Monday, December 20, 2004

Opera Carmen

[17th Dec 04.. Friday]

After few weeks of anticipation, finally get to watch Opera Carmen. Carmen is a French tragic opera based lossely on Prosper Meerimeee's(French writer of romantic stories who wrote a novel by the same name 1846), The opera was composed by Georges Bizet(1838-1875) and first produced in Paris in 1875.

Too bad there was no subtitles given on the night.. :( but still, there were some acts in English..so wasn't that bad after all..

Tenor Don Jose and Mezzo-sopprano Carmen's Act wasn't that great as i've expected.. I felt that their voice wasn't suitable for the character..Don Jose's Finacee Escamillo, sang by Cecilia was far better than Carmen's act, Jessica.

Only the best part was at ACT 2, when Escamillo(Baritone) appeared and sang "Vortre toast, je peux vous le rendre".. it was the best of the show during Act 1 and Act 2.

well... each Act lasted about 50 mins and interlude of 10 mins after Act 1 and 20 mins after Act 2..

During interval after Act2, we left the place cuz was too hungry..didn't take the dinner before the show... and seems the other partner wasn't enjoying that much.. so didn't want to torture him.. =P

There were quite number of people sleeping during the show..gosh..haha

Decided to back to the show on Saturday with mom since she was so eager to watch it too..

[Synop]
The opera is set in the year 1820, in seville, Spain.

The lead heroine is Carmen(a mezzo-soprano) . She is a cigarette girl of who is passionate,gorgeous,temperamental and deliciously mysterious.In no time she wins the heart, mind and soul of Don Jose(a tenor) who is a corporal of the dragoons(an elite group in the army).He has a promising career,but throws it all away,forgetting honor and duty,totally blind to love, goes AWOL, and joins Carmen and a band of smugglers even he has a finacee who was waiting for him in his hometown.

Having destroyed her lover's career,she tosses him off like a child bored with a new toy, and turns her affections to a new man-a handsome and popular bull figher Escamillo(a baritone).Unable to accept her rejection, Don Jose confronts Carmen outside the arena where she awaits her new lover and he stabs her with a knife. The bullfighter,victorious in the ring, victorious in love,emerges to claim the woman with the crowd shouting his praises and they all find Don Jose with bloody hands sobbing over the lifeless body of Carmen.

8 comments:

凱西 said...

woahh..hayanna so high class..watch opera..if for me i sure fall asleep 1..hehe...

freddie said...

french?? i guess i'll be blur blur there.

dunno why, most of the opera/musical took place in france. miss saigon, les miserable, phantom of the opera...

hmm... must learn french. :D and eat more french fries!!

hayanna said...

french fries...lol~
french toast also.. ^^;

hayanna said...

Phantom of the opera is a muscial..which means more lively act..
Opera Carmen is an Opera..quite dull yet fascinating..
well..let me go to watch Phantom of the opera first , then let me compare..

freddie said...

when you're have a chance, watch les miserable. the music was very nice...

hayanna said...

M'sia not much opportunities to c those... :(

SKII said...

Browse thru ur blog link from ericca site. Nice. Was there too during this carmen show. Too bad the subtitle was n/a. Had a hard time understanding the whole show!

SKII said...
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