviewed him right after the first act ended, before anyone had told him that was an option, and when his English was pretty limited too(he did the interview with his voice coach for this production; they appeared to converse in Italian; I suspect that's a language a lot of people who work in opera use to communicate).
And now this post has grown way too long, so I am off to make myself dinner.