Intermezzo has posted on the Holland Park Roberto Deveraux conducted by Richard Bonynge and where the great Dame Joan Sutherland was seen in attendance. It's been 12 months since she fell and I suppose one shouldn't be surprised, as giving up or in or whatever was something not ever in her rep, but nonetheless, I felt a tremendous relief to see at last some photos of her looking fantastic and on both pins. Anyone who knows anything about long bone fractures, weight bearing, and (softly softy) the elderly, know that suffering (and suffer is the right word) bilateral broken femurs is a mighty challenge.
4 comments:
Aren't the photos great. She looks so, well, like herself. I wonder if she's coming over with Richard for I Capuleti?
I still remember looking down from the loge before a Barbiere in 2007, seeing her down there in the audience and thinking, god, in any other country, surely she'd have had an ovation the moment she entered the theatre...
Aren't they just. She looks so alive, happy, beaming. I didn't really realise how emotional I am about her till I saw those photos and felt a flood of relief. I'm sure if she can travel the distance she'll be here with him.
It's strange that Australian way. It's surely not lack of appreciation, or reverence is the word I'd use for her, but rather a reticence, something more reserved about seeing fame off the stage, in public.
I remember a fund raiser for children's cancer, some years ago, where the theme was women of fame. A family member was involved. Well, Joan had agreed, as had other famous women, much less so than her, except perhaps for Nancy Bird Walton, but certainly the family member, to 'model' (do you mind) designer clothes on a catwalk at a galah fund raiser. Out she came, to the tune on "Norma vieni". Everyone clapped except me who went crazy, standing, whooping around, till I had them all on their feet as the great one walked up and down this ramp modelling clothes for sick children. God I love her.
And then after her spin on the walk, there she was, standing unaffectedly, one of the rest. She channelled greatness I think, true greatness, leaving the ego aside to serve her gift.
That was a bit of a rave, but you know, don't you, how I feel.
I can't tweet or twitter but Sarah you know who created Jennifer in the Tippet. She said famously she didn't have a clue as to what it was about.
Yes I do, in fact there is a clip (audio only) of her singing it on YouTube. I don't have a clue what it's about either! Despite the best straight-faced efforts of the BBC announcer.
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