Reviews

Invisible’s got an excellent, tense plot, shifting between the two main characters, with a good number of surprises along the way. Poulson always has great, strong women characters, with real lives and feelings . . .  I liked the fact that the depictions of violence and injury were realistic without being over-detailed or gloating . . . It was a pleasure to find a book that did the excitement, the jeopardy and the thrills without putting off this reader . . .  a very good read for anyone.’

- CLOTHES IN BOOKS

A evening to remember

36791773300_f9392a01f4_mOn Wednesday evening I saw a live performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Royal Opera House. But I didn’t have to catch a train to London and then a tube, later followed by an overnight stay. It was just a fifteen minute drive from my home in Derbyshire through spectacular countryside to the George Hotel in the Peak District town of Tideswell. Tideswell Cinema was streaming that night’s performance in a room above the pub and what a magical experience it was.

Of course it’s not quite the same as being there in person – you do lose the sense of occasion and you’re experiencing the music at second hand. But on the other hand you have a better view than anyone in the audience and the close-ups of Roderick Williams’s wonderful comic performance as Paganino were alone worth the entry price – not to mention those of the magnificent Julia Jones conducting. And it was enthralling to see a live performance with all its energy and immediacy.

As the performers took their curtain calls, tweets came up on the screen from home and abroad – New York, Australia and Spain: digital applause. It was especially fitting for an opera that is about the triumph of light over dark and about our shared humanity. I was moved, knowing that thousands of other people all over the world had just watched and enjoyed what I had watched.

La Bohème is coming up soon and I can’t wait.

The photo shows French soprano, Sabine Devieilne, in superb form as the Queen of the Night.

2 Comments

  1. Margot Kinberg
    September 22, 2017

    Oh, it sounds as though you had a lovely time, Christine! And I love the way modern technology allows for this sort of experience without having to make a long drive or spend the money for a hotel afterwards. Thank for sharing.

    Reply
    • Christine Poulson
      September 22, 2017

      I did, thank you, Margot! and for all its drawbacks, the digital age has resulted in some wonderful, life-enhancing experiences – including our having got to know each other and being able to chat like this . . .

      Reply

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