I remember 2019 “BC” (before COVID) well. Those were the halcyon days when only surgeons wore masks, the word COVID did not exist and lockdowns only occured in prisons. As an opera subscriber and a certifiable Wagner fanatic the mid year brochure advertising the Ring cycle for 2020 had me online pronto, securing top seats for the princely sum of $2000! For those who do not follow opera the Ring cycle is sometimes described as the “Game of Thrones” of opera. An epic story of Norse gods, heros, underworld villians and dragons it spans 4 operas and 18 hours of performance time. Typically it is performed over 1 week with an opera every second day.
Scheduled for November 2020 in Brisbane, the world went to hell in an handbasket a few short months later and repeated postponements meant that it is December 2023 before I finally receive the return on my investment. So 3 weeks after our return from the Balkans its off to Brisbane for the opera. My life partner finds a luxurious hotel a 20 minute walk from the art centre. This is my third Ring cycle and easily the best. The singing is sublime and the CGI backdrops are a perfect foil for the larger than life Wagnerian storyline.
