I saved this for last.  on purpose.

We structured our rehearsal shooting to document more of the first half of the opera.  That is also on purpose.  Not to give too much away, not to focus only on this most famous part.  To respect that part of the process.  Everything builds to this.  Let it.

Which results in me, sitting in an orchestra seat at Jordan Hall at the dress rehearsal, hearing Laura Pudwell sing Dido’s lament for the first time.   and wow.

There are two things I have been turning over in my head for the last week.  One, how to describe Laura’s voice, which I have not yet figured out how to do.  I want to call it a big voice, or a deep one… but of course that infers that it comes from a lower register, or with greater volume, which is not what I mean.  I mean that it comes from a great depth.  of understanding.  of emotion.  from the place where that great pathos comes from.  which makes it authentic.  and real.

The second thing is, though I have not heard her sing the lament in rehearsal, I have 3 times been struck breathless hearing her sing the first act precursor.  ‘Peace and I are strangers grown…’     She knows it’s coming.   and so do we.  She sets it up so beautifully for us.

I must be tired, because I am clean out of words.  I have been sitting for 15 minutes trying to articulate what I mean about that.  The foreshadowing.  The tragic destiny.     

I think I’ll stop trying to explain it, and prepare to watch it all unfold.

10 days since rehearsal started?  9 hours until curtain.

8pm Jordan Hall.   

Toi toi toi!