The English Armchair Abroad

More Blue Jacket photos

I finally put new batteries in my camera this morning so some more photos of my current pride and joy. 

From the back (ignore the mess)

 

The collar detail (look at that blue!)

Frogging to die for from e-craft

And finally a bag with the leftovers - fullly lined of course!

Thank you for all your kind comments.  I hope you enjoy the update.

L'Opera de Bauge 2011

I went this year with a group of friends to La Boheme by Puccini.  We went on the first night which turned out to be the first night of the two week festival.  This is always a nerve-racking moment for festival organisers (I used to organise music festivals in the UK - in another life!) but to me in my role as Joe Public any problems were well hidden.

The six main singers were fabulous.  One wobble from Mimi early on but after that it was brilliant.  The orchestra ditto.  Musetta was excellent and as well as singing a dream is a superb actress.  Her performance during the second act had eyes flying out of heads I think!  

Marcello won the hearts of all of my female friends.  He and Musetta worked brilliantly together.

The choir might need a bit more rehearsal;  the beginning of the second act had a lot of people on stage and the singing was not very together;  but I believe that although there are rehearsals through the year there are only a few rehearsals at Bauge with the whole cast - and presumably orchestra - together before the start of the festival.

 

The last act is inevitably tragic.  It's clear from the start that Mimi was ill and her makeup artist did a great job with her colour towards the end.  How she made herself look thinner as well is a  mystery and one I would REALLY like to share!  Joking aside I don't think I was the only one moved to tears.  Acting is such a huge part of an opera performance and Mimi and Rodolfo were excellent.  

The leader of the orchestra was a familiar face and, I suspect, many of the other musicians. This is a festival that seems to have a lot of loyalty from singers and musicians alike.  And also the audience.  Lots of familiar faces there too.

We were lucky with the uncertain weather and had a very enjoyable picnic in the garden.  There were less picnickers this year but maybe they were put off by the threatening clouds that were visible as we arrived. We persevered though and sure enough enjoyed both a pre-opera aperatif and an interval picnic with sunny spells and a lovely warm temperature.

I mentionned last year that the wonderful theatre tent has been replaced by a rather dull but infinitely more practical tent.  The stage is larger, there are more seats and even right in the front row we had a marvellous view of everything going on on-stage.  

The organisers have tried to improve the seating - the seat backs are slightly higher than I remember last year.  However, in terms of comfort they are abysmal and for a long performance they are definitely less than third rate.  The first half lasted approximately 1'40" I think and by this time my back was aching badly - and I don't suffer from a bad back.  The rest of my party was of the same opinion and the people on my other side, who were visiting the opera for the first time, didn't come back for the second half because of the seats.

I was told in no uncertain terms by one of the organisers that "everyone was complaining about the seats", there was nothing that could be done and I'd simply have to buy a Festival cushion (cost 5 euros available on site) and put up with it.  I didn't buy a cushion because I already had one that I'd bought for the picnic.  I took it in with me during the second half and I can assure you it made no difference whatsoever.  

I've sat in plastic bucket seats before and although they are never the comfiest in the world I've never had this problem before.  I think the cause may be that they are so flexible - when you lean back the back of the seat goes back with you.  I'm quite tall and really need the back support.  The people who left were not tall but were substantial in size (how to put that politely but clearly?) and I suspect when they leant back the support was even more inadequate.

Well, if it's true that "everyone was complaining about the seats" (his words not mine) let's hope the organisers listen and try again to find a solution.  I don't think a minimum of comfort is too much to expect.  

I certainly wish this opera festival well for the rest of the season and look forward to returning next year - although perhaps I'll just buy the cheapest seats and sit on the stairs.

Desert Island Discs

I don't always enjoy this programme but if you have a chance in the next seven days do listen to this weeks which featured David Cobbold of Knebworth Hall.  I think this is the link

Good music and both interesting and amusing.

Rigoletto - L'Opera de Bauge

I feel so fortunate to have some friends nearby who love opera and are kind enough to invite me when they go to the Opera de Bauge.  I have written about this before.  It is a two week opera festival started eight years ago by an English couple who had bought a small property in Bauge.  They love opera and decided to start a festival along the lines of Garsington or one of the English Summer music festivals.  It really is lovely;  the opera starts at 6pm so you set up your table and chairs in the garden ready for your picnic in the interval.  Then it's back to the second half and it all ends at about 10pm.

In the past they have used the most lovely tent which once inside transports you to an Elizabethan theatre.  Upholstered seats, loggia boxes, the lot.  I know there were disadvantages for the musicians but really, it was wonderful and, to be honest, was what gave the festival its name and reputation - everyone talked about the magical theatre and the atmosphere it created.  Sadly, all good things come to an end and it would appear the problems with this lovely theatre were too great and it had to be changed.  This year the theatre was far more ordinar but, no doubt, a lot more practical for musicians and organisers.  I do hope they change the dreadfully uncomfortable seating though - plastic bucket seats with backs that are so low you barely notice them are just not good enough when people are paying up to 60 euros for a ticket.

Despite that Rigoletto was lovely.  I know that people who are used to the delights of Paris and Covent Garden can be quite la-di-da about L'Opera de Bauge.  Certainly the acting side of the production left plenty to be desired - a courtier who spent much of his time looking as though he had some dreadful dietary complaint, and Gilda who managed to look merely slightly miffed having been kidnapped and raped, hmmm.  But these are mostly young singers and I'm sure their acting skills will improve as their careers develop. Rigoletto and the Duc more than made up for any shortcomings and the Count of Monterone was positively evil as he curses the Duc and Rigoletto!  The final scene when Rigoletto finds his daughter dying in the sack was superb and nearly required the tissues.  The conductor, Philip Hesketh and the orchestra leader Edmund Reid held both orchestra and singers together and produced a truly delightful evening.

Finally, I should add that the loos have been changed - YES!  They were once again spotlessly clean during the interval (the busiest time) and, best of all, they were big enough for both the woman AND her handbag!

There are no photos on the Opera de Bauge website of Rigoletto so instead I'm including a short YouTube clip of Placido Domingo (please let me know if it doesn't load and I'll get rid of it):