I didn’t mention it at the time, but when Friend Anne and I went to see the Messiah back in December, we sat behind a German couple. Well, at least the man was German, and I only know that because at one point he opened up his iPad and began reading Wikipedia, bright as day, during the performance.
I nudged Anne and gestured at the man. My face said, “What question is so pressing you cannot wait to look it up until the intermission?” At the intermission I voiced that question.
She said, “I know! I looked. I couldn’t tell what he was reading because it was in German.”
He didn’t speak German, he spoke English with a British accent, which certainly makes sense. (I wonder if Indonesians who learn English from Australians speak English in an Australian accent. I suppose they must. That would be jarring to see and hear.)
Also, I can tell you he was very tall, and I know this because I was sitting behind him. His wife was much shorter, and did not have an accent. I know about their accents because they conversed loudly enough for me to hear over The Messiah.
Annnnnnnd … Guess who sat next two seats away from Anne and I at the opera. Yesssssss. The loud German/American Tall/Short couple. Luckily, we were in the front row so they were not in front of us, but they were again loud enough that several heads whipped toward them when they piped up during the overture. I don’t know if they have season tickets, but if they do, I am sure the people behind them will say something. Or perhaps we will become fast friends and I can say something then.
There’s another opera this weekend. We shall see.
2 responses to “The Germans”
The only things I can think of for not waiting until intermission:
1. you can’t understand the words being sung and want, effectively, subtitles so you can follow, or
2. you are having what *might* be a medical call-911 emergency and there is a detail of what you are experiencing that would, if looked up on the internet, differentiate between “currently stroke” and “had slightly too much alcohol at dinner.”
Neither of those would take wikipedia, though… but there might be others?
(but ugh. People who are unnecessarily loud/distracting at non-participatory-audience performances, hmph.)
KC – Well, tonight’s the big night when we might see them again. I don’t think I will ask them, though.I’m assuming they were brushing up on The Messiah: that’s what I did during the intermission.