PUCCINI'S 'LA RONDINE'

I had a wonderful night out last night with my girlfriends- Ayli, Edlyn & Nat. This foursome went to the Sydney opera house and appreciated together -"Puccini's la rondine"

This is my first opera that I have gone to. In comparison, I still prefer musicals and symphonies, however, this opera was fantastic. The singers were really excellent, and while the symphonies and choir added to the grandeur of the opera, the opera singers were the ones who really presented the moods and feelings.

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Written in 1917, La Rondine (The Swallow) is a bittersweet love story, told with a light touch unique in Puccini's output. The story focuses on the emptiness and tragedy found in the life of the opera's heroine, the courtesan Magda. As she approaches middle age in Paris during the 1880s, she tries to reclaim her youth — when her ambitions and sensibilities yearned for an ideal love and a lasting relationship. Living a comfortable yet somewhat stagnant existence with her current client Rambaldo, she rediscovers her youth through a young student (Ruggero). At a time when the intrigue of her courtesan lifestyle is coming to a close, Magda is unable to release her past. She rejects the only man she ever loves and leaves him.