I went to see the 4 operas of the Ring Cycle in Valencia last week, in the brand new Palau de les Arts opera house. Terrific singing and a beautifully designed building - for looks and listening but NOT for using: there are 5 floors, served ONLY by 2 small elevators, which would each hold no more than 6 persons. Stairs off course.

Night #2, DF and I got into the elevator and persons 5 and 6, and it refused to budge, claiming 'sobre carga', I guess too heavy, chaps.

I was very p.d off, and stormed out of the elevator and up the stairs.

NSV#1 - All I thought was, 'rubbish lift', not 'omigod, I'm the fatty' (I wasn't #6 but in the olden days, I'd have thought it all my fault.
NSV#2 - I climbed 5 flights to the top balcony without breaking sweat or breath. Course, rage might have helped but I'm fit!

Ailidh great NSV's.

That is SO MUCH AWESOMENESS that I can't even stand it!!!!!

That is great!

OT-How was the ring cycle? They performed it here in Toronto and I never got the chance to see it. It must have been spectacular!

Wonderful NSVs!! Sounds like you had a great trip!

It was terrific! We'd been a bit anxious - saw it in Helsinki in '04, my first ever, and it was a great staging and some fabulous singers, including the relatively unknown Wotan, Juha Uusitalo, who has really made his name in it.
Then in '06 we went to Baden-Baden to watch the 'seminal' Mariinsky theatre production, which was a load of old toss, sorry. Dreadful staging and mediocre singers from the back row of the chorus. Sure, I know people have to learn but not when people have flown literally round the world to see something supposed to be spectacular.

This one really was spectacular. Juha U. was on great form, there was a stunning Siegfried in Lance Ryan (canuck) and a brilliant Brunnhilde in Jennifer Wilson (USA). Chuck in the always splendid Matti Salminen and we had a great, if bum-numbing operafest! This one really was seminal, imho, and I believe in years to come we will be able to say 'we were there'.

Great reaction!! BTW, at 180 it will NEVER be your fault again! I say under 200 and you got nuthin' to worry about anymore.

And nice jobs on those steps!