The Tragedy of Carmen

I have alot of things to say about my current trip to London, done some fun things and some not so fun things. First of all though I should report back on Carmen which I was so excited about seeing.

IT WAS IN ENGLISH!!! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!! When the overture started I was on the edge of my seat, a single tear forming at the corner of my eye... I was so excited, so pleased to be there. And then as the Chorus began to sing 'Sur La Place