My first, uncertain taste of opera was in 2020. Although I had enjoyed the experience, I had struggled to follow the story and by the time I had read the translation screen hanging above, I had missed some of the action on the stage below 🙄.

 

A friend, who enjoys opera from time to time, recommended I should see a performance of Carmen. He suggested I would recognise several of the arias which would obviously make it a whole different experience.  I told myself I should read the synopsis of any future opera, beforehand. Failing that, which I did, I would have to read the translations faster, so as not to miss any of the performance on the stage.

At the beginning of the month, the Ukrainian National Opera from Dnipro were performing at one of our local theatres, the De La Warr Pavilion, so with said friend and his lovely wife, we donned our glad rags, enjoyed an alcoholic beverage and got comfortable ready to enjoy this three hour show.

The orchestra also took their seats and after the conductor had accepted the rapturous applause, the curtains raised for act one. 👏👏

We meet the beautiful, sexy, Carmen very early in the first act, as she leaves the cigarette factory at the end of the day, with her fellow workers. Immediately surrounded by flirtatious young local men, she struts amongst them teasing and tempting them as she goes. As she burst into the first aria, the love song “Habanera”,  I instantly recognised the music, and that was it I was hooked 🥰.

I have learned that, most operas, it seems, are a story of love, power, manipulation, seduction and survival. Carmen didn’t disappoint, by the end of the act one, she has already seduced her first lover, Don Jose, who had not only abandoned his childhood sweetheart, he had gone to prison to protect Carmen.

So far the subtitles had been fairly short, easy to digest, but sufficient enough to allow us to follow the story whilst still enjoying the performances on stage.

The curtain had barely raised for Act two and Carmen had wasted no time, whilst her lover was in prison, to find another. Escamillo, a bullfighter, sashays his way to the front of the stage and bursts into another well known aria, the Toreador Song 🎶 His deep voice alongside the jaunty music, entranced you as he described his life in the bullring.

 Wow, just Wow 🤩

As the story unfolds, we were whisked along on a tale of smuggling, love rivalry, betrayal and the struggle of the now released Don Jose’s pursuit of Carmen, against his loyalty to his now dying mother.

After she rejects his final plea to her, to leave Escamillo, she throws back a ring he had previously gifted her. And as she attempts to run passed him, to leave, he draws a knife and stabs her.

It appears that most operas, take you on a journey full of love, treachery, heartache but end in tragedy with the demise of one of the main characters 🤷‍♀️

Carmen was no different, but the live orchestra combined with the exquisite voices, and that we recognised many of the arias, made it a totally different experience.

An experience both myself and the hubby enjoyed. We may just wait for another recommendation and immerse ourselves again. Maybe taking in the Glyndbourne Festival at the same time.