Somewhere in the depths of my memories I stumble upon myself in Paris on a hot Friday in May. My French boyfriend's best friend offered us tickets to La Walkyrie at the Opera National de Paris because his father happens to be a violinist for the orchestra. It was a general repetition, but the opera non the less. Lucky was I to find that the same evening had been chosen for a protest by immigrants for equal rights. The venue had been double booked. I had to be picked up from a very busy metro station near the opera by the Frenchman. I had decided to go with my instincts and wear tout noir! I seem to always want to dress in all black outfits, but with the veil of poisonous pollution that the late spring eve was offering in the city it seemed only appropriate. Do not underestimate the power of matching various black pieces. I had a dress that was entirely too short to wear without skin tight snake print spandex leggings (also black). The only sandal that would accompany such an outfit was a satin black boot-like sandal with studs, and do not let us forget the uprising of the black nail polish of the summer called black lingerie by REVLON. And of course such an evening would demand a silk black suit jacket.
The Valkyrie was simply amazing! The tale by Wagner is of a hero who is helped by a warrior woman Brunnhilde. She is one of nine sisters known as the valkyries. They are the warrior women of Norse mythology. Ultimately, the bravery of Brunnhilde causes her expulsion from the heavenly kingdom by her father Wotan. The tragic ending is of Wotan telling Brunnhilde that she may return no more. Alike most of Wagner's operas The Valkyrie deals with many trifles of life: a daughter's love for her father, and her call to disobey in order to be true to her own heart, of illegitimate lovers, and of a man's duty to appease his wife. The opera has also inspired Brazilian author Paulo Cohelo to write of his journey to see his angel with the help of warrior women in The Valkyries. In the book Cohelo pays tribute to the strength of his own wife which isn't always exhibited and he takes mainly the role of the tragic hero Siegmund who is in pursuit of one thing, yet whose faith relies solely on the decisions of those around him. The book's contribution to the reader is its ability to remind that we are all young, yet still quite foolish even as we age on.
The Parisian soir ended with what is possibly the fastest dinner I have eaten during an intermission, some champagne and a fulfillment of having seen a classic opera in Paris. The air was full of bravado and it smiled at all of us, reminding us that Paris is never dull in the summer time and that good times were ahead. That night I learned that when French people ask you what do you do, they always mean for a living.
This brief blog begins with "stumble upon" as an expression which serves as a tribute to me having today joined the site. It is truly a great way to occupy the mind. A site built to take advantage of the speed of delivery of information for the amusement and growth of the mind.
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