A weekend with an amplitude

Last weekend was crazy for me. I was at really underground party on Saturday and hight society event on Sunday.

As you might know, I Boy has been invited to Bogdan Taran's birthday party. To tell the truth there were two parties - unofficial at home (with delicious food and very nice people), and official in fabulous underground club SPACE:GARAGE (http://fuckforfriendship.com//).

Being DJ #1 in Latvia (and he still is in my and other hearts despite the fact that this year according to bloody DJtop.lv he`s only on 4th place. WHATEVER. Bogdan is still the best) Bogdan knows how to arrange fun and play a good music. The club was fully packed and everyone had fun, warming up by Dj Zazzy, a set by Bogdan Taran himself and a version of modern house by Dj Hiro from Glasgow. I had a great time and partied late.

Despite the fact, that alcohol is quite cheap in SPACE:GARAGE i hadn't any hangover next morning. Sunday was beautiful and very promising, because I had a ticket to our National Opera. Yes, me, Boy is also into THAT things, i`m not saying that i`m an expert, but i`m quite advanced beginner.

Ok, now a bit about opera, which I saw this Sunday. Werther is an opera by Jules Massenet based on novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe. I won`t paraphrase it, and libretto to Werther is easily found in the Internet. Just to tell, this is a story of a stupid young lady - Charlotte, who gave a promise to her dead mother that she`ll marry a guy Albert, who`s rarely at home. While Albert was somewhere, Charlotte meets Werther. They both fall in love with each other, but Charlotte has to keep her promise to mother. Drama-rama and eventually Werther kills himself. This is not a piece what I'd recommend.

I'm not familiar with Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, but this novel was a great hit in second half of XVIII century and has a great impact on that time's society.

However, director Andrejs Žagars has done a great job. This is not the first experience with Massenet's Werther for Žagars - nearly a year ago Žaragrs staged Werther at Erfurt Opera (Germany), and as he admitted to Diena (national daily newspaper) he wasn't free in his decisions and Charlotte's role was playing some not-really-young singer. But here in Riga he had a great opportunity to work with experienced and professional artists tenor Hector Sandoval from Mexico, Xavier Moreno tenor from Spain, soprano Amsika Grigorjan and young soloists, who just has started their career - Olga Jakovļeva and Ieva Parša. And they were really good, both professionals and youngsters.

Amsika Grigorjan&Hector Sandoval

Dear followers Opera is a great entertainment - not only singers, sets, orchestra, conductor and music, but also people around. Next time i`ll take camera with me and post dos and don'ts visiting opera!