Why I still miss Pushka

The end of the season

Last night was the last of a month long festival of opera that P&B and I have been lucky enough to enjoy. It began with the performance of Gagliano's Dafne at the Woodend Festival and included Through the Looking Glass, The Marriage of Figaro, The Children's Bach and finished last night with a concert performance of Beethoven's Fidelio at Melba Hall last night.

The hall was a bit small for the amount of noise produced but it was a real treat to hear this wonderful score again. Overall the performance was excellent; it wasn't without a few glitches in the orchestral playing but the singers, while sometimes swamped in the noise, acquitted themselves admirably.

Last night's performance was the climax of a great day for me as after shopping we'd had a very tasty brunch at The Commoner. In the afternoon Tat took me to Preston where I spent too much money on an HD TV that's probably too big but it does amply replace my poor old warhorse. Later I met P&B at an art gallery and the three of us had a delicous pre-opera meal at Birdman Eating before heading off to Melba Hall.

This morning I went to Mum's for lunch - she's keeping well. I cooked her lunch and did a bit of cleaning up around the place for her.

Peg at home

Mum is now successfully (I think) ensconced at home. I'm doing her shopping and generally keeping an eye on things for her. She rang tonight with a list of things she needed - it was just like old times.

On Wednesday I met B&P for a quick Japanese meal before we headed off to the Athenaeum for a splendid performance of The Marriage of Figaro presented by Melbourne Opera. A standout performance in an overall good cast was the Susannah of Suzie Shakespeare.

Then last night I took nephew SP to a preview of Wicked which stood up well against the London performance I saw in '06. The production of course was a carbon copy (it's a franchise after all) and the cast acquitted themselves brilliantly - dare I suggest that Rob Guest made a better Wizard than Nigel Planer. The audience (us included) thoroughly enjoyed themselves.