I was talking to a goyish friend of mine (albeit with an estimable Yiddish vocabulary) yesterday and found out something interesting about the gentiles: when you turn 33, you're supposed to furrow your brow and say something like, "Look at everything Jesus did by 33, and what the hell have I made of my life?" I suspect rather few of you do this, in fact, and "you" might be a hasty choice of pronoun anyway considering my regular semi-conscious efforts to alienate the devout. 33, said my friend, is your Christ year.
It just occured to me what the opera queen's analogous crisis must be: as of half an hour ago, I am older than the Marschallin. Die Marschallin Furstin Werdenberg, Resi to her friends, was described by Hoffmansthal, as no older than 32--I think that's how he phrased it. One does at certain moments feel ganz alt, but thank god for Oktavian. Thus ends my Marschallin year.
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14 comments:
May you live to 120, with your wits, your ears, and your critical faculties unimpaired to the last!
Why thanks, piet! I checked the Met Futures page but they don't have much up for the 2093-2094 season, so I can make no promises to review it. (It does seem safe to wager Anja Silja will be involved somehow.)
Well, then Happy Birthday!
My ex-husband was very happy to turn 28 because of the all rockers and other artists who died at 27 (Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, etc.). When he was a wilder young man, he figured that if he could make it to 28, he'd have a long life! He's 31 now, so far so good...
Well, you can sleep through the night now and stop worrying about those damn clocks.
Happy Birthday.
Thanks y'all. I am, it must be admitted, a whore for birthday greetings.
Actually, when you think about it, Jesus didn't do *that* much by age 33. He kind of pulled a Timothy Leary and dropped out of society, and then managed to get nailed to a cross. Big whoop.
The whole Xtian revolution thing happened way after.
Happy b'day :-)
If we Jews have an equivalent to the 33-y/o "Christ Year," I'm guessing it's a "Maimonedes Year." But since he lived to the ripe old age of 69 (which was pretty ripe for the 1200s), I've still got 14 years to make something of myself!
Happy birthday, Maury! But aren't you more like a *slut* for birthday greetings? After all, there's no money involved...
Happy Birthday from DC! May you live as long as necessary. It sounds sort of bleak to say it that way, but every birthday is another year closer to oblivion, so its better to not let it take you by surprise, so to speak.
Comparing oneself to Jesus can be a daunting thought, but here is one that is completely depressing: Britney Spears made more money than all of us at 18, and look where she is at now.
Actually, its gratifying when I think of it that way.
Happy Birthday, Doppelgänger mein. (Cue the Schubert. Go, Schubert.)
You seem to be level-headed... Very, "Ja, ja" about the whole affair. But let me take this moment to laud and magnify you. I adore your blog. Many mornings, after having read what you've offered us, I thank G-d für you. The opera blogosphere has become much richer in the currency of dry humor with you to constantly replenish the store.
Thank you for holding out and not doing the "What I had for breakfast blog" bore that I so consistently publish.
Loving you always,
Supremo
*Now* look who's stroking Maury's ... uh ...... ego!
As a former Catholic (school)girl, converted to Judaism, ["Jew By Choice"] but who loves to attend Quaker meeting, yet feels like a Buddhist & whose alter ego is "Jedi Mom", I say this post just proves you can mix and match whatever works for you and your life & spirituality. Or something like that, anyway.
I just want Maury to post a pic of him "furrowing his brow". (Is that something you have to practice or are you born with it, Mauryevich moi?)
Happy 33rd, and many more!
May get to see the next 100 years, if you want. Well for us 33 years is not yet enough to be like Christ, unless probably you can turn water into wine then by 25 you'd probably be dead already. hahaha. It's still a young age mind you, there's more to life up ahead.
Thanks to all for birthday greetings and well wishes (I'm sure I've already complained about this but that phrase always sounds to me like "well drinks." Thank you for your top shelf call wishes, your single barrel aged wishes, not your Popov's Vodka wishes.)
I officially blogged my Mozart Day.
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