La Somnambule at Bastille, Jan 2010

If you are, like me, a newcomer to opera, you'll want to be sure to do some homework before going to the opera. It's easy to do that on the internet by reading the synopsis of the
La Somnambule which was composed by Vincenzo Bellini in 1831. It is one of three operas for which Bellini is famous: Norma (considered to be his best) and the Puritan.

Originally Bellini had been working on an opera based on Victor Hugo's 'Hernani' but because of scandals connected with 'Hernani', he ended up opting for an opera sure to be a crowd-pleaser without ruffling any feathers. The story is based on a girl who has a sleepwaking disorder in a country village.

Of course, the reason for the full house at Opera Bastille is Nathalie Dessay. The opera allows her to 'strut her stuff' in a few famous arias that demand a singer's very best:

• Come per me sereno"
  
• "Ah! non credea mirarti"
  

You can compare Dessay's interpretation of Ah! non credea mirarti with that of author opera singer greats such as Maria Callas, or Montserrat Caballe.


Which leaves the question - why bother going to the opera when you can listen to the music in your own home -or watch a video? Is it just to say that you've listened to one of the 'great' opera singers in person, or is there part of the opera going experience that sets it apart for reproduced technology?

In this case, I would have to say that you have to experience opera in both ways - for opera is not only about performers but also about spectators. When an audience really loves a singer - there is that communal sigh. This is what sets apart the opera-going experience from reproductions. And this is probably why opera singers would never give up having a stage and live audience.

That being said, I do have some personal criticisms regarding the performance we attended - and that is merely a question of set and costume design. Before buying tickets for a performance - you may want to check out the setting and costume design on the Opera de Paris website. Although last Fall's Barbier de Seville had a phenomenal set, it is common now to dress performers in clothing from totally different time periods. For example, last Fall's performance of La Boheme was performed in 1940 era costumes.

In this case, La Somnambule 's director and set designer Marco Arturo Marelli chose a voluminous art-Deco style 'hotel resort' design one might imagine in a Swiss 'village' in the late 20s or early 1930s whereas the costumes (especially Lisa, the innkeeper's 'power suit' looked more like vintage 1980s). Of course, set design and costumes are a very subjective issue. I would have preferred to have seen a design which remains faithful to the era. Isn't Amina supposed to sing her famous aria as she balances her way across the trestle bridge of a water mill? In this case, she is only viewed from the inside of the auberge/sanitarium. (Le Monde's review mentions the irony of Rodolpho returning to this quaint village happy to see the familiar scenes of the auberge and the old mill (yet he is confronted with art deco bar stools!).

Natalie Dessay is certainly capable of carrying an opera - but she can't carry the stage set on her back as well. Musically speaking she was in excellent company for La Somnambule with Javier Camarena as Elvino, Marie Adeline Henry as Lisa, Michele Perusi as Comte Rodolfo. It was a memorable evening, especially when Dessay appeared for her last solo in a drop-dead red dress that almost made up for the set and costume design blunders (of course all these comments are purely subjective!).

P.S. According to one review, Dessay would have preferred performing La Somanmbule at the Garnier Opera House (thus the closing aria with the backdrop of the traditional Opera House red curtain?). NY Times reviewer Loomis takes a swipe at the her last aria as not being quite up to the 'hauteur' of a diva (but the audience didn't appear to agree - she had a resounding aplause). In other reviews, there were some cryptic comments about the last aria in the red dress. Maybe some of you more informed opera goers can fill me in?

Best Way to Enjoy Paris's Opera House: Go Gala!

Way back when, I wrote in Parislogue that there's no place to dress up in Paris, not even the hallowed Paris Opera house where jeans sidle up alongside sequins. Of course, there will always be those that snivel at this 'bourgeois' rite: how many times have couples repeated the cliches?
Man: Do I have to wear a tie? Woman: I don't have a pair of shoes to match this outfit.

But for those who still maintain their adamant anti-embellishment attitude, might I remind you that even Nature imposes its 'dressing up' dictum for males of certain bird species. When you think that certain bird species spend much of their waking hours decorating nests to attract just the right female, putting on a bowtie for one night doesn't seem like such an imposition after all.

And when the one night happens to be a night at Paris's Opera Houses, either the 19th century bijou, Garnier, or Mitterand's 20th century monolith at Bastille, you might as well just go with the flow, guys. (I think there might even be a few among you who actually like wearing a tux and bowtie. And no matter how handsome you are, you always look even better in black and white!).

This is all a long response my claim that there was 'no place to dress up and 'glow' in Paris', the answer is the Opera Gala which takes place at least four times throughout the year thanks to the organisation Friends of the National Opera of Paris (AROP).

You can book tickets to a Gala performance over the internet with the option of participating in the 'Souper' or cold supper after the opera. If you do decide to dine after the opera, the meal is served right in the halls of the opera house. We had the good fortune to be placed at a table where most of the people were English-speakers (and one of the table guests had actually lived in Rochester for several years). Needless to say you don't go to the 'souper' for the quality of the food (but the wine is quite acceptable!). What you hope for (and of course, there's no guarantee, is to have delightful conversation). In this case, I was not at all disappointed - a gentleman from Columbia to my left and a Bordelais to the right - both true opera fans. The Bordelais suggested I should become more familiar with Mahler (which I will).

If you choose not to opt for the 'souper' a complimentary champagne is served during the intermission with scrumptious hors d'oeuvres (even better than the meal, in my opinion).
Although, formal-wear is not 'de rigueur', men should at least wear a jacket and tie, although most men going to the 'souper' do wear a tux, and women wear either long gowns or cocktail dresses.

If you would like to know more about the opera that we heard, La Somnambule with Natalie Dessay, that will be in another post!

First Class on Thalys: Is it Worth It?

We love traveling by train in Europe, especially in France, but is it really worth going first class? For the past twenty years, we may have taken a first class train in Europe three or four times at most. This past weekend, we tried the Thalys first class train only because dinner was included in the price. The dinner was served promptly. It was actually a cold supper featuring cold fish and an assortment of fresh vegetables - also cold and fresh fruit for dessert. An excellent meal for the health conscious soul. However, pity the person who turns down the coffee or tea after dinner because, surprisingly the bar car was dismantled BEFORE we reached our destination at 9 pm.

Any of you who may be former Amtrak clients (particularly the lines running from the Big Apple) would find it hard to believe that a bar car might close up service after the dinner hour. In fact, the Amtrak bar car (in my humble opinion) was the saving grace for a train service that left much to be desired.

But all I can say to railway enthusiasts who plan on using Thalys, bring your own bottle of water - because once the bar service closes its window, there's not even a drop of water to be found.

Another 'advantage' of traveling first-class is being able to have a taxi called in advance by the train manager (however that only applies to the final city destination!) - a minor detail that might catch you by surprise.

The seats are slightly larger in first-class and they're slightly more adjustable, but not noticeably more comfortable. Other than that, second class and first class arrive in the station at approximately the same time.

If you're traveling second class on the Thalys line, bring your bottle of water - and also your breakfast. We waited in line for half an hour for two croissants. That has to be some sort of world record. While waiting in line I remembered way back when on the Spanish trains (in the seventies) everyone shared food and cigarettes in second class. There was no 'bar car'.

Still, there's no better way to travel than by train. Train fan forever!