Symphony in the Park

Another blazing hot day. Back again at Dairy Farm, this time with a bunch of other folks. Fruitful climbs today – four routes, including 1 I attempted to lead before but bailed out on, and 1 new route. Super fun.

I was so exhausted from the heat and the climbing though, that when I finally got home in the late afternoon, I just wanted to crash. Alas, I only had enough time to take a cold shower and a 10 minute nap before I hurriedly put together a picnic basket of sorts for the evening out at the Botanical Gardens with Peirui and Janice. The Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic Brass was putting up a concert there.

I had packed a bottle of South African late harvest Riesling, some pate from Paris, a basket of fresh strawberries. Peirui and I also went to Dempsey and Seven-Eleven to pick up some creamy blue cheese and bread, juice, chips and salsa. By the time we found parking and made our way over to the green, Janice was already there, sitting amongst hundreds of others on the slopes, listening to the Chinese Orchestra play some pieces from Carmen.

I like Carmen, so it was enjoyable, though we thought the music sounded a little muted coming from Chinese instruments. And the orchestra did sound tons more lively when they finally switched back to a Chinese piece. While we listened, we also lay back and started munching on the food. The blue cheese was delicious, and paired really, really well with the grapes that Janice brought.

The brass section came on nearly 40 minutes later than scheduled, so by the time they started playing, the families amongst the crowd was starting to pack up their restless toddlers to go home. There were only 5 musicians – so their sound was a lot softer than the orchestra, but they had some fun jazz pieces.

So, totally enjoyable weekend. Very chill way to round off the evening.

Anna Karenina

After the two decidedly non-traditional performances of the previous nights, we attended the National Finnish Ballet of Anna Karenina on Friday evening. A more classical genre and subject; but even then, the ballet was given a technological update with computer generated backdrop effects.

Tolstoy’s epic Russian love story, Anna Karenina, has inspired countless interpretations for its bold portrait of a married noblewoman who rebels against bourgeois norms to pursue her passion for true love.

The formidable Finnish National Ballet brings to us a lush and inimitable version of the tragic heroine choreographed by guest choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. The commanding elegance of classical ballet, coupled with the inventive film montage and seamless scene changes, results in nothing less than a breathtaking cinematic panorama of a historical era – visually voluptuous yet psychologically engaging.

Together with a superlative ensemble, prima ballerinas Minna Tervamäki and Petia Ilieva share the tour-de-force title role over two evenings, bringing us into the heart of human struggle in a timeless novel that exposes the fragility of society and love.

This work of exceptional theatrical finesse and character study won the 2005 Benois De La Danse Award For Choreography, one of the most prestigious awards in ballet.

I quite enjoyed the performance, though to be honest, I didn’t feel as drawn in. I’m not sure I liked some of the interpretation – I thought the choreography of the horse racing scene was a little cheesy. And perhaps it was because I couldn’t quite relate and empathize with the protaganist, of her tale of adultery.

Ruhe

At the National Museum, for our second performance of the Singapore Arts Fest 2009, Ruhe (Silence).

Waiting for the performance to begin. In the meantime, I stroll around the grounds, and am impressed by all the offerings the museum has. There is a contemporary art exhibit, the Verner Panton, but I am more intrigued by the monthly offerings of international films. I have already jotted some events down.

I’m happy to see that the Singapore Arts Scene is so vibrant. It’s interesting though, that the percentage of expats at these events is disproportionately high. Where are the local folks? Although I have to say I would have been oblivious about the arts festival had Cristalle not bought my tickets.

Ok about time to read the program and enter.

RUHE
Muziektheater Transparant / Collegium Vocale Gent (Belgium) Asian Premiere

A spellbinding theatre event where a recital of beautiful Schubert songs is interrupted by people who wish to talk about their voluntary enlistment in the SS in 1940. Based on real interviews with Nazi collaborators during the Second World War. This serves as a reminder that evil is never far away.

A spellbinding recital of Schubert is abruptly disrupted by some individuals who wish to confess their voluntary service in the SS.Drawing on an archive of 1960s interviews conducted with Dutch veterans who enlisted with the Nazis in 1940, RUHE is verbatim theatre recounting the experience of those who cannot seem to shake off the demons of their past.

