When I got a chance to
stay in Budapest for the season opening weekend of the opera, I was truly
happy. The Hungarian National opera opened the season with a big bang by
organizing a good amount of both free-of-charge and paid programme for all
opera fans. The free-of-charge programme covered some short operas sung in
Hungarian on the Sphinx Terrace of the Budapest Opera House, which is at the
moment under renovation.
The first free opera
was Gaetano Donizetti’s The Bell (or The Night Bell). It is an hour-long comedy,
where the aging chemist marries a young woman and the ex-boyfriend of the said
woman rings the doorbell in various disguises to delay the wedding night, since
the chemist must leave on a trip in the morning. So it was a perfectly suitable
opera for an outdoor stage on a beautiful warm summer day.
I really liked Lajos
Geiger, who sung the role of the ex-boyfriend Enrico. Such a stunning voice!
His counterpart, the young bride Serafina was Orsolya Hajnalka Röser, whose
highest notes were superbly bright and beautiful. In addition to them, I absolutely
have to mention the chemist himself, Don Annibale Pistacchio that is Lászlo
Szvétek, who was a true comedy talent.
I have to admit that
after the performance I was wondering why couldn’t the Finnish National Opera
open its season with something similar, but perhaps it would not be quite as
nice an experience when it is 10 degrees and raining. But sometimes such little
operas could be perfect for outdoors even in Finland and free performances
might entice new audiences to opera. And it definitely would give a chance to
show some rare little operas, that you do not normally see that often.
 |
| The Sphix Terrace |
 |
| Serafina and Enrico |
 |
| The performers |
Ei kommentteja:
Lähetä kommentti