Buff Honey is a huge country music fan. Every morning, he plugs Dwight Yoakam into his ears and takes off running through the neighborhood. Dwight’s not the only singer he’s a devotee of. There’s George Strait, Patty Loveless, Natalie Maines. Me? Not so much. The only country music I ever loved was The Judds. Loved, loved, loved them.
I’m more of a blues, southern rock ’n roll girl. Of the Allmann Brothers, Lynerd Skynerd variety. But, the Brothers played their last concert at Fillmore East last year. I’m in mourning, but I’ll get over it.
BH is not just a country fan, however. He’s also into classical music. Country and classical. Whoever heard of such a combo? He’s not just any classical fan. He has his favorites….Bach, Mozart, Dvorak, Handel, Chopin, Beethoven. He can’t stand Brahms or Rachmaninoff….too emotional, he says.
He can listen to a piece and usually can tell me the composer and the piece. He can always tell me the era. When he was at the University of Maryland, he took a course on classical music he thought he would ace because of his knowledge base. On the final exam, the professor played 10 seconds of a piece and you had to nail the composer, piece and era. He barely passed. he was surprised that his classmates were all music majors….DUH!
I asked him once where he got this love of classical. From his mother, he said. His mother, born and raised in West Virginia, was not enthralled with her roots. Country music was never played in his home. When he was 12, she ordered from a classical album a month club and he was hooked.
Classical was definitely a big part of my childhood, especially, during the 10 years I took piano lessons. My mother and grandmother sang the Messiah in the Bach Choir in Winter Park, Florida every year. Who couldn’t love the Messiah? But, unfortunately, I also lost my love for classical as I moved into the era of early rock and roll. Thanks to BH, I’m developing an appreciation that’s been long in coming.
About a month ago, he noted that his favorite opera, The Marriage of Figaro, was coming to Sarasota. I love Mozart, so I surprised him on our anniversary with two tickets to the opera. This is so completely out of the box for me. I could not tell you the last time I went to the opera…..nor could I tell you the first time I went to the opera. I think my mother took me once when I was quite young but we were on the top balcony in the last row and I had no idea what was going on. I think I went once in college although that memory is fuzzy….as is my entire college experience!
I will tell you one of my all time favorite movies was “Amadeus.” In fact, I know it was released in 1985 because I took my youngest who was an infant at the time. Good God, what he achieved by his passing at age 35 is beyond remarkable. A true genius.
So, Tuesday, BH and I went to the afternoon performance of “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Sarasota Opera House. We were seated on the first row of the balcony; the lights dimmed and when the orchestra began playing, I closed my eyes and took it all in. Beautiful, just beautiful.
Figaro comes on stage to see Susanna, his beloved, and above the stage are the subtitles in English! Really! It was wonderful. Not only was the music out of this world, but I now knew what was happening! What a glorious invention. Who knew??!! I’m sure anyone who has gone to an opera in the past 20 years already knew this, but I was elated!
Wow….what a racy story that Marriage of Figaro is. Figaro and Susanna are employed by the Count and Countess but the Count has wandering eyes (and hands) for none other than Susanna! But, she is entirely devoted to the Countess who is entirely devoted to the Count. Meanwhile, Figaro borrowed money from Marcellina, who was the housekeeper for Dr. Bartolo, a well known doctor and lawyer. She insisted he repay her by marrying her, though she was quite a bit older. However, Figaro insists he must get his parents’ permission to marry but doesn’t know who his parents are because he was stolen at birth. Marcellina and the good doctor/lawyer then realize that Figaro is their love child! Well, Figaro cannot marry his mother. Nooooo…..
The Countess and Susanna plot a night tryst in the garden where the Count thinks he’s meeting Susanna but he’s really meeting the Countess. He is totally embarrassed and contrite when he discovers the truth. He swears his devotion to his wife and the marriage of Figaro takes place amid much frolicking!
Who could not absolutely love this opera??!!! It was hilarious! We’re already planning to go next year to see Mozart’s ‘Cosi fan tutte’ roughly translated to ‘Women are like that.’ This ought to be interesting….
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