Not many people know this, but I have quite an interest in Opera. I don't claim to have much knowledge of such a broad subject, but I absolutely adore the stunning music, dramatic costume and vast scenery. Even better when surrounded by a decadent interior!
I am extremely lucky to have a romantic boyfriend, who, back in October, took me to see Niobe, Regina Di Tebe at the Royal Opera House! Not only did he manage to purchase some of the best seats in the house (a few rows back from the orchestra) but also booked us a tour of the Opera House, INCLUDING seeing the Royal Box AND the Royal toilet. If that wasn't enough, he bought me some adorable gold and black opera glasses (that I still need to use in a shoot).
Prior to this, we had been to see Carmen (my favourite opera) at the O2, however the venue was definitely NOT right for opera - you can only really watch one in an interior specifically made for it. We had also watched various operas on blu-ray, including Die Zauberflöte which made me fall in love with Simon Keenlyside as Papageno. Why? See 0.33 in the following video
On Monday, as a joint birthday present, we visited the Royal Opera House again, this time to watch Die Zauberflöte and this time from some cheaper seats at the top of the house. I expected to have to strain to hear, but thanks to the shape of the building and the powerful lungs of the cast, I didn't have this problem. The cast were almost all different from those that we had seen before, including a different Papageno, whose bed vault just wasn't as impressive, haha! I enjoyed it so much, and the Queen of the Night's aria was even more mind-blowing live than I could have imagined.
