Post by littlesongbird on Sept 27, 2011 19:36:47 GMT -8
Lise brought her paws up to her lips, closing her eyes tightly. This was her second season at the Palais Garnier, and she still felt the butterflies that welled up in her stomach as she listened to the practice going on around her. Tonight was a big night for her and she couldn't help but feel terrified (excited as well, but the sheer terror outweighed her excitement). She took a small steadying breath and headed to the back, where her dressing room was. She sat down, still feeling the nerves and began to mechanically brush her hair, wanting it neat before she began to put her costume on.
"Relax, little songbird," one of the other sopranos murmured, padding over and placing a paw on her shoulder. "You will do well tonight." She picked the brush up out of the younger's paws and gently began to brush her hair. 'Poor dear,' she thought, watching as the younger soprano slowly began to relax, 'her proper debut as a star soprano, and of all things, in the Il trittico. No wonder the poor dear's stressed.'
Lise glanced up at the other soprano, a small smile on her features. "Merci," she whispered, clearly still stressed. "What is the order again?"
"Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and finally, Gianni Schicchi," Marie (the soprano singing the role of Nella in Gianni Schicchi) murmured. "Thankfully, all you truly have to worry about is the third opera, where you get that beautiful aria. The director wants to showcase you in the third opera, after all, you are nearly the same age as Lauretta."
Lise gave a small nod. A proper trittico hat-trick - the role of the female lover (a background role) in Il tabarro, the novice in Suor Angelica (not as noticable as any of the named sisters), and finally Lauretta (the female lead in Gianni Schicchi). It promised to be a long night, and she knew she'd be exhausted the next day, but well, a small price to take part in the Palais.
-
Her cheeks flushed as she emerged on stage, clad in a lovely shade of cream with golden trim as clung closely to Giuseppe as the pair walked in following their being summoned Rinuccio and his family (more so Rinuccio then his family). Her eyes brightened at the sight of Rinuccio (well, at the sight of Guilio. Oh, he was a handsome tom, she thought with a blush as she approached slowly, her eyes a twinkle.
She stayed close to his side, nearly crumpling when her papa said he refused to help Rinuccio, or his family, fix the will so it would be in their favor. She moved from Rinuccio's side, dropping to her knees before her father, looking up at him with love and despair warring in her gaze. "O mio babbino caro, mi piace, è bello bello, vo’andare in Porta Rossa a comperar l’anello! Si, si, ci voglio andare! E se l’amassi indarno, andrei sul Ponte Vecchio ma per buttarmi in Arno! Mi struggo e mi tormento, O Dio! Vorrei morir! Babbo, pietà, pietà! Babbo, pietà, pietà!" She bowed her head as tears streaked down her cheeks and her shoulders shook as the final pietà brokenly escaped her lips.
She wordlessly glanced up when she felt her papa's paws raise her head to look at him. She smiled softly as he gently wiped the tears from her face and stroked her hair before agreeing that he would look at the will. A heartbeat later, he told her to head outside and sit with Rinuccio as he worked on the will. She curled up with him, looking up at him with devoted dark eyes as the chaos of the new will being read inside took place.
"Lauretta mia, staremo sempre qui! Guarda... Firenze è d'oro! Fiesole è bella!" Rinuccio sang softly, tenderly as he turned her to face him.
"Là mi giurasti amore!" she sang in response, before their voices blended. "Ti chiesi un bacio... Il primo bacio..."
"Tremante e bianca volgesti il viso..." he sang before guiding her into the next line. "Firenze da lontano ci parve il Paradiso!" He smiled down at her before gently kissing her for the first time in the entire show (and what cheers could be heard from the audience).
She glanced back in the direction of her father, who addressed the audience, saying that this was the best use of the money in that will he had been forced to change, and to please cut him a little slack (even if Papa Dante hadn't). And with that the curtain dropped. She smiled up at Guilio and snuggled closer, knowing that in mere moments the curtain would rise again and they would take their bows. Of course, Guilio decided at that moment to tease the audience and slip the veil she would never quite wear in the show on her. She giggled softly, blushing when the curtain opened for the curtain call.
-
Guilio smiled as he offered her her first bouquet of roses. "Brava," he murmured. "Brava."
She smiled up at him, blushing shyly. "Merci, Guilio," she murmured, taking the bouquet from him and breathing in the soft scent of the roses.
