Friday night I regretted going to Munich because the pain was overwhelming me. Luckily the Paracet worked. Saturday night coming back to my hotel after the Agnes Baltsa recital in Prinzregententheater and a meal with friends everything was great.
Saturday was a far better day for me than Friday could have predicted. The weather was still rainy and not summerly at all but I came not as the regular summer tourist but only for Agnes Baltsa and her Greek songs. There are many fine restaurants in Munich but it was only McDonald's and BurgerKing for me. It was just for the convenience. I found out that the salad bowl at BurgerKing is a sad affair when I compare it to what I could eat at PizzaHut in Berlin. So I survived mainly on Chickenburgers and melons. Lucky I was in Munich for the weekend only. :-)
After the recital Agnes Baltsa and Achilleas Wastor (pianist) was signing. It was a long queue. My Singapore friend and myself was almost in the front. Just like in the theater where we sat on 3rd row. Our Italian friend sat elsewhere in the theater and was in the end of the almost endless queue. But he also got his photograph with the Greek mezzo.
The recital was wonderful. Prinzregententheater is much smaller than Nationaltheater and it was completely full. Agnes Baltsa is very popular in Munich. But the small size and with so many people meant that it was warm and the air inside became thick especially by the the second part. The pianist was sweating. The piano was suffering. And even Agnes Baltsa got tired in the end. But she still sang not only the whole program but her 2 encores: Garifollo st'afti, and "Stay with me" by a famous Greek composer named K(something). Agnes Baltsa told me herself the meaning of the song (or tried to) and said the composer's name (but sadly I don't remember more of it).
Mános Hadjidákis (*1925 Xanthi - †1994 Athen)
Peribanou
(Klavier solo)
Stavros Xarhákos (*I939 Athen)
Áspri méra ke ja mas (Es werden glücklichere Tage kommen, auch für uns)
Míkis Theodorákis (*1925 Khios)
To tréno févgi stis ochtó (Der Zug fährt um acht ab)
Mános Hadjidákis
Óniro pedión tis gitoniás (Die Träume der Nachbarskinder)
Vassílis Tsitsánis (*1915 Trikala - †1984 London)
Horisam’ ena dilino (Und eines Tages hatten wir uns auseinandergelebt)
Sinefiasmeni kiriaki (An einem regnerischen Sonntag)
(Klavier solo)
Stavros Xarhákos
Stou Óthona ta hrónia [Zur Zeit von König Otto)
Háthike to fegári (Der verlorene Mond)
Vassílis Tsitsánis
Archóntissa (Meine Edelfrau)
Ta kavourákia (Die Krabben)
---- PAUSE ----
Míkis Theodorákis
Hartaetí (Drachensteigen)
(Klavier solo)
Spíros Peristéris (*1900 Smyrna - †1966 Athen)
Mes ston ondá enós Passá (Im Privatgemach eines Paschas)
Mános Hadjidákis
O tachitrómos péthane (Der junge Postbote starb)
Stavros Xarhákos
To praktorío (Die einsame Station]
Mános Hadjidákis
Nihterino (Nocturne)
Kalamatianos
Megali sousfa
(Klavier solo)
Stavros Xarhákos
Varkaróla (Barkarole)
Mános Hadjidákis
Páme mia wólto sto fegári (Spazieren wir zum Mond)
Stavros Xarhákos
Nin ke aí (Jetzt und für immer)
The Pianist only smiled when Agnes Baltsa was taking the bow with him. Alone he often looked stern. Agnes Baltsa was all smiles. Even to the man in the front row who took many photos even when she was singing. This time she really enjoyed the photographs being taken, and what a treat that was. And then even a Signierstunde, things could not be better.
But as the time neared midnight 3 Baltsa-fans from Singapore, Italy and Norway had to go to our hotels. And we needed something to eat. But so many nice restaurants were closed so we ended at the BurgerKing in Hauptbahnhof. We enjoyed the company and the opera talk the most.
It was lucky for me that Saturday became such a wonderful day. In a way it was even more lucky that Sunday also was a good day because traveling when one is in pain is not something I recommend at all. It started with sun and some blue sky in Munich and ended with heavy rains in Norway. But I was OK. And that meant that this holiday/opera trip was a success.
Viva Baltsa! Amigos para siempre!
For more reviews from my travels, see http://www.operaduetstravel.com/index.html
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