"Spend the longest and cosiest winter evenings of the year curled up on
the sofa with the following streamings, to be watched and rewatched free
of charge."

Norma
Lulu
The Time of Our Singing
The Turn of the Screw

https://www.lamonnaie.be/en/sections/388-free-streaming

More free opera streams:

https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/RC-016485/arte-opera-season/

Parsifal
Dalibor
Fidelio
Figaro
Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Enjoy.

Chris

On Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:07:08 GMT, "Chris J."
<chrisjohansen@mailservice.invalid> wrote:

>"Spend the longest and cosiest winter evenings of the year curled up on
>the sofa with the following streamings, to be watched and rewatched free
>of charge."
>
>Norma
>Lulu
>The Time of Our Singing
>The Turn of the Screw
>
>https://www.lamonnaie.be/en/sections/388-free-streaming
>
>More free opera streams:
>
>https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/RC-016485/arte-opera-season/
>
>Parsifal
>Dalibor
>Fidelio
>Figaro
>Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
>
>
>Enjoy.
>
>Chris

Thanks. The Arte app is downloadable from the Google Play Store to
your smart TV.

I have fond memories of La Monnaie. I was in Bruxelles for a sabbatical year when I was doing French at Oxford, and I was so broke I managed to get a walk-on part in Aida for its duration. I was the first prisoner, so had to black up and put a wig on, and then spend the whole of my stage time staring at the floor, on my knees in front of all the rest of the supine prisoners. The prisoners were all drawn from the cafe we used to frequent, and were basically all hippies in need of some cash. Great music, though, and some great dancing choreographed by Bejart.

I remember I was so poor that each day all I could afford was 2 large bags of chips with mayonnaise. If I was lucky somebody would buy me a beer. We sat all day in the cafe, mostly playing chess or just talking, lucky to be in the warm since it was winter. On New Years Eve I was out in the streets with everyone else and got talking to a really nice girl. She said "I'm going to my parents tomorrow and you are welcome to stay in my apartment for a few days until I return. There are 3 bottles of wine in the cupboard and you're welcome to drink them". And I did. It was unbelievable. They were 3 bottles of Sauternes - 1935, 1936 and 1946. The best wines I have ever drunk in my life!
Her family clearly had money!

The things we did when we were young......

On 15 Jan 2022 Andy Evans wrote:

> I have fond memories of La Monnaie. I was in Bruxelles for a sabbatical
> year when I was doing French at Oxford, and I was so broke I managed to
> get a walk-on part in Aida for its duration. I was the first prisoner,
> so had to black up and put a wig on, and then spend the whole of my
> stage time staring at the floor, on my knees in front of all the rest of
> the supine prisoners. The prisoners were all drawn from the cafe we used
> to frequent, and were basically all hippies in need of some cash. Great
> music, though, and some great dancing choreographed by Bejart.
>
> I remember I was so poor that each day all I could afford was 2 large
> bags of chips with mayonnaise. If I was lucky somebody would buy me a
> beer. We sat all day in the cafe, mostly playing chess or just talking,
> lucky to be in the warm since it was winter. On New Years Eve I was out
> in the streets with everyone else and got talking to a really nice girl.
> She said "I'm going to my parents tomorrow and you are welcome to stay
> in my apartment for a few days until I return. There are 3 bottles of
> wine in the cupboard and you're welcome to drink them". And I did. It
> was unbelievable. They were 3 bottles of Sauternes - 1935, 1936 and
> 1946. The best wines I have ever drunk in my life!
> Her family clearly had money!

And you didn't marry her? ;-)
> The things we did when we were young......

Or didn't do.....
Thank you for sharing these memories.

I wouldn't mind a few bottles of good Sauternes right now.

Chris