Orfeo and Alex Kuo
October 26, 2001 (12:00 AM) ( link )

Today, I went with Tammy, Steve S., Ben, and Nina to see Monteverdi's opera, Orfeo, at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Theater. I've been listening to the music from that opera a lot since it's one of the five pieces we study in First Nights, but seeing it in person was such a different experience. Personally I didn't think some of the singers were as skilled as the singers I hear on my CDs—the notes, particularly the ornamentation, were articulated less well—but simply being able to tell who was singing what was a big help.

After the opera, I met up at Uno's with Alex Kuo, a good friend of mine. He's off at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a junior fellow this year—quite a prestigious position. He used to be editor-in-chief of the Harvard International Review, which is how we met; we haven't seen each other in a few months, and it was good to hear what he had to say about post-graduate life in general, and Washington, DC, in particular. (It was also good just to see him, of course, but that goes without saying.)

Oh: and I also saw another old friend of mine today. While I was getting passport photos in the Garage (in a photo shop run entirely by goths, I kid you not) I saw, randomly, Kate Volovski! But, being something of an ass, I made her wait outside the photo shop (she was eating ice cream) while I waited for the photos to develop. So, we were only able to talk for a little bit, but we should be having lunch soon. Were the photos worth not talking to Kate for the five minutes that I ridiculously had her wait? Not at all. Sigh. Such is my charm.

Er, in reading news: I should be finishing with A Fire Upon the Deep by tomorrow; expect a review then. And A Prayer for Owen Meany