Through songs, soliloquies and images, we are witnesses to confessions in a gripping performance that unveils the ambivalence between victim and perpetrator in the historical experience of continental Europe.

“One of the most original, haunting and troubling productions I have encountered in 20 years of Edinburgh Festival visits.” – Daily Telegraph

“…so rich, so intelligent, so profound, that its effect is not depressing; but full of the sense of a great truth, told with a subtlety and integrity that lifts the heart.” – The Scotsman

Muziektheater Transparant, based in Antwerp, Belgium, is forever seeking risks and taking chances. It is involved in everything, but the grand opera with its classical repertory and thick-set singers beneath crystal chandeliers. Their starting point is always the human voice. Songs or theatre, amateurs or professionals, new or old, – they have it all. Transparant also breathes new life into older works, plays works that have been forgotten and the unknown, as well as the familiar, pumping new blood and energy into the customary opera.

I really enjoyed this performance. It was staged in a small hall that was filled in chairs placed in circles. We got seats right in the inner circle, and the performers sat interspersed in our midst. After the audience had mostly settled down into their seats, 12 men, stood up on their chairs and began to sing acapella Schubert songs. Their harmonized voices were beautiful and captivating. As the lights were left on, I could see that everyone else was similarly spellbound.

Midway through one of their songs, a woman (seated right next to me) abruptly joins in. The men slowly fall silent until hers is the lone voice left in the crowd. Then seemingly startled out of her reverie, she stands and begins her tale of how she landed up in the SS.

Later on, after she finally takes her seat, the men rise and sing again, only to be interrupted by a man, this time seated in the back row. He too, stands and reminisces about the war.

It was interesting, to hear from the perspective of otherwise ordinary men and women caught up in the war, on the wrong side. Theirs was not so much a tale of regret, and shame, of having participated – or been on the side of those who participated – in the heinous war crimes, but more of bemusement. As one of the characters said – and this struck me deeply – only the winning side gets to dictate morality and pass judgment. But these were also ordinary people, who were taught to think that they were justly invincible, and who believed in their cause.

Chicago Chicago

So I arrived on time at 8am on Friday morning and got myself safely downtown, luggage and all. Chilled out for a bit at Starbucks, before I met Jeff for an early lunch at Russian Tea Time – complete with the vodka flights. Mmm. Afterwards, I leisurely strolled around the Art Institute, spending particular time in my two favorite rooms – Impressionists and the Miniature Throne Room.

In the evening, we met up some of the guys and proceeded to wait, with incredible endurance, two hours in the cramped Duke of Perth. During that time we all got online and started whining on FB about the sorry state we were in at Duke. It was a good thing we did too, since Sandy caught sight of the feed and decided to drop by and join us. Hung out there for a couple hours, and Chaz introduced us to our new favorite Scotch – Balvenie 21 year-old Portwood – deliciously smooth and sweet at the end. Without all the smokiness of Lagavulin, but oh my, it had a beautiful finish!

Afterwards, the party adjourned to Aaron and Yeming’s place, where Aaron insisted on making cucumber martinis with Hendricks Gin. Not really a martini person, but the gin was actually very refreshing, with flavors of cucumber and juniper.

Slept in on Saturday, given the late night out and the probably too many glasses of beer, scotch, gin, and rye whiskey. Around noon, Chuck swung by and we met Wendy at Chinatown for my all time favorite pho. Mmmmmmmm. And then we returned to my all time favorite gym, VE, for a spot of climbing. Looking forward to going back there again next Sunday!

Caught Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio at the Lyric in the evening. It was a delightful opera – beautiful music, witty and humurous arias. We thoroughly enjoyed it – although, we did each doze off at certain intervals. No fault of the music, but had been a long day. But I must go find a copy of the CD now!

Returned to the apartment to Rita’s birthday party; it was packed full of people. Amongst them was Qian; it seemed like the old times, when we would lounge on my bed atop my green comforter and just gossip the evening away. Did go out and socialize for a bit after she left, but after the experience from the past evening, I steered clear away from the alcohol and all the attendent flip-cup and beer bong games.

So, it’s been a long and but fun two days. In a few hours, I’ll be meeting Kayla and the girls at our favorite brunch place, Victory Banner, before Jeff, Sihao and I head out to Colorado for skiing with Pauline and Mike. Woot!!!! Nearly 2 feet of fresh powder in the last 48 hours!

