No, non morrai, non dirmelo
Dei viver, amor mio
A strazio sì terribile
Qui non mi trasse Iddio
Sì presto, ah no, dividerti
Morte non può da me.
Ah, vivi, o un solo feretro
M'accoglierà con te.
Dei viver, amor mio
A strazio sì terribile
Qui non mi trasse Iddio
Sì presto, ah no, dividerti
Morte non può da me.
Ah, vivi, o un solo feretro
M'accoglierà con te.
- Alfredo, La Traviata
"Well this is what I thought of as I watched you dancing
Around the money at your feet
But all these plans of freedom only seem to work right
When you're staring straight at me
Around the money at your feet
But all these plans of freedom only seem to work right
When you're staring straight at me
Finish up my last drink, finish what I came for
And lift my head up from my chest
Head into the darkness
I'll be back tomorrow
Another day another dance"
-Ballboy
Every dude wants to rescue a bad girl. Dudes at Good Guys fantasize about it, guys picking up chicks in the escorts for hire section of CL fantasize about it, Alexander Dumas, fils, even thought about it. He thought about it because he did it. Then he went and wrote a damned book about it "La Dame aux camelias" or "The Lady of the Camellias."
You can't blame Dumas (again, fils, not pere) because apparently his lady, Marie Duplessis, was a fucking hottie. She learned to read and write, studied the upper crust, and became a courtesan (at 15 or 16)and became the Mistress of not only Dumas, but also Franz Lizst, probably the most brilliant pianist who has ever lived. After screwing Counts, dukes, and countless others, she died of Tuberculosis at age 23. Her funeral was attended by hundreds. Not bad for a peasant girl whose father first started pimping her out at 12. (Weird number, 12, Cleopatra took her first lover at 12 and also could (and did) screw dozens of people a night. Almost every night.)
Dumas published his novel within a year as well as adapted it for the stage. Within four years (1853) Joe Green (Giuseppe Verdi for those who don't know him), had published and staged his opera La Traviata based directly on the play (libretto by Francesco Maria Piave).
One Hundred and Thirty Seven Years later La Traviata caused Julia Roberts to pee herself.
On Saturday you can test your bladder control when the Washington Opera opens its season with La Traviata with a live simulcast at the Nationals Stadium. Best of all it's free.
Seriously, it is one of the most approchable and gorgeous operas ever written. A bonus for those of you who think you don't like Opera is that there is none of that sing-speak recitative stuff that turns people off. It has gorgeous melodies (some of which you will recognize) and it's full of love, spectacle, and tragedy. The two preludes are enough to make the lonely-hearted fling themselves off cliffs and though it is highly doubtful you'll hear a Beverly Sills (who owned Violetta as no other) quality performance, you will not be disappointed. I think this is the last opera that I still have stuck in my memory every note for every instrument.
Opera in the Outfield:
A FREE Live Simulcast of Verdi's La Traviata at Nationals Park
Presented by Target
Saturday, September 13, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
God loves a cheerful giver.
check it:
this actually looks pretty awesome
Is anyone going to this or are you all too cool?
it is kind of pointless for me to post to this since i don't live there and all. but, i would like to say that i would absolutely attend (if i did live there...and all...) for 2 reasons.
1) you quoted ballboy. and as you know, i share your love of this brilliant lyricist*.
2) because this event sounds absolutely stunning.
having said that, if you are in a position to buy me a train ticket (because i can't possibly bear another 10 hours of being on a bus again this weekend), then i will certainly go with you.
*Sometimes in my life
I take all my hopes and dreams
All my ambitions and all my aspirations
And i give them all up
Trade them all in
Put them all to one side
For a springboard
And a pair of shorts
And a plain white t-shirt
And the ability to do a perfect backflip
I think if i could do it
The seconds would feel like hours to me
It would be like medicine
Staying with me during the days and during the weeks
When i'm just pushing on
Just getting by
And it's funny how your life is
It's funny how you can spend years and years
Building up layer by layer
And then throw it all away in a second
And i'm not all what i used to be
And although i've more or less accepted it
Although i'm no longer trying to change it
I still regret it
I regret it every day
I'm not all what i used to be
Maybe it's scotland i hate
I know i hate so many things about it
I hate the way punishments are the heart of everything
I hate the way parents beat their children
I hate the way everything always has to be someone's fault
Even though some things just happened
Some things just happened!
I hate the way people bring up their children
To be exactly the same as they are
Just so they can justify the way they've lived their lives
I hate the way we expect to fail
And then we fail
And then we get bitter because we failed
Maybe it's scotland i hate
Maybe scotland's got nothing to do with it
Maybe all this has got nothing to do with anything
But i know that i would give it all up
Trade it all in
For a springboard
And a pair of shorts
And a plain white t-shirt
And a perfect backflip