How will 2012 be for me and this blog?

Here is my opera plan:

January

2012-01-21 Turandot (Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Turandot = Martina Serafin

Calaf = José Cura

Liu = Isabel Rey

March

2012-03-03 Turandot (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Turandot = Maria Guleghina

Calaf = Marco Berti

Liu = Manuela Uhl

April

2012-04-28 Macbeth (Verdi), Opera de Monte Carlo

Macbeth = Lado Ataneli

Lady Macbeth = Maria Guleghina

Banquo = Giacomo Prestia

May

2012-05-28 Nabucco (Verdi), Palacio Euskalduna (Bilbao)

Nabucco = Leo Nucci

Ismaele = Alejandro Roy

Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara

Abigaille = Maria Guleghina

June

2012-06-09 Tosca (Puccini), Operan (Stockholm)

Tosca = Emma Vetter

Cavaradossi = José Cura

Scarpia = Fredrik Zetterström

2012-06-12 Tosca (Puccini), Operan (Stockholm)

Tosca = Emma Vetter

Cavaradossi = José Cura

Scarpia = Fredrik Zetterström

July

2012-07-02 Liederabend Jose Carreras, Opernhaus Zurich

Josep Carreras, tenor

2012-07-03 Simon Boccanegra (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Simon Boccanegra = Plácido Domingo

Maria Boccanegra (Amelia) = Barbara Frittoli

Jacopo Fiesco = Carlo Colombara

But it started on January 2nd with an ambulance tour to hospital where I stayed until Wednesday 4th. And now I am tired already. However, on January 21 I am determined to see Turandot in Zurich with José Cura and Isabel Rey (Liù).

My plans for my blog is to read interesting historical books that has something to do with opera, sometimes not much to do with  it, and tell what I think about it here on my blog. Naturally I will write my "opera reviews" and travel stories as usual. I have plans but I have my work, my disease and sometimes I have a bit of a fatigue, but I will be here. I hope I will be able to post somewhat regularly. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Dear readers, I am back

I have to apologize but I have started a bad habit. It is called checking Facebook. Didn't I promise never to get into Facebook? Well, it is too late now.

But now I am off for a while. I am planning a few posts but I haven't received the books and therefor not read them. Something about I DUE FOSCARI by Verdi and ANDREA CHENIER by Giordano will be up in the future. It will be in my series Opera vs. Reality.

But now I have to continue my ODT Singers list.

I am truly sorry for my laziness.



For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

No Otello or Edgar for me in June

My favorite tenor, José Cura, is singing Otello by Verdi (Deutsche Oper Berlin) and Edgar by Puccini (Teatro Comunale di Bologna) in June 2010. It is June 2010 and I am not going. But I feel lucky. My ticket for Otello on June 13 is now ready for another person who I am sure will love it, José Cura as Otello and Anja Harteros as Desdemona, they are the greatest gift for an opera lover. No ticket for Edgar in Bologna did I buy, and that is OK by me because I saw it in 2008 and I have the DVD.

I would have loved to go, to both even. If only I did not have to travel. So in stead of Travel in June I will just consentrate on Living my life. I will blog, of course. And I will be watching out for news about opera houses in Europe and the new season and of course news about José Cura, Agnes Baltsa or Josep Carreras. I hope I will be able not only to get great ideas for blog posts but actually writing them down. Of course some times when you write it down the great idea reveals itself as a really stupid one. No need to publish my worst ideas...

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

The story will continue shortly

Next time I will blog will be in May, I think. And I have come to 1993.

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

OD Travel and Living

I have changed the title of my blog to OperaDuets Travel and Living. A name change that will mean that I will have more posts about my life in Norway filed under the tag LIVING. I will still have NEWS, of course. And of course posts about my opera travels and opera reviews.

And now I have a story about Travel in Norway in winter.

My First Travel in the New Year. Not an opera travel but still...

Uneventful travel from my parents' home to Oslo. No night bus for me but a flight. So Oslo meant Oslo Gardermoen airport. Easy, lots of people, but still no stress, really. I found a machine to get a baggage tag and boarding card. Not necessary to have a boarding card really, but I like the security in it. The security or risk may be imagined but still enough for me. The long security line. Always thinking, I am in the wrong line. I often find myself in the slowest one. But I have TIME. Everything is OK. I have TIME, now I need somewhere to sit. Found it 3 times. Luxury to sit when it is so full packed with people.

I find myself sitting at my gate. It is later than the boarding time on my boarding card but only a few minutes. And then we are in. The plane is heading to Western Norway where it is not very good weather, it is snowing heavily. Yep, seem impossible to the people who are going to the second airport. I am confident, I am only going to the first one. The plane will land there. But the plane get into the landing circles. And 20/30 minutes after we should have landed it is clear that another airport will be our landing spot and we will get buses to our original destinations. A 2 hours bus ride, they say.

But we are in Western Norway now and the snow have made the roads slippery. And then the bus is getting really close even as slow as it must go when the electric things makes the bus loose its pulling power. 3 times it happens and every time the driver must shut down electricity and start 30/60 seconds later.

0020 I am home. 3 hrs later than hoped for. But it is 5 hrs earlier than with night bus, but of course that bus could have had even bigger trouble going over mountains as it does.

SO it was a Happy Ending.


For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Summer days, travel to Barcelona and plans for my blog

Hi again.

Summer days are here. Not all good weather in Norway but still I should have written more on my blog. Anyway, now I am soon off to Barcelona. My parents collect all the news about the possible pandemic flu. And I was getting nervous for my Barcelona trip. It is only two nights in Barcelona and then home, hopefully with two wonderful performances of Turandot in the Liceu. First Maria Guleghina as Turandot on July 30, and then on July 31 with Fabio Armiliato as Calaf and Daniela Dessi as Liu.

Before Barcelona it is my father's birthday on July 29th. 81 years. Hurrah, pappa!!!

My father's day is the same as the only Norwegian Saint and so my dad share his name. Since Norwegians is traditionally Protestants (and so am I ), we only mention Saint Olav to be clever and show that Norway is great.

Plans for my blog: continue my series Opera vs. Reality, write more news items as I get them and more travel tips as I stumble in my travels. And maybe something more about myself that is not so opera/travel related.


For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Work in progress...

I am thinking about writing a post about why my name is Operaduets and why I love opera singers like Maria Guleghina. And also a post later about Verdi's I Due Foscari. But I have a head-ache and my PC is being slow. And it is not helping this unusual heat...

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com