Tales of Hoffman

At my cajoling, C kindly agreed to watch Tales of Hoffman with me, even agreeing to help purchase the tickets, since I was a total dunce at trying to obtain the 50% discounted tickets. Even though she had made it plain all along that she didn’t really appreciate opera, and that she had fallen sound asleep at last year’s performance of Turandot. 

In the end though, she took pity on my inability to snare other companions for the show, and we found ourselves back at the esplanade last night for the performance. 

What a solid performance! After the uneven showing of the cast of Turandot, we were both pretty impressed by the quality of the singing. The set design, borrowed from Opera Nice, along with the leading French tenor and conductor, was also visually attractive. While I can’t say that I really liked the fantastical plot, the music was delightful and entertaining. 

Hehe, and I am glad too, that C decided at the end of the night that she had a good enough time that she would be back for more!

Chicago Hit List

1. Chicago Lyric Opera (all the best seats have been sold, boo)

2. Duke of Perth for scotch, beer, and fish n chips

3. VE for good ol’ climbing

4. Skiing – not in Chicago of course; prolly Colorado 

5. Victory Banner for uber delicious vegetarian brunch

6. Alinea!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7. The Noodle for heart warming Vietnamese pho

8. A stroll around my old ‘hood

9. DGS American Winolympics with my favorite folks

10. Michigan Avenue for the spring tulips

11. Meet ups with friends, former coworkers

 

Relaxing Evening In

I admit – for a while, I was pining away for my convenient Lakeview location and ready group of friends in Chicago I could call up at a moment’s notice to go drinking on a Friday evening. But I can only blame myself (and maybe the fact that I live in at the end of the island – I’ve already driven 2,000 km in my first month here!) that I’m at home now. After all, I postponed a meet up with a friend till tomorrow evening, and begged off a swim date with TPR and a Karaoke session with Sihao who’s visiting from Chicago. And C, I promise I will make it downtown to the next drinking session!!!

In any case, after a couple glasses of Rosemont Shiraz Cabernet (a lot of dregs, interestingly, for such a young wine… still, pleasant and fruity enough to quaff, unlike the Parker Cab-Sauvignon Aussie crap that my dad bought at the inexplicable recommendation of his friend who ought to have his taste buds examined, urgh), my self-pity has happily faded away, and I’m enjoying the slight buzz the wine brings. And also enjoying my newly downloaded MP3 of Renee Fleming, Susan Graham, and Natalie Dessay’s Alcina. Pity the production DVD is not available (I hear there were a lot of hot nude Frenchmen parading on stage, hehe).

In Las Vegas

It is a little sad how reliant I have become on the instant communication. I found myself unable to stop toying with my phone and iPod touch the past couple days, becoming almost giddily happy when I could find some signal to communicate with he outside world. It is almost unfathomable the lives our forefathers used to live, when they had to patiently wait days on end for letters from their family and friends.

Anyway, we have finally arrived in Vegas after an eleven hour drive. We have met up with Ruoying, who has managed to procure two tickets to the Blue Man Group for herself and Peiyun. I am sitting in the lobby of the Venetian, waiting for Jeff and Ruoxi’s arrivals.

The Santa Fe opera, by the way, was absolutely amazing. Firstly, the location of the opera house, out alone in the New Mexico desert, could not have been more dazzling. The opera house was open, with a roof but without a backwall, so we were offered a stunning view of the desert sunset (the clouds actually cleared!). I wished I could have shared the sight with someone – Peiyun was outside the theatre watching the spectacle on her own since she hadn’t purchased tickets. The opera itself was thoroughly enjoyable; I can totally understand why Maria had said that it was her absolute favorite opera.

Having done the city stuff, yesterday, we explored the southwestern outdoors (hence the lack of connectivity). We camped out at Bandelier National Park, where we hiked along some beautifully rugged trails along steep volcanic ash cliffs that were lined with ancient Pleubo ruins. If only we had a couple more days; we would certainly have explored more of the terrain…

Opera Less Ordinary: Don Giovanni

Go check out the General Director of the Chicago Opera Theatre, Brian Dickie’s blog as he updates on the production and as well as the two upcoming operas, The Flowering Tree and Orlando.

