Decisions, decisions..

[usernamenumber]

I'm in Washington DC again. There's a lot I could say about it, would like to say about it, but I am unfortunately quite crashed. My insomnia has been kicking in again, in a way that it hasn't since college. Went to bet at 11 last night, went to sleep at 3ish. Then woke up around 6 and slept fitfully, waking up every 45 minutes or so to glance at the clock and see if it was time to get up yet. I forgot to set the thermostat until late last night and so it was "hot" (defined as warm enough that I could lay on the bed without blankets and not be cold). I know that keeps me up, so here's hoping a nice, chilly bedroom will help things out tonight.

...but I digress.

I didn't actually mean to start rambling about this. What I meant to ramble about was the fact that it has come to my attention that this Thursday, not far from here, Placido Domingo will be performing in Wagner's "Die Walkure". Now, a number of issues are of relevance here:

1) I'm not a huge fan of Wagner (though I've really made an effort and I do like some of the Ring Cycle)
2) I like Placido Domingo
3) The only tickets left are $130 (I have about $200 to spend but Christmas is coming up)
4) I would probably miss at least the first act because of work (but it's almost 5 hours long, and I know/can read up on the story)
5) The stupidity of spending $130 to catch the last 3ish hours of an opera I'm not crazy about is almost outweighed by being able to say I once saw Placido Domingo live... I think.

Basically, I know I'll regret doing it in the short run, but I'm afraid I might regret it more in the long run. I haven't quite figured out whether what I'm feeling about this is the magic of a great performer, or just my ego wanting to say 'I was there!', even if in reality I don't get enough out of the event to make it worthwhile.

*Sigh*

Help!!

Comments

how much do you like placido?

[fiatlouis.livejournal.com]

See, it all depends on how strongly you feel about it. I think the question of whether it's the performer or it's you is totally irrelevant. It's the interaction of you and the performer, totally inextricable from one another.
When Pres. Bush came to Portalnd for a $2500/plate fundraiser, and a friend of mine was going to protest, and I waffled over whether or not I should go (I didn't want to "cut school", which really just involved me coming in to the office to fiddle on the computer, no classes or anything), but finally I decided I would regret not going, so I went, enjoyed myself, and felt really good about going afterward. So, if you think you will really regret not going, and think you could enjoy yourself, go. Of course, if you think you will not enjoy yourself, and hate the Wagner, that could cause you to be disappointed with Placido (seeing as he will be singing Wagner), thereby making you regret having gone.
Well, I hope that cleared it all up. . .

[choose-again.livejournal.com]

hmm. this is a hard one for me to advise on since i'm always trying to talk you into spending your hard earned money on cool stuff, but i don't think this is it. if you're going to spend 130$ to see PD now, i bet you can spend that later, too, and he may be in something you like better and that you can see all of.

and, finacially speaking, we're going to need all the money we can get for christmas this year since were going to CA. and you could always get yourself a good xmas present.

but in the end, it's up to you. i want you to have play money and to spend it on stuff you like. this qualifies, but 130$ worth? you could see 3 other operas (w/out PD) for that much. i dunno, but good luck...

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

I don't think the tickets are expensive because of him, they're expensive because the only tickets left are for good seats (front of the front or back of the front, on the sides iirc)

I'm just afraid that maybe I won't get the opportunity again and he'll die or retire and I'll have missed the chance.

But again, I'm really not sure why I care so much. The last time I listened to Placido Domingo sing it was on LP. Now, admittedly that doesn't mean quite as long a time ago for me as it would for most others, but it's still been a while. So I really have no good reason to be even considering it now except that I kind of want that brush with greatness.

...which I guess answers my question. Ok, so I'm mostly wanting to do it for the brush-with-greatness thing and since that's kind of a lame reason to spend money we might need to get to CA (we kind of forgot to tell people about that, didn't we?) I shouldn't do it. Heck, I have a DVD of him performing Tosca, an opera I really like, which I haven't watched beginning-to-end in the four years since Nate gave it to me.

As such, I'm thinking I should not do this. For future reference, though, I think I would like to see part of the Ring Cycle live someday, just because it's so... big. Maybe seeing it live is the missing element that's always kept me from really appreciating the work. If we ever get the chance, I think I'd really like to see Gotterdamarung performed live (if memory serves, Die Walkure was my least favorite when I saw it on laserdisk so I guess that's another reason not to go).

Well, I guess that's that then. Maybe I'll get off my ass and actually watch Tosca sometime as a result of this. =:\

[slyviolet.livejournal.com]

If this affects your decision (and it sounds from your response to Liz that it might), he just announced a few weeks ago that he is retiring this coming year.

I would go see him if I were you. I saw him at the Met, and it was beyond words. He is an amazing presence, and recordings do no justice to how beautiful his voice is in person.

But I am a bit of an opera nut, so... *grin*

[abazureonna.livejournal.com]

duuude...

$130 to see die walkure?

for that much money you could fly to New York in February or March and see him in The Queen of Spades at the Met (http://www.metopera.org/season/production/queen.html). Jet Blue is always having special deals for travel between New York and Florida (http://www.jetblue.com/specialoffers/superfly.asp).

[jodisays.livejournal.com]

i dunno. i might just do it.
i remember performances, especially those with such an amazing voice.
and domingo is worth it. i saw him a few times at the met...ah, student seats. Otello was what, 1988? And I saw him in Tosca, and that was -profoundly marvelous-, largely because i think that is kinda a ditzy opera, and that performance was magical.
the ring cycle is worth doing, and probably moreso in bits. catch the early bit with another performer...although in the good seat your but won't get as tired. =)
basically, if you do it, love doing it. you can't second guess, or you won't feel the moment. but doing it, and letting go to feel it...man, if you sleep, you will dream booming and beautiful!

Well, did you go???

[jodisays.livejournal.com]

did you? did you?

Re: Well, did you go???

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Alas, I did not. But the descision was sort of made for me. I misjudged (for the second week in a row-- gah!!) the timing of my lectures for class this week and we ended up having to stay late. Then, after the students left, I had to set up for the exam today so I didn't even leave work until about 10pm. Given that, I guess I'm glad I didn't buy the tickets. Maybe I'll follow up on Wilja's suggestion re: the Met. If I took some time and saved up for it, that would be a nice little treat.

--Brad