Going to the theatre for opera, ballet, or concerts for classical music didn’t seem to have any problem for me before immigration. Since when I was very young and during my over 10 years vocal training for ‘bel canto’ by those professional vocal teachers with the last one as an opera singer, I always got free tickets for the best performances in the city through connections. Looking back those days, I didn’t even think of how privileged I was and how much I should have appreciated the luxury treatment being offered to me...  Although being settled in Canada with some stable income, it still took me years to shift my mind to accept the idea of Buying tickets for performances in theatres.

       Opera has been my favourite art form for about 20 years. The mixture of  dramatic story, music, acting and most importantly the diverse vocal charm with some superior techniques always fascinates me. Having listened to numerous great records of classical music and of the operas by the top artists, my ears become hard to be pleased. When comes to make choices for live performances of opera or even symphony, the selections become limited. The ones that I wish to go are normally too expensive to afford. How sad it is for me as a huge opera fan!

       Until about 2 years ago, a friend who’s also an opera fan with Italian background introduced the ‘Met Opera HD’ to me, I felt that my time for opera has finally come back and I’m saved from that particular thirsty desire...  I know that unlike live opera,  live transmission to screen couldn’t offer the marvellous sound effect. However, going for it still makes me feel like putting myself in good hands because the performances are by the top artists in the world.  Every single time when sitting in, my heart melts and my body seems fly high as soon as the first note hits in the air.  What great joy one could have in this crazy world!

       However, people are just different. I remember that early this year, a good friend of mine accepted the extra ticket I got and went for an opera with me. During the show, I checked with her several times if she enjoyed it. It seemed that she was fine with it, so I was glad. But when we got her home for dinner and I was still excited, I heard the comments she made to her husband about her first opera experience: “Looking around in the theatre, we seemed to be the only Chinese.” then she turned to me, “Did you see any other Chinese there apart from us? All the audiences are old people, aren’t they?”. Later, she raised her final questions to me: “Did you cry at the end? What did you cry for?!” With all these questions, I could only laugh and eventually understood that she agreed to go with me for not disappointing me. Anyhow, my lovely friend made her conclusion: “It’s an experience.” (Thank you!)...

       I forgive myself for being greedy for opera, and dream to have a chance to watch a live opera in THE MET Opera House. I do have another dream, which is going back to Italy for Teatro Alla Scala Milano. Looking myself in the picture that is taken in front of the best opera house La Scala in the early 1995 or at the end of 1994 when I worked in Parma, It still bothers me - why did they have to close the theatre for the repairing work then? In my life time, I wish to have the chance to go back there to find my seat, and believe it’s not that difficult at all to have this dream realized some day. Loving opera, I feel blessed in a beautiful way...

       As an additional note, if you would like to give Met Opera HD a try, check it out: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events_next.aspx , I have nothing to do with their PR by the way ...