We returned to Milan yesterday afternoon. Due to an odd confluence of circumstance, we have a couple of nights off, and our management is based in Milan, so it is easiest to stay here. So far that has worked out great.
When we got back to town, Jeb commented that we should see what was playing at La Scala, and maybe catch an opera on one of our two nights here. We soon found out that Ludmilla does some work with La Scala, and pretty soon we had in our hands 5 tickets to see that night’s performance of Don Giovanni. We hopped in a cab and headed to the theater.
The theater itself is an amazing spectacle, even before the performance starts. It was packed full. We were in the last row at the very top of the house. Most of the folks in the second gallery with us seemed to be very into the music. It wasn’t a social event, it was a musical event. The crowd was pretty diverse in terms of age. I would venture to say that half of the people near us were under 50, and I saw at least a dozen teenagers.
The production was quite minimal in terms of sets and costumes. The stage was gray with only three large black movable rectangular dividers as sets. The cast were all clad in either white or black, except for the statue, who was, of course, silver/gray. The musical performances were excellent. I think a good time was had by all.
Today we had a band photo shoot. It was in a photographer’s studio. First we did some shots of the six of us without instruments. That can be a bit awkward, but we survived. As soon as she told us to get out instruments, it turned into something of a jam, so that was great. After the shooting was done, some pizza was delivered to the studio and we ate quickly before heading off to see the Last Supper.
Our hotel is right across the street from the church where Leonardo painted the Last Supper. They only let a few people at a time in to see it, and there are all sorts odd holding containers you have to pass through to get to the room where it is. They take the preservation of the painting very seriously, which is good now, I guess, because one wall and the roof of the building was blown off in World War II. Seeing the painting in its setting is pretty impressive. Leonardo had this amazing way of making the image part of the room, or maybe the room became part of the image.
After the Last Supper, Jeb and I went shopping. He was looking for a specific brand of grappa, and I was looking for gift(s) for my wife. He still hasn’t found the mystery grappa (well, the grappa isn’t a mystery, where to buy that brand of grappa is the mystery). I did find a gift for Jennifer, and when we walked into the store, one of the ladies looked at us and told us she was at our concert on Sunday. Pretty cool.