Assassinio nella cattedrale – Ildebrando Pizzetti

When we first started the in-depth planning of this trip, we divided it into three sections: 1) the things that could be arranged immediately, 2) the downtime with no activity and 3) the final preparations. It’s hard to believe that we’re already in stage 3, it helps that we pretty much just skipped stage 2.

The 23rd was the magic day, marked in red on my calendar, that opera tickets would become available. First thing in the morning, with much excitement, I logged on to the Teatro alla Scala website. It was the first time I have ever ordered tickets on-line (usually my role is to watch over Dennis’ shoulder) so there was a little fear and trepidation mixed with the excitement. However, the process was very painless and we now have tickets for La Scala.

The opera being performed at the appropriate time for our schedule is “Assassinio nella cattedrale”, based on T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral”. This is a dramatic portrayal of the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in the Canterbury Cathedral (very brief synopsis is that he got on the wrong side of the king in 1170 and this was the end reuslt). This isn’t an opera that I was very familiar with so in preparation I purchased a CD of the original recording and I’ve been listening to it quite a bit over the past few weeks. Dennis ordered a copy of the play and we both plan to read it before we go to Milan. It was suggested to us recently that we should try to get a copy of the libretto so I’ve been looking into that as well. However, apparently (amid much controversy), La Scala now has some sort of electronic translation device installed so it shows the Italian and English text as it’s being sung.

A while ago, we watched the SCTV spoof of the play - supposedly a NASA presentation, narrated by Walter Cronkite with the characters wearing space suits. I hope we don’t think about that and start laughing inappropriately.

Dennis wrote earlier about our proposed visit to Canterbury, England. This is a spin-off from the opera experience. We decided if we were going to experience the opera and read the play, we better visit the site where it all occurred. Apparently there’s a perpetually burning candle on the spot where Thomas Becket was struck down. We’ll have to let you know about that when we get there.