"You will make a beautiful leading soprano," he said, settling down near her. "Do make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight," he said, noting her exhausted features.
"Oui, of course," she murmured, blushing at the praise from the Italian tom. She yawned softly, found herself resting against him, her eyes closed and sound asleep.
"Relax, little songbird," one of the other sopranos murmured, padding over and placing a paw on her shoulder. "You will do well tonight." She picked the brush up out of the younger's paws and gently began to brush her hair. 'Poor dear,' she thought, watching as the younger soprano slowly began to relax, 'her proper debut as a star soprano, and of all things, in the Il trittico. No wonder the poor dear's stressed.'
Lise glanced up at the other soprano, a small smile on her features. "Merci," she whispered, clearly still stressed. "What is the order again?"
"Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and finally, Gianni Schicchi," Marie (the soprano singing the role of Nella in Gianni Schicchi) murmured. "Thankfully, all you truly have to worry about is the third opera, where you get that beautiful aria. The director wants to showcase you in the third opera, after all, you are nearly the same age as Lauretta."
Lise gave a small nod. A proper trittico hat-trick - the role of the female lover (a background role) in Il tabarro, the novice in Suor Angelica (not as noticable as any of the named sisters), and finally Lauretta (the female lead in Gianni Schicchi). It promised to be a long night, and she knew she'd be exhausted the next day, but well, a small price to take part in the Palais.
-
Her cheeks flushed as she emerged on stage, clad in a lovely shade of cream with golden trim as clung closely to Giuseppe as the pair walked in following their being summoned Rinuccio and his family (more so Rinuccio then his family). Her eyes brightened at the sight of Rinuccio (well, at the sight of Guilio. Oh, he was a handsome tom, she thought with a blush as she approached slowly, her eyes a twinkle.
She stayed close to his side, nearly crumpling when her papa said he refused to help Rinuccio, or his family, fix the will so it would be in their favor. She moved from Rinuccio's side, dropping to her knees before her father, looking up at him with love and despair warring in her gaze. "O mio babbino caro, mi piace, è bello bello, vo’andare in Porta Rossa a comperar l’anello! Si, si, ci voglio andare! E se l’amassi indarno, andrei sul Ponte Vecchio ma per buttarmi in Arno! Mi struggo e mi tormento, O Dio! Vorrei morir! Babbo, pietà, pietà! Babbo, pietà, pietà!" She bowed her head as tears streaked down her cheeks and her shoulders shook as the final pietà brokenly escaped her lips.
She wordlessly glanced up when she felt her papa's paws raise her head to look at him. She smiled softly as he gently wiped the tears from her face and stroked her hair before agreeing that he would look at the will. A heartbeat later, he told her to head outside and sit with Rinuccio as he worked on the will. She curled up with him, looking up at him with devoted dark eyes as the chaos of the new will being read inside took place.
"Lauretta mia, staremo sempre qui! Guarda... Firenze è d'oro! Fiesole è bella!" Rinuccio sang softly, tenderly as he turned her to face him.
"Là mi giurasti amore!" she sang in response, before their voices blended. "Ti chiesi un bacio... Il primo bacio..."
"Tremante e bianca volgesti il viso..." he sang before guiding her into the next line. "Firenze da lontano ci parve il Paradiso!" He smiled down at her before gently kissing her for the first time in the entire show (and what cheers could be heard from the audience).
She glanced back in the direction of her father, who addressed the audience, saying that this was the best use of the money in that will he had been forced to change, and to please cut him a little slack (even if Papa Dante hadn't). And with that the curtain dropped. She smiled up at Guilio and snuggled closer, knowing that in mere moments the curtain would rise again and they would take their bows. Of course, Guilio decided at that moment to tease the audience and slip the veil she would never quite wear in the show on her. She giggled softly, blushing when the curtain opened for the curtain call.
-
Guilio smiled as he offered her her first bouquet of roses. "Brava," he murmured. "Brava."
She smiled up at him, blushing shyly. "Merci, Guilio," she murmured, taking the bouquet from him and breathing in the soft scent of the roses.
"You will make a beautiful leading soprano," he said, settling down near her. "Do make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight," he said, noting her exhausted features.
"Oui, of course," she murmured, blushing at the praise from the Italian tom. She yawned softly, found herself resting against him, her eyes closed and sound asleep.