Somehow the day got away with me.
An awesome client call at noon, followed by errands –– ink needed to print out the script for my rewrite + a game-changing new cap –– somehow diverted me almost until 4:30 Bikram.
Swung by Val & Clark’s afterwards where Jonah was watching the end of PERCY JACKSON & THE LIGHTNING THIEF, which reminded me again of how I need to check in with Amy, with whom I’ve been trading calls [There’s a Medusa image after the credits and Amy’s Medusa Paper is GENIUS — seriously, if you’re at all intellectually curious you should download and read it immediately.]
Anyway, I began thinking about Annie Lenox’s MEDUSA, and then her first solo album DIVA, and then, having twice referenced THE WOMEN (1939) and the Countess character today, somehow stumbled back to teaching Terrence, and Maria Callas, and Diva-dom, and Casta Diva — and landed here at Callas singing CASTA DIVA … (this link has better sound).
She’s BEYOND MESMERIZING –– hugging herself nearly throughout, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen another singer do. Even the background singers (aka the Chorus) are so entranced they come in late and sloppily.
[For those of you who aren’t familiar with the plot of NORMA, Maria plays a Druid priestess in love with the Roman proconsul, the father of her two children. He’s leaving her for someone younger — a temple virgin — and here she’s praying to the Moon Goddess in this aria and well … let’s just say it doesn’t end well, complete with funeral pyres. ]
But then again, who hasn’t been there?
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