And so – what of the opera?
My Mum's 1939 copy of the “Complete Opera Book“ by Gustave Kobbé tells me that Carmen, by Georges Bizet, was first performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris on March 3rd 1875.
Kobbé and other sources make clear that the audience reaction to that performance was distinctly mixed. The first act received applause and even curtain calls, but by the end of Act II the audience reaction was significantly muted, and for Acts III and IV, practically non-existent. This hostile reception seems to be due to the themes (this was a forerunner of what would become known as verismo – realistic opera that deals with real lives and raw emotions), and the opera appears to have been simply too shocking for the Opéra-Comique's genteel audience. Tragically, Bizet died of a heart attack just three months after the premiere, believing the opera to be a failure, whereas it has since gone on to become the third most-performed opera in the world, with more than 16,800 performances of more than 1600 distinct productions since that time.
We only had to listen to the audience members speaking in the foyer, and then around us, to realise that there were a significant number of native French speakers in the House. Against that background, expectations were quite high. How sad, then, that I felt a little underwhelmed by the whole experience. I lack the critical skills and knowledge to offer a truly informed review, so what follows is simply my gut reaction.
Since the start of the revival of his production earlier in
the year, the principal roles have been sung by two distinct casts, and tonight
Carmen was being sung by the Russian mezzo-soprano, Anna Goryachova. It saddens me to say that I was not convinced
by her performance – vocally, I thought she was disappointing, and I also felt that
she lacked the physicality needed for us to believe that she had not one but
two suitors effectively twisted around her little finger. Unfortunately, the reviews below all relate
to the earlier spring run, featuring the alternate cast. However, comments relating to the production
(as opposed to the individual artists) are valid, and I agreed with some of the
less enthusiastic ones. Common to both
casts, the playing of Don José's childhood sweetheart Micaëla as a cross
between Ugly Betty and Amy Farrah Fowler
from The Big Bang Theory
seemed somewhat cruelly bizarre.
So – overall I was left with two conflicting emotions; on
the one hand I would be disappointed to sit through another production of Carmen
on a par with this, while at the same time I would love to see one that really
met my hopes and expectations. Only time
will tell which one comes about…
Of course, I could not finish this account without a few
comments on the audience. It being the
end of June, and well into the tourist season, the audience appeared to have
more than its fair share of first-timers and those wishing merely to take in a “reet
good show“. The constant clapping at the
end of the majority of the arias quickly palled – but not as quickly as the yakking
from the couple behind us. Oh dear –
only two years in, and I'm becoming an opera snob. Ah well, plus ça change as Bizet might
have said…
Out, and a brisk walk to Covent Garden Underground station. We arrived at St Pancras with plenty of time to purchase refreshments and to sit and people-watch until it was time for boarding.
No comments:
Post a Comment