A motley crew of six of us assembled last night at the Harris Theatre for Chicago Opera Theatre’s opening night of the remarkably steamy and salacious production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Set in a nightclub styled after those on the Vegas strip joint, we were treated to three hours of scantily clad pole dancers and a crew of opera singers lustily serenading just about anyone in sight.

We had fun – and it looked like the cast did too, as they alternated between coping feels and smashing bottles and chairs on one another. Chuck also couldn’t stop envying the copious amount of drinking going on on stage, lamenting repeatedly, “We should be drinking too!” Alas, watching opera live is not quite the same as watching it on the big screen, so I doubt that the well heeled audience would have taken kindly to us…

Here’s a clip of the duet “La ci darem la mano” (From here, we’ll go hand in hand) from Don Giovanni, performed by Fleming and Hvorostovsky. With music – and a voice – like that, it’s little wonder that nobody can escape Don Giovanni’s charms.

Midweek Rumblings, Beringer Tasting

Waha, I couldn’t help it – when I received the e-mail notification that I would be getting a $50 gift certificate from one of the trade publications I read as thanks for pointing out an error, I headed to Amazon and checked out two items that have been sitting in my “save-for-later” cart. Got myself the Eugene Onegin DVD starring Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Renee Fleming in Michael Levine’s economical but stunningly effective set design. The Chicago Lyric had borrowed the production from the Met this past season, and it was one of my favorite performances. That, Renee Fleming, and the fact that Dmitri, the leading Onegin of the day, might be retiring from the role, pushed me towards the DVD. And because it was just 3 cents under the $25 free shipping floor, I decided to pre-order the soon-to-be-released copy of “Reflections of a Wine Merchant” by Neal Rosenthal.

In other news, I am somewhat upset that I wasn’t able to make tonight’s Banff Film Festival World Tour at the Field Museum. I first went to the festival two years ago and greatly enjoyed the clips of my favorite extreme sports like rock climbing, mountaineering, whitewater rafting, alpine skiing etc. When the festival bypassed Chicago on its world tour last year, I was crushed, and counted the months to this year’s festival (ok, not quite so desperate, but). I’d been so looking forward to the line up for this season too, which features Chris Sharma’s King Lines – ok, I can easily borrow a copy of that, but it’s different watching it on the big screen with like-minded enthusiasts… Oh well, there’s that I guess.

The Beringer tasting last night was interesting. I arrived there late, and so missed out on the supposedly delicious hor’dourves although Bruce did save me a succulent mini beef burger. I arrived in the middle of a video presentation showcasing the winery’s two winemakers who gave an overview of the vineyard and their wines. Immediately afterwards, with five glasses of wine tantalizingly placed in front of each of us, a master sommelier stepped up to give a short lecture about how one should taste wine. I have to admit – I wasn’t really paying attention to the lecture; usual textbook spiel about how you should just drink what you like and eat what you like. I was just intent on the glasses before me. Hehe. Finally, we were given the green light to taste.

We had two chardonnays, a Beringer Napa Valley Chardonny (around $15-18, depending on vintage) and a Napa Valley Private Reserve Chardonnay (ranging from $30-$36 online). The former chardonnay was a lot sharper, more acidic in the nose, body, and finish, with some lemony notes – more of a “food wine.” The reserve was rounder, softer, with hints of honey and oak; I preferred that actually.

After another short lecture, this time on pinot noir, we tasted the Beringer Napa Valley Pinot Noir (online average for the 2006 vintage was $20). Compared to the two glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon it was sitting next to, the wine was a few shades lighter in color, and had a delightful nose of strawberries. While it wasn’t the best pinot noir I’ve ever had, it’s certainly one of the better ones I’ve had in weeks.

We moved on to the two cabs next, a Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) and a Beringer Napa Valley Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (ranging from $80 to $160 online, depending on the vintage). I’m not sure which vintage we had of the Reserve wine, but I felt that, if drunk today, the wine did not deserve the $120 price tag (which we were told was how much the bottle cost). It was a decent enough wine, but failed to knock my socks off – I’d actually guessed that the bottle cost $25 before we were told the price… Heck, the $50 Turnbull I had over Christmas was 10x smoother. In any case, I liked both wines enough, but again thought the Reserve bottle was a more structured wine with a little more complexity to it.

All in all, a good, fun tasting, and a pretty relaxing and short evening out with friends.