# A classical Christmas dream



## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

Christmas eve of 1947.

A cold evening in Venice, the sea seemed to be wild and untamed,
the gondolas were resting impatiently at the docks.
Piazza San Marco was unusually quiet and as I was sitting at the Cafe Florian,
I could see the first lights turned on in the square, 
telling me that night was almost there.

I looked at my watch and I said to myself that i should hurry.
I got out of the Cafe, and felt the fresh sea breeze touching my face.
I walked fast towards Calle Frezzeria and crossed Rio dei Barcaroli.
In 10 minutes I was in Teatro La Fenice.

Tristan and Isolde was the performance for tonight and Tullio Serafin was the conductor.
I got in the theatre. The opera started and when Isolde came in the scene 
and the first notes were heard, everything was not the same any more.

She knew it was her triumph, she knew that the world was hers from now on.
I was sure that this Christmas were the happiest of her life.
Maria was the new Diva.

And this Christmas eve was "a dream come true for me".
I remember myself in the end coming thoughtfully out of the theatre,
and walking slowly in the narrow streets of magic Venice.
Beautiful Venezia and beautiful Maria.






A very special Christmas for me, 
and a story I wish I could have lived in that specific time.

Merry Christmas to all of you 

_Which is your Christmas classical music dream?_


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Wow! My Christmas dream is to continue to keep reading yours!

That's the most beautiful post I have ever read on TC.

Clara s is obviously in love with Venezia and Maria Callas.


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## Dasein (Dec 14, 2014)

Have I just been culturally enriched? I feel tingly.


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## xpangaeax (Oct 1, 2013)

I actually had one Wednesday night in which I was back in Moscow and, among other things, bought a ticket to Prokofiev's Fiery Angel at the Bolshoi. I've never been to the Bolshoi nor listened to Fiery Angel yet. A sign, nonetheless.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

*Germany. A Winter's Tale.*

January 1st, 2015.

... The two have been walking since sunrise, over steep and sometimes icy mountain paths, past frozen streams that hung down from cliffs in long icicles, past bluish glaciers reflecting the bright sunny sky. With heavy backpacks on their backs, stopping only to take a quick gulp of water and exchange a few words, they walk, hour after hour, step after step. A few more meters, and the two have reached their destination - the top of Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Backpacks thrown to the ground, they take time to survey the surrounding grand panorama.

View attachment 59566


They look in silence, for the beauty of that place is almost more than can be described with words. Far down below lies the shining white and blue mirror of the Eibsee









To the right and left tower the other mighty peaks of Austria and Switzerland. And somewhere in the south over a hundred miles away, yet visible in the clear crisp air of winter rise the mountains of distant Italy. The land lies beneath them, as pristine and pure landscape in white and blue, as it was on the day of creation.









The two stand above it like young gods, drunk with freedom and beauty, taking in every detail. And suddenly, amid complete silence, music comes carried on the wind, very still at first, yet growing ever louder, as if played by an invisible orchestra. It was the Alpine Symphony, the one that has been once composed in these very mountains, a long time ago, by a man who was just as drunk with grandeur and beauty. And even though the man was long dead, yet a ghost of his love and of his music has remained in these mountains forever...


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

^ Not exactly Christmas, more a New Year dream, but hopefully it will come true soon... mostly.


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Wow! My Christmas dream is to continue to keep reading yours!
> 
> That's the most beautiful post I have ever read on TC.
> 
> Clara s is obviously in love with Venezia and Maria Callas.


I might have one for New Year's Eve as well hahaha

where do you want to travel?

si, Venezia and Maria are unique


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

Dasein said:


> Have I just been culturally enriched? I feel tingly.


"culturally enriched"?

wow

that's a heavy phrase Dasein

that was only a Christmas dream

there are other dreams to make you tingly hahaha


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

clara s said:


> I might have one for New Year's Eve as well hahaha
> 
> where do you want to travel?
> 
> si, Venezia and Maria are unique


I would like to go to Barcelona. Make me a nice New Year's dream!


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

xpangaeax said:


> I actually had one Wednesday night in which I was back in Moscow and, among other things, bought a ticket to Prokofiev's Fiery Angel at the Bolshoi. I've never been to the Bolshoi nor listened to Fiery Angel yet. A sign, nonetheless.


you still have time to make your dream come true

28 of January the Fiery Angel at the Bolshoi

a very intense opera


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## SilverSurfer (Sep 13, 2014)

hpowders said:


> I would like to go to Barcelona. Make me a nice New Year's dream!


And you would be very (not minimalistic) welcome!


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

SiegendesLicht said:


> January 1st, 2015.
> 
> ... The two have been walking since sunrise, over steep and sometimes icy mountain paths, past frozen streams that hung down from cliffs in long icicles, past bluish glaciers reflecting the bright sunny sky. With heavy backpacks on their backs, stopping only to take a quick gulp of water and exchange a few words, they walk, hour after hour, step after step. A few more meters, and the two have reached their destination - the top of Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Backpacks thrown to the ground, they take time to survey the surrounding grand panorama.
> 
> ...


twilight to nightfall

eleven hours of experience to the Alpine mountains

clever dream and well written


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## Kibbles Croquettes (Dec 2, 2014)

clara s said:


> "culturally enriched"?
> 
> wow
> 
> ...


Hope that we'll get to them in the late night edition of classical dreams.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

SilverSurfer said:


> And you would be very (not minimalistic) welcome!


Ha! Ha! Thanks!! It looks like my kind of town!! The problem is the tours go all through Spain and only spend 2 days maximum in Barcelona.

Everyone I know who has been there, tells me it's a "must see".


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

hpowders said:


> I would like to go to Barcelona. Make me a nice New Year's dream!


sí señor

at your disposal

Wednesday night at Barcelona

Sagrada Família or Palau de la Música Catalana?


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

Kibbles Croquettes said:


> Hope that we'll get to them in the late night edition of classical dreams.


if thou mayest believe, thou shalt see...


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

clara s said:


> sí señor
> 
> at your disposal
> 
> ...


I want to see everything!


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## xpangaeax (Oct 1, 2013)

clara s said:


> you still have time to make your dream come true
> 
> 28 of January the Fiery Angel at the Bolshoi
> 
> a very intense opera


I actually looked at the Bolshoi schedule a few days later just out of curiosity. It was nice to confirm that Fiery Angel is currently on the schedule for this season!


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

hpowders said:


> I want to see everything!


sorry for the delay

there was fog in El Prat airport and the plane returned to basis hahaha

we will be landing there soon


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

xpangaeax said:


> I actually looked at the Bolshoi schedule a few days later just out of curiosity. It was nice to confirm that Fiery Angel is currently on the schedule for this season!


I do not know how far you are, but Moscow is the city for you


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

clara s said:


> sorry for the delay
> 
> there was fog in El Prat airport and the plane returned to basis hahaha
> 
> we will be landing there soon


Thanks for the dream!! La vida es sueño.


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## xpangaeax (Oct 1, 2013)

clara s said:


> I do not know how far you are, but Moscow is the city for you


Oh trust me, I'm fully aware. I live with a certain degree of toska at all times. I live in Richmond, Virginia in the US. Hopefully making it back to Russia to visit this year, hoping to spend at least a semester at MSU sometime after.


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