It was serendipity. I saw an advert while riding the tube that La Boheme was being performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. I thought - maybe I will go to-morrow. Then at about 6.30 pm I thought I had better check which days it was being performed. It turned out that it was on on Monday night but not again until Thursday. According to Google maps it was an 18 minute walk to the Opera House. Amazingly I got there in time to purchase a ticket in the Amphitheatre, have a snack and be in my seat for the performance at 7.30.
I think I had seen a live performance once before but have a CD with Luciano Pavarotti singing the role of Rodolfo which I have played many times, particularly in the past on Polyandra.
It was a great performance. It was a co-production with Teatro Real, Madrid, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Royal Opera House now is the home also for the the National Ballet. The old Covent Garden buildings have been partly taken over so that the Opera House has extensive areas for eating, drinking and for ice creams. I sat next to one woman who was in London for three days from Switzerland and another one who was a hairdresser from Los Angles who was spending three weeks visiting the UK and Paris.
I count myself lucky to have chanced on this great performance of Puccini’s La Boheme.
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