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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Maryanne Murray as told to Katie Cunningham

The kindness of strangers: a concierge gave me his mother’s opera ticket

Concert-goers in a viewing box at a premiere
‘It was such a thrilling night. The seat was in absolute prime position.’ Illustration: Victoria Hart/Alamy/Guardian design

At age 20, I fell head over heels in love with opera. It happened after seeing Joseph Losey’s film adaptation of Don Giovanni. Something clicked in me. I became a fervent subscriber to the Australian Opera and saw every opera I possibly could.

A few years later, I was travelling in France with my parents and discovered that Don Giovanni was being performed in Avignon while we were there, with José van Dam, who had played Leporello in the film, starring as Don Giovanni. I simply had to get a ticket to see it.

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