We saw three shows last week.
In the mornings The Spanish Riding School exercise their horses in the Winter Riding Hall and tickets are readily available. They are being trained to perform dressage and have been doing this since 1565. Their name derives from the Lipizzaner horses they ride, although these horses are now bred in Slovenia. The riders, male and female, wear a traditional uniform.
“Brown tailcoats, bicorne-style hats, white buckskin breeches, white suede gloves, and black top riding boots. Swan neck spurs are also part of the uniform. The empire style uniform (1795–1820 in fashion) has remained relatively unchanged for 200 years.” (Wikipedia)
They feed their horses sugar lumps that they fish out of a “secret” pocket in their tails. This pocket is no secret to those of us who wore tails at school. It was handy for small books or cigarettes.
L’elisir d’amore is a favourite and I was pleased it was on at the Vienna State Opera, particularly as it is an old and cherished production. That means the set is an exquisite depiction of a village in Tuscany and the villagers’ costumes match the 19th century scene. The principal singers were excellent with a bit of comic business where appropriate. A really good old-fashioned show that is increasingly rare these days.
I had never been to The Eurovision Song Contest and was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was friendly, the sight lines good although to see the show from the front it was necessary to stand, or to be on the sofas reserved for performers and their team, or to stay at home and watch on TV. Our seats were sideways to the stage. The staging was slick and the stage crew deserve recognition for changing the sets fast to a tight timetable. Curiously, it was not easy to see the TV screens hanging in the arena; mine was not huge and at an angle of 90 degrees. Surprisingly the acts came and went quickly because there is so much to see. The red drapes behind the performers of course were a subliminal reference to the ones at Nazi rallies but I suppose this was unintended. Sofia 2027? Definitely.