Office To Opera...

...and back!

Do you like the opera? Generally, I do like going to the theatre, opera, ballet, and concerts of classical (and modern) music - but I do not automatically like all and every opera, ballet, theatre and so on.
Often, I simply don't "get" modern productions, but I don't always like the classics, either. What I do like, however, are operas by Giuseppe Verdi. I've not seen all that many, but the ones I have seen were so full of drama and GREAT music that they simply took my breath away.

On Wednesday night, I saw my first Puccini opera - another Italian composer, born 45 years after Verdi and different in style but just as dramatic. The opera was "Tosca", and the tickets (2nd row at the wonderful Opera house of Stuttgart, which is well worth a visit for the building alone) were very generously given to me and my sister. 
My Mum and a friend of hers have a subscription for a certain number of performances every season. This time, the friend was away over Easter, and my Mum had already seen "Tosca", and so my sister and I were given the tickets. What a great gift for the two of us!

Tosca killing Scarpia

We both worked during the day and went to the opera straight from the office, so my choice of outfit had to be both business-like and good enough for the relatively posh atmosphere at the opera.
I am not one to go to the opera jeans-clad; to me, seeing a performance (opera, theatre, ballett or concert) is something out of the ordinary, a special event sparkling in the course of everyday life, and I want to express that in my outfit. I know the people on stage can not see me, not even in the 2nd row, but in my mind, dressing properly is also a sign of respect for them and their great talent and effort going into the performance.

"Our" Tosca saw a great cast of singers and actors on stage. The photo above is taken from Stuttgart Opera's home page. "Tosca" was sung by the amazing Adina Aaron; you can read about this particular production here.
What touched me most of all was when Tosca's lover, Mario, knows he has only one hour to live before the firing squad will kill him. In prison, he sings about how he has never loved life more than at that moment, and after the aria, he breaks down, sobbing. It was that sobbing that really got to me.

Back to safer, more shallow ground! This is what I was wearing:

A teal silk shirt (Christmas gift from my parents) with a classic black skirt I often wear to the office, pearls around my neck and on my ears, black tights and shoes with a bit of a heel.

On Friday, I worked at RJ's home office. Whenever I work there, I dress more or less as if I was working from home; still properly dressed (definitely NOT in my PJs when I work from home!) but not quite as business-like as when I go to the office where I meet "The Customer" (which, in my case, consists of hundreds of people working in the same building, eating at the same canteen).

The outfit I wore on Friday was a combination of old and new. I've had this pair of trousers for many years, and the lovely spring weather we'd had the day before made me look for something pastel. The top was in the birthday parcel my mother-in-law sent me from England, among many other things, as well as the bracelet, which consists of hearts - something I would not have bought for myself, but now that I have it, will wear occasionally.

Flying tomorrow with the same pilot friend who took me along a year ago - fingers crossed the weather will hold!