La Clemenza di Tito at Vancouver Opera

We are now in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre preparing ourselves for the backstage tour of the theatre.

It is funny to think about  this opera; Mozart wrote it in the last year of his life and completed it in no time at all. His “inspiration” was the fact that he was in desperate need of money. Isn’t it funny to think about an opera writer needing money? Kind of makes me think of an olden times George Michael.

On hold now while we go for a backstage tour.

A sneak peak for you of the stage…

Another interesting note on the financial side of opera now…opera companies buy, sell and rent the sets they create and use. Who would have thought? The set for tonight’s performance of La Clemenza di Tito was bought from the Santa fe opera company.

Also, opera companies are looking five years out to what they are planning to put on. Apparently if you want a quality opera performance you need to be booking performers three to five years ahead. I have to wonder how they manage their daytimers with this kind of off into the future planning.

When we went on our backstage tour we saw the props table. As in every opera, there was the bloody dagger there.

The bells have begun to toll. It is soon time to enter the theatre. More at intermission.

It is intermission now. Rome is burning. It appears that Tito is dead. But…time will tell.

This is the classic story of act in haste, repent in leisure.

A friend of mine said they do not like opera because of all the screechy women’s voices. The reality of it is that the voices are like birds swirling and swooping around one another on stage. Some soar higher than others before descending to join the other voices.

La Clemenza di Tito is a classic opera. There are no video backdrops, no extensive lighting tricks. There is a simple white stage with the simplest set. This opera is about the voices and the music from the orchestra interacting.

The bells are tolling once again.