Here a cone shaped hill (made as if by a giant antediluvian ant), there a scraggly green (yea, green ) bushy thing...a pinon tree, clinging for dear life to the sandy brown soil up a steep cliff or on the flats. But all around emptiness...
Finally, the greyish smudges on the horizon turn into mountain ranges, but before those, there are the mesas.
Seemingly totally flat on top, unaccessible, the steep sides are littered with huge boulders, ready to cascade down on puny 'ants', us humans in our little car (ecologically minded we rented a car with BIG mileage- 37 miles/gal).
Sky City is stunning...and yes, people still live up there. Annually, men are elected as chiefs and 'priests' and the 'priests' are required to actually live up there. No water, unless collected rainwater in 3 cisterns. No electricity.
But they did build a steep road, no more climbing up the sides on steps with chiseled hand holds as in the past! And so tourists are able to come. And so do the inhabitants... cars parked up there in every narrow lane, too. How incongruous, but that's the times!
Property is passed down through the youngest female descendant.. a maternal society? Not really, all the important posts are occupied by males. However, the original language is still spoken and now taught in Indian school.
Returning from Acoma, we were chased by big black threatening thunder clouds visible for miles and studded with lightening.. the rain did not catch us up until we were back in Albuquerque at which time the temperature dropped 20 degrees .. to lower 70's from 90's.
The days leading up to this stunning spot were not too shaby either.
Santa Fe gave us 3 operas.
First: "La Traviata" by Verdi, with Natalie Dessay in her first appearance as Violetta - I found her fragile, yet clear and eerie sounding, coloratura soprano not really up to the role. Her dying scene arias were better suited to her small, but pretty voice. ALAS! And I have heard her in other roles, which seem to be better for her - Lucia Di Lammermoor, Fille du Regiment, Le Rossignol. The baritone who sang Father Germont truly got more applause, and well deserved, in my opinion. Plus the staging left me cold...mostly black boulders from which she tripped and sashayed and sang lying on her back, etc. Yes, she was cute, yes, she was athletic and moved ballet like, but why the director/designer used boulders? Influenced by the real Mother Nature created landscape of New Mexico's high dessert? Maybe, but it just did not seem to fit this rather musically so beautiful Verdi Opera.
Second: A world premiere: "The Letter", based on a true life event during British colonial times in Malaysia. The female star, Patricia Racette, was quite good and not only vocally. She displayed considerable acting talents. Musically, it was well presented under the baton of HGO's Music Director, Patrick Summers...all 90 minutes of it (no intermission) but those minutes just flew by - the drama was so gripping.
Third: "Alceste" by Gluck, a Baroque opera with stunningly beautiful music, based on Greek mythology of pure love and sacrifice by wife for him and husband for her, which, finally, was rewarded by the gods, letting BOTH live happily ever after. Being a difficult subject for modern mankind and womankind, too, it was truly well staged and sung by, among others, Christine Brewer - a strong soprano with considerable heft but velvety sound, most times. She seemed a bit hesitant at first, but warmed up and presented, what was to me, the best and most beautifully sung opera of the 3. Yes, it was repetitous, and did not provide much tension or drama, but still the music was beautiful. Alas, many left early.. too used to common TV beauty models? And fast paced yet only requiring short attention spans, action films? Brewer cannot be said to be either, she is a soprano of 'hefty' proportions, but her voice was so creamy at times, she truly was an "Ohrenschmaus" whilst not exactly an "Augenweide".
The annual pilgrimage to the Chapel of Chimayo...
reinforces again the feeling of serenity and thankfulness. A green oasis in a desert, along a small gurgling stream. Those padres sure knew how to place churches in ideal spots... maybe not Eden, but thinking of the seemingly empty, dry desert... a garden spot nevertheless.
And last, but not least a trainride at dusk, and a morning spent among Allen Houser and Sons' sculptures near Galisteo. Haozous, is his Indian name, born in Oklahoma, he displayed early brilliance as artist without formal training and continued creating art well into his 70's. His influence can be easily seen in the works of his many students.
Photos of the whole trip will follow as soon as I have uploaded them to the computer from my small camera.
Meanwhile, a sample Houser bronze:
(Wheelwright Museum-Santa Fe Museum Hill location)
2 comments:
Fabulous! I love your description of the desert! Sounds like the operas were hits as well, on some level or another.
Yes, indeed. And Thanks for encouraging words, pix still to come, am swamped with meetings.
Post a Comment