Although I have spent many years in the world of performing arts I had never seen an opera before February. I have seen opera singers perform on board cruise ships but never a whole opera from start to finish. Although I attended ballet classes as a child, it was never something I found easy or natural and perhaps therefore had no real desire to watch one.
I am pleased to say that the decision of which to choose (ballet or opera) was made easy, in that Edward opted to book for an opera as a Christmas present. He actually was a real superstar and chose Puccini’s ‘La Turandot’, which includes the well-known song Nessun Dorma. A song that I have seen performed many times by many individual performers, and hold very dear to my heart due to it being played during my most memorable sunset view which is another story for another time.
This opera actually involved ticking off another on my 40to40 list as we had to fly to Vienna in Austria to see it! Having never been to this country, I can be sure to have achieved #29 Visit places/countries that you never been to before.
Arriving at the Wiener Staatsoper I was immediately struck by the grandeur of the building built in 1869. Walking through the entrance it was a little crowded and unclear where to go. It was a Black-Tie dress code and I was immediately surprised at how some people had chosen not to observe this, where-as Edward and I had wanted to make the most of the sense of occasion.
As this was my first time in an Opera House I was immediately struck at the grand staircases. With my only comparisons to the West End, Broadway and local theatres, it was clear to see how opulence was a feature throughout. I now regrettably wish that whilst living in Milan, I had taken the opportunity to see inside the Teatro alla Scala. Ironically, La Turandot was first performed in 1926 at the well-known Italian Opera House. Oh well, if I become an opera buff that may be on next year’s list!
My immediate observation in the auditorium was the orchestra in front of the stage. For many people music connects to their inner soul, and I am definitely one of those people. It doesn’t really matter what music it is, although I obviously have my favourites, but listening to live music is so powerful and often hugely emotive for me. Having worked alongside a seven-piece orchestra for my fifteen years on cruise ships, means I have been spoilt with live music and hearing many styles being played by talented musicians. However, something that always seemed to be lacking on board the ships is the addition of stringed instruments.
The sight of the orchestra at Wiener Staatsoper was immense! The sheer number of instruments in the orchestra pit was powerful but the sound of cellos, violins and violas all playing together was actually quite overwhelming. The entire orchestra comprised of at least 60 musicians all playing together, helping to emotively tell the story of Turandot.
A common example that may highlight this might be the addition of stringed instruments in a James Bond movie soundtrack. Pretty iconic and easily recognised, so the removal of the strings would impact greatly. Perhaps the song would sound nothing like the original or have such a powerful impact.
My anticipation of what to expect from La Turandot, was also filled with intrigue about whether I would understand the story. Ironically, I do speak Italian (not fluently but it’s on the list!), but thought that it may be just a little too fast paced. I purposefully didn’t research beforehand as I wanted to allow myself to be fully submerged in the experience. Theatre after all is about more than just language, and I wanted to allow myself to absorb every part of the drama.
Of course, classical music seems synonymous with Austria and every part of the city reflects this is some way or another. Not being a classical music aficionado, I was pleased to learn more about Mozart and visit his statue in the Burggaten. Such a visually striking reference to one of the country’s best known composers.
The beauty of the auditorium again reminded why I love theatres and how I have always found them similar to that of a place of worship. With so much colour and vibrant energy the opera house was no different. I am especially reminded of this at present, writing when theatres and performance spaces are currently closed and the industry is being so hugely impacted by the global pandemic of Covid -19.
The ability to understand the story is not something I should have been concerned about. Each seat has a TV screen in front of it allowing you to choose a language, so that all of the spoken dialogue is immediately translated for you to read.
Another observation of the direction of this opera was the decision to have the chorus sat on stage in auditorium style theatre row seating, which slid in and out of the wings at the relevant part of the story. This gave us the audience, a view of another audience, almost giving the impression that we were part of the performance. In theatre, the removal of the fourth wall always allows us the viewer to feel like the voyeur, as though we are intruding and wrongly observing other people’s lives playing out in front of us.
At the end of the show I was surprised to discover that there is a very quick changeover for another completely different performance the next evening. The opera house clearly is an active provider of live theatre, with a total of 350 performances of more than 60 different operas and ballets almost every evening.
I was surprised how large the cast was and the number of people on stage at any one time. Theatre and performance encompasses a huge amount of tradition and rituals, none more so it seems than Opera. The curtain call in particular includes several bows and could be an act all of its own, different to any other type of performance such as a play or musical.
The story is definitely relatable and in Edward’s words, ‘typical women wanting a guy to jump through hoops and then she can’t make up her mind whether she wants him’! My abridged summary is as follows: With Prince Calaf trying to gain permission to marry the cold Princess and agreeing to complete several challenges in order to win her hand in marriage. He is successful but the Princess refuses his offer so instead Calaf sets her a challenge of her own, in which she must discover his name by dawn or he will face death. The Princess in turn falls in love with the Prince (after several acts) and ends by saying that his name is love. Queue the happy ending, although in true opera style, melodrama and blood shed had to happen to get us there.