La Rondine

A few friends from college and I caught the closing performance of Puccini's La Rondine by the San Francisco Opera at the War Memorial Opera House downtown. I discovered something marvelous - standing tickets, purchased the day of, are only $10. That's remarkable! Being poor students with strong backs, we opted for the standing tickets which was very reminiscent of an old Shakespearean theater. The venue is really really gorgeous; I think it's one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen in San Francisco (even nicer than the Carnelian room).

Even though I know very little about opera (and went with devout aficionados), I had a great time. The singing was beautiful; I was really awed by the versatility of the human voice. It was very interesting for me to realize how beauty can be expressed in a language I don't understand. I enjoyed the costuming, stage, dancing, and general ambiance. The story was easy to follow with the subtitles, but the plot was a little iffy to me (it's one of Puccini's lesser known operas). However, it was the debut of soprano Angela Gheorghiu and she was incredible. One of my friends even went to see her in Italy. I highly recommend the experience even if you're non-opera.

Image is in the public domain.