SIR JOHN

The Wine Guy used to write about the music concerts he went to and the wines he drank there but since returning from overseas Mr Google refuses to recognise his sign in to his blog so he's asked me to post on his behalf. So, here goes.

"Last Thursday I went to the opening night of Don Giovanni, the New Zealand Opera performance of Mozart's famous opera.

This is pretty heady stuff with Nanny Herald reporting that some people are shocked that school children (read 7th form or whatever equivalent that is in today's school terminology) are allowed to see a performance that has sex, abduction, pole dancing, subterfuge and murder as the major themes. Shades of Patricia Bartlett methinks. I actually thought that all good opera included most if not all of these themes (well perhaps not the pole-dancing).

Now I'm usually not a fan of Mozart's operas. Sure he writes a good tune and, to be honest it's a lot better than the 'filler' that other opera writers pad out the show but it lacks the big bang. You know, the powerful "Nessum Dorma' type of arias that Joe Green, Puccini, Delibes and Rossini knocked out. Apart from a 'Figaro, Figaro' outburst old Amadeaus kept it pretty even.

The little bugger was also pretty wordy which means, in opera when the singing is in Italian, French or German, you have to crane your neck up to see the 'sur-titles' for the translation. With Mozart the words change rapidly something not seen with Guiseppe who usually repeats the same line about 10 times so that we the viewers don't have to crane our necks as we, after 3 repeats of (in Italian) 'You have a lovely hand', "I have a lovely hand', 'You have a lovely hand', 'I have a.....etc' we recognise what they're saying and can concentrate on the performers, especially the luscious ones.

Anyway, as I said, last Thursday I went to see Don Giovanni at the Aotea Centre (which is a pretty good venue).
I knew that it would be a modern take on the opera  - thanks to Nanny Herald and the salivating warnings about the salacious content - so was a bit trepidacious. I don't like classics being modernised and have not bothered seeing films of Shakespeare plays being put in contemporary or futuristic settings.


I have to admit though that in this opera it worked and probably better than if it had been done to be contemporaneous with Mozart what with the powdered wigs and puffery.

The setting was a modern Spanish city in the nightclub area - all neon and graffiti. New Zealand Opera do the sets really, really well. We've seen a fair bit of opera around the world, in bigger cities with grander opera houses and they tend to do things a bit over the top. Auckland does it simply and elegantly with often the merest suggestion of a theme or placing done with a fragment of architecture. Brilliant.

The performances were, as usual, world class with NZ, Australian and (this time) a British lead carrying on the tradition. There was some good music with a whole lot of jokers making noises below the stage. What I was particularly pleased with was that the conductor didn't turn up too late this time, In the past, and this was particularly annoying at the Met in NYC, the conductor chappie (who just waves a stick about) swans in ages after the other musicians are all seated ready to go. And then the audience clap and cheer him (always a bloke). I often call out "what kept you?" much to 'Her Indoors' chagrin.

The whole show rollicked along, a murder here, a beating there, a bit of fiddling and, to underscore what a bastard Giovanni is, a rape. We all knew he was going to  meet a bad end - in the original this was being dragged down to Hell by demons - but when it happened it took everyone by shock.

****************SPOILER ALERT**********************************

The Don, after being overpowered by the vigilantes which was easy to do since he'd been sloshing back Cognac and snorting cocaine, was soaked in petrol and set fire to.

SET FIRE TO!
 On stage. In a public auditorium that was packed. Wow! Brave stuff this.
The choreography was brilliant. The Don was dragged backwards over a couch where a stunt man was hidden who lept up and had a cigarette lighter thrown at him. He burst into flames and ran screaming to the back of othe stage, up a staircase and out.

Powerful stuff this. I bet they don't try this at Covent garden or the Metropolitan.

I was there on my own. 'Her Indoors' being overseas, so did my usual thing in these situations and waited to the last minute to buy my ticket. When buying tickets for two (seated together) the opportunities are more limited. when buying for one, especially on the afternoon of the performance, there are good buys to be had. I asked for the best deal and was sold a Circle ticket to the right of the stage for $56. At interval I was chatting to the woman seated next to me and, when I said that I bought my ticket fairly late in the piece, she asked how much? When I told her she shrieked. She had paid $92 for effectively the same seating. I commiserated but quietly felt good.

Overall it was a damned good evening and ............oops, I nearly forgot the wine.
As usual the wine at Aotea Centre is pretty good - big brands from the sponsoring big producer Pernod Ricard but Church Road Chardonnay is well worth the peanuts you pay for it - $12 a decent sized glass. It would have been perfect if I hadn't gobbled down a white chocolate and caramel ice-cream afterwards and felt slightly nauseous but there you go, that's what happens when your other half is half the world away."