Why Timisoara seems, to me, to be further than Bucharest, Budapest, Vienna or even Munich or Dortmund?
Or is it so?!? :O

"Today in Timisoara/ Tomorrow in the whole country! " (It rhymes in Romanian.)
This was a chant for the 1989 Revolution in the first city that succeeded to free itself of the postbellum communism. (It wasn`t the first city to rise up against the Ceausist dictatorship; several attempts existed at Petrosani in 1977, most of all at Brasov in 1987, and many more. Bucharest was the first city that managed to break the communist chain.)

Timisoara (Banat capital) is the biggest city in the western part of the country and one of the biggest in Romania. It has a population of 300.000 citizens and an eventful history, being part of Austrian Empire, Ottoman Empire or Hungary exaggeratedly extended and unjustified- like the other two empires.

Practically, in Timisoara the Romanian football was born. Local teams like Chinesse (Chinezul) and Ripensia won together the national championship 10 times (6+4) - how I like to write about sports in articles with opera as main subject :-) - Timisoara still being the city with the most championship titles in Romania. But this are old achievements from the inter-war era, unfortunately for the effervescent public of Timisoara, this successes where realized a long time ago, so only lived from papers, books and stories for the present people.
(Opera fans mustn`t be sad even in sports articles I like to write about opera! :-) ) ) )

The main touristic attractions are in the center of the city: the area between the Opera and Orthodox Cathedral contains, amongst them (which are the most important), Politehnica (Politechnical University), the fountain with fishes, Lupoaica (Wolf) a monument dedicated to the 1989 Revolution heroes. A bit further is the beautiful Piata Unirii (Union Square), but until there we can find a classic lighting pole on which is inscribed that Timisoara is the first European city with lamp lighting, the event having place in 1912.
The river Bega crosses the city and near it the Roses Park is situated. This is where in each summer are being held the opera festivals, in open air. There is a university, polyvalent hall (old), stadium, but they are uninterestingly, from a touristic point of view. Well, maybe the stadium, for its atmosphere in an important game day.

The Opera in Timisoara, by its "ID card" name The National Romanian Opera Timisoara, shares the same building with the National Theatre (Romanian) "Mihai Eminescu" and with the German State Theatre (which functions in another hall). The interior has three rows of lodges (theatre boxes) and a ceiling that looks like a dome and in the middle of it there is a chandelier with painted images resembling those of orthodox churches. Its balcony entered the history between the years 1989-1990, when from up there, with massive risks for its participants, protests were read against the communist regime in December 1989, respectively "The Proclamation from Timisoara" a few months later, unfortunately it never got put into practice. Personally, I do not know any other lodge of any Opera that has a historic significance :-) , but I remember that when I first arrived there, I felt somehow, apart, imagining people gathered in front of the Opera shouting against the communist. For this sort of things the young ones are not aware of how dangerous it was, you could go to jail or even die!
(An interesting fact is that on my way back with the train, just a few minutes past since I wrote this idea- yes the majority of the articles are written on trains, on a smartphone :-) - I started talking with an old man who was 89 years old. He told me about cases between the years 1950-1954 when people went to jail, for some good years, just because they sad that the German cannons are better polished, meaning more beautiful than the Russian ones, another dared to say that the Romanian penicillin breaks if dropped from 1 meter above the ground and the French one doesn`t, even he hardly avoided after he "dared" to fix a Soviet telescope which came defect from the factory! )

