The Story, continued...

I have to say I was a bit excited to be accepted into this program. I believe that anyone who has spoken with me for more than thee minutes since early March has heard about it. I am currently finishing reading my third biography of Bach, and have already started a fourth to read on the plane. I have 22 albums of his music in my iTunes (going with me on my computer...) and that doesn't include the albums that simply include one or two of his pieces. I think I now know more about Bach than Anna Magdelena did...(well, not in the same way...they did have 7 children together.)

Here is my buddy Johann:

Obviously he had his wife, a maid and his sister-in-law around, or there would be pacifiers, diapers, and rogue cheerios in it. I am sure his fingers were not that short - I've tried to play his music, they must have been more like the legs of an octopus.

What is truly amazing is that even though he has been dead for 264 years, his music still pops up in amazing places. I think my family has a bit enough of hearing "Listen! It's BACH!" while walking though Target or hearing someone's stray ringtone.

I mentioned in my first blog that I have gotten involved with an opera... As I am sure you are all aware, Bach never wrote any operas, even though they were very popular in Germany at his time. One theory is that he thought they were rather trivial. The one we are performing will prove that point. Actually, the music is wonderful, but the story... kind of typical of the era.

The Opera is "La Spartana generosa" (the Generous Spartan Woman" by Johann Adolph Hasse, who was a contemporary of Bach's, and a friend. This show was first performed in 1747, and last performed in 1747. Get the point? I volunteered to maybe sing a solo... if they needed someone... and I was assigned to play good King Areo, with two arias, both of which include high b flats and some coloratura. I haven't worked so hard on any solos since my senior recital in 1987. It is going to be a semi-staged production, and we are going to read the dialogue (in English, the music is in Italian) and there have been cuts. The performance will take place in Leipzig.

Here is Hasse:

I guess if you were a composer and were having your portrait done, you were required to hold some sheet music. All in all, I like his music, but Bach had the better wig.

Here is Hasse's wife:

She was a famous opera singer, so you would think she could have afforded a dress that fit correctly.

Less than 2 days to go! I have my plane tickets, my bus tickets and my train tickets. Almost ready to go!