Our opera respite in Santa Fe was finest kind. Two performances: Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (1867) and Barber's Vanessa (1958). Both were magnificently staged, costumed and set, really splendid and in keeping with the ethos of each. The Gounod was Jim's favorite; I appreciated the staging and super quality of the singing but I was uninspired overall. 

Meanwhile, I was bonkers for the Barber which put me in mind of an Ingmar Bergman film. The music was, yes, a bit dissonant with the exception of the brilliantly lyrical piece sung by Erika about winter:

Must the winter come so soon?

Text by Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-)
Set by Samuel Barber (1910-1981), from the opera "Vanessa"

Must the winter come so soon?

Night after night I hear the hungry deer

wander weeping in the woods,

and from his house of brittle bark hoots the frozen owl.

Must the winter come so soon?

Here in this forest neither dawn nor sunset

marks the passing of the days.

It is a long winter here.

Must the winter come so soon?

The location of Santa Fe Opera is slightly out of town, to the north, on a rise giving grand sunset views. It's an outdoor pavilion, covered yet open on the sides, um, by definition. And, huge! It was sold out each night, too. We think we ought to return next summer.

Santa Fe itself is lovely, charming and very old town. Its people interesting and very friendly. Many art galleries and jewelry shops! Many nicely gardened courtyards, patios, parks and 

spaces throughout. I very much wanted to visit the Owens Gallery with an eye to buying Gustav Baumann prints but it was closed on Sunday. Oh, fine.

The elevation: it's high, 7,500 feet, and higher at Rancho Encantado where we stayed, 10 mikes north of town (close to the opera venue). Altitude gave some gasps but Jim was fine.