La Traviata

The Fallen Woman is about a courtesan (Violetta) who is sick with consumption. The opera is by Verdi and it's on the Met for free today until 630pm EST.

One of the things I'm grateful for is the free streaming of the Met during this pandemic. I'll be forever grateful to them. I get overwhelmed by opera and have to take breaks, but I keep coming back to it, because they're still streaming it for free every day. Yesterday was Rusalka, which I loved!

It occurred to me that Alfredo is making merit by supporting Violetta in her dying days. We're all going to die, whether it's from consumption or whatever. She starts out by wanting to party, but then she finds love. The father doesn't like the match, but in the end he is sorry. The music gets me. 

Alfredo's father comes to tell Violetta that his daughter can't get married if his family is known to associate with a courtesan. She agrees to break it off. They sing at each other the hope that they are happy, in parting.

Reaching for higher things is the ultimate spiritual development. Rejecting hedonism, while perhaps still kissing the joys as they pass by. It's about impermanence. That's such a Buddhist cliche but it's true, cliches are the ketchup of truth, the Jim Belushi of Truth, according to Jeffery Winger in Community. 

The ballet interlude is amazing.

So Violetta ends it with Alfredo, and they see each other at a party. She's on the arm of some old fossil, who forbids her to speak to him, but they do and sparks fly, they still love each other. He throws money at her, and his father comes out and says he has disgraced himself.

I can't help but fall in love with Damrau. Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez, and Quinn Kelsey are the stars, and it is conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. (From December 15, 2018)