For me it was the other way around, first in the whole country then in Timisoara. I mean I went to all the major Operas in the country and at last in Timisoara. And even so it`s still the other way around; I mean first I saw the Opera from outside. After some years, many, about nine, I saw it from inside- -just the hall, there weren`t any spectacles- and went to the historic lodge. After other years, still many, about six, at the Opera Festival held in Timisoara, in open air and at the end of each summer in the Roses Park, I saw "Carmen" and the next day "Bat". A year later, finally I saw a spectacle in the Opera Hall, "Troubadour" by Verdi, followed at just one week away by "The fiddler on the roof", from both of them I had to leave early to catch the train towards Bucharest. And now after two years, "Aida", which started earlier than the usual hour, due to this reason the first for me, in the hall of the Opera in Timisoara, to see it until the end. And the first one I write about. :-)
So here I am, at the fifth spectacle seen at Timisoara. An achievement that I am proud of, keeping in mind that between Timisoara and Bucharest there is a railway distance of 533km. When going. Meaning 1066km there and back, making this opera the most far in the country for me.

I named it Bulgarian-Serbian Aida because the main characters where interpreted by artists from this countries. They were like the opera subject, the Egyptians Radames and Amneris where interpreted by the Bulgarians and the Ethiopian Aida by a Serbian. A real Balkan war! :-) You would`ve expected that Timisoara, a Romanian city, so neutral, would be the place for signing a truce, but no chance for that! Radames betrayed Sofia just like he betrayed Thebes and Amneris put him in the crypts under Alexandr Nievsky with the same passion and pain like he "incubated" under the pyramids on the Nile bank! :-)
(Another coincidence, before arriving to Timisoara for "Aida", was that when I passed through Craiova, during those days a Romanian-Bulgarian-Serbian political meeting was being held and all the city was studded by the flags of the two guest countries! I arrived at Timisoara and still found them! :-) )

Putting the jokes aside, it wasn`t anything East-European in the production of the Opera from Timisoara, except maybe the Romanian translation. :-) The set-up did remind of ancient Egypt, although the costumes looked new and a bit shiny as fabrication materials. The scenery was simplistic: a few geometric constructions in the shape of a parallelepiped with a trapezoidal structure- the base being wider, predominantly gold with red or blue parallel stripes arranged differently in each part. But the respective forms, besides the fact they were a little shiny, they only had a few Egyptians markings drawn on them on a single side, which could be seem rarely. For their localization in North-Eastern Africa the imagination of the spectator is required.
Except these small forgivable mistakes- deh, not even I am perfect :-) - the spectacle was excellent, and the Timisoarean public rewarded the artists, besides with the money for the tickests :-) with warm applause. Sometimes when it wasn`t the right moment they would still applaud, I am referring at the musical pauses that Verdi deliberately left to create a waiting effect, which is lost because of the knocked hands.

"Building a throne near the Sun for you! "
Radames is wearing a costume, predominantly violet with golden and grey insertions. The priests are in blue with gold and the high priest only dark gold with black. The overall impression given by the costumes is "out of the boxes" (brand new).
Amneris dressed in white, with a blue and golden belt, an intense blue make-up, black Egyptian hair-style on which she has a golden headband. "E dessa! " "It is she! " in a dark garnet dress, holding white flowers in her hands, long black hair garnished with golden brooches. The Serbian is beautiful and looks ready for a ball, not as a slave. :-)

The scene is filled by soldiers and priests. "Return victoriuuuuus! "
After, a frieze is dropped instead of a curtain on which there is an image with the desert, three pyramids and the Moon. Aida sings in front of it.
"Wretched me, what did I say! "
"Gods, have mercy of my suffering! "

"Powerfull Fthaa! "
Priests. The four parallelepipeds were rearranged; two on the sides, two in the back and in the middle there are some stairs. From the back, two girls are coming with tight, dark garnet costumes closed with a collar and a golden headband; one with a scarf, another with a sword and the third with a flame, the last is occupying the center of the scene. The music is changed and other dancers appear. When Radames receives the sword as a commander of the army, the lights over the scene are changed to red.
"We invoke you, great Fhta! "
The lights are off, only the girl with the flame remains visible.

During the break, the curtain is replaced by another picture with pyramids. Then we discover, rearranged parallelepipeds, there are two in front, one in front of the other, creating a tight scene. In (I don`t know why) the little space lowered `till the pit, Amneris rules along her servants in dark blue, black tails "touched" in different places with gold and wearing blue and golden headbands. The little blacks aren`t black :-) , they are represented by 4 girls wearing golden with dark green clothes and something purple-black and are dancing around the pharaoh daughter in the little space left by the production. The scenery is completed by a few big fans held by the stick from the middle of them and by two strong Banateano-Egyptians which are bringing Amneris`s divan.

Another picture with a pyramid and a river separates the moments. The parallelepipeds where rearranged- there are 330 ways to arrange 4 parallelepipeds on 11 positions :-) now they are on the sides. The choir is white and positioned in the back. The Pharaoh, Amneris-which have big helmets on their heads- and then the rest arrive one by one. Six soldiers and six girls are marching and dancing on the Triumphal March music. Radames arrives holding his sword up.
"Savior of our country, I salute you! "
The prisoners are all tied with the same rope. They wear brown predominantly, and half are women.

Until the 330th alternative it`s a long way and the parallelepipeds are set up differently. :-) And even in other than the 11 positions that I took into consideration, so the number of combinations is in fact a lot bigger :-) combination of X taken by 4. ;-) They cut the scene two by two parallel on a diagonal. Amneris and the girls that chaperon her have violet veils on their facies. Aida is wearing a dress with the same model but a different colour.
"My country, I will never see you again! "
"Sky! My father! "
"You will review the sweet forests."
"I will see you again, o, sweet Aida! "
"Let us run together! "
"Napata Pass! "
"I am dishonored! "
"Priest, I remain in your power! "

The trial takes place between the parali... parapallele... paparallelepiped... parallelepipeds :-) arranged in a V form with the point in the back. Radames has his hands tied with a chain, wears a violet blouse and a dark blue skirt with golden patterns. During the trial he stands on his knees.
"Traitoooor! Traitoooooor! "
"Traitooooooooor! "

The image on the canvas between the acts consists on a pyramid in the left and the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun in the right. The parallelepipeds are in a wide U shape with the opening towards the scene. Radames is brought in the tomb by two soldiers which unties his hands and leaves.
"Aida, where are youuu?"

"To lose your life in the bloom of your age?"
"The sky created you for love, I am killing you although I love you! "
"All has ended for us on Earth"
"Good bye, valley of cry! "
Amneris, accompanied by four girls who hold four flames: "Peaace! Peaaace! Peaaaace! "

Bucharest- Timisoara Theorem
1. Initial data
The following cities are given: Bucharest, Timisoara, Budapest, Vienna, Munich, the first two are in the same city, Romania. Afterwards, at the given set Dortmund is added, situated in the West of Germany, relatively close to France and Benelux.

2. Hypothesis
Timisoara is further of Bucharest than the rest of the cities in the given set.

3. Demonstration
To demonstrate the conclusion, a famous theory is applied, but unknown by anybody :-) :
The theory of relativity exemplified through maps :-) :
As a child I liked looking at maps and imagining that I am going there and there. Looking objectively at the map of Romania, the way you always look when you are little :-) , Timisoara is very far from Bucharest, about 3 palms. On the map of Europe, between Bucharest and Budapest, Vienna, Munich it`s only one palm and a half, maybe two! :-)
It may seem a joke, but it isn`t, even now when I am older and only think that I`m objective. :-)
The sensation I have when I leave towards Timisoara is similar with the one I have when I am leaving towards Edinburgh or Lisbon! Meaning somewhere "near the edge"! :-)

Demonstration 2
Jerome K. Jerome wrote that a man may laugh of other people ghosts, being fabrication of a sick mind, but when it comes to his ghosts he KNOWS for sure they are real! :-)
Starting from this lemma, I will demonstrate through another method that Timisoara is further than Bucharest than Dortmund, for example! ;-)
Recently, since low cost air planes appeared, I payed 39 RON for a flight from Craiova to Dortmund, making two hours on the way- at which one hour is added from the railway to the airport, after I payed 62 RON for a 3 hour ride by train from Bucharest to Craiova! From Bucharest to Timisoara the train costs 110 RON, that`s more than 101 RON payed for Bucharest-Dortmund and travels this distance in 9 hours which is more than the 6 hours (3+1+2) of Bucharest-Dortmund!
Qvot Eram Demonstratum! :-) (which is what had to be proven! )

Observation for the mean ones :-) A counterdemonstration for a plane Bucharest -Timisoara is not possible because the price of this flight is a minimum of 300 RON, way above the 110 RON given as example above.

Consequences
From the demonstration of the theorem Bucharest - Timisoara it can be observed that the Romanian city Bucharest is situated further then the Romanian city Craiova compared to the German city Dortmund. :-)
Also it can be demonstrated that Oslo, it took me 3 hours to arrive, paying 80 RON, is also closer to Bucharest than Timisoara! And only 18RON further than Craiova! :-)

4. Conclusions
Do not laugh of a child theorems! ;-)

PS: I must admit that there was a moment when Timisoara was physically closer to Bucharest; it happened in 2011, when I came only by train from Lisbon! :-)

Distribution:
King: OCTAVIAN VLAICU
Amneris MIROUSLAVA YORDANOVA (Bulgaria)
Aida DRAGANA RADAKOVIÄŒ (Serbia)
Radames KAMEN CHANEV (Bulgaria)
Ramfis ALEXANDRU MOISIUC
Amonasro CARLOS ALMAGUER (Mexic)
Mesanger MARIUS ZAHARIA
High Priestess CRINA VEZENTAN
Balet Soloists: Cristina RomÃ¢ndaÈ™u, Manuela Ardelean, Alina Mihai, Alin Radu
Choir, orchestra and the ballet ensemble belongs to the National Romanian Opera Timisoara

Nota actuala: 9 (din 1 note acordate) - Acorda o nota!

Alte titluri din aceeasi categorie

30-09-2024: Aida storica 1913
"Aida" in Verona 100 + 1. A hundred emotions plus one, yours!

Arena di Verona, the most Italian place on Earth!

These are the slogans through which Arena di Verona has chosen this year, 2024, to promote the Opera Festiva ...
[ continuare ]
[ Autor Adrian Trasca ]
Din categoria THE Articles

21-09-2024: Aida shines brightly at the Arena di Verona
The Arena di Verona is also presenting a modern version of Aida, in addition to the old but wonderful version from 1913. And it looks something like this!

The stage is tilted, and the floor is made of glass. In the center, a giant hand ...
[ continuare ]
[ Autor Adrian Trasca ]
Din categoria THE Articles

11-09-2024: Tosca a Verona 2024
Mario`s painting is huge, but... it`s on the floor, lying on its side. Mario doesn`t actually paint it, but "works" on some sketches. In the center of the stage you can see some huge shapes/objects, covered with black cloths. There are also two canno ...
[ continuare ]
[ Autor Adrian Trasca ]
Din categoria THE Articles

01-09-2024: â€œLa bohemeâ€ at Arena di Verona
Arena di Verona. We arrive. We park. We get off. We take a few pictures with the Arena in the background, then ... a heavy rain starts! We take shelter under a tree. :-) I don`t think the show is happening anymore, but we can`t leave either, so we ju ...
[ continuare ]
[ Autor Adrian Trasca ]
Din categoria THE Articles

20-12-2023: Spoletta, symbol of Hungarian anti-communist resistance
Budapest Opera House was inaugurated in 1884 to be a competition for Vienna StaatsOper. It is localised in the center of the hungarian capital, just a few minutes behind St. Stefan cathedral, the bigest church of the city. In 2022 is was open again a ...
[ continuare ]
[ Autor Adrian Trasca ]
Din categoria THE Articles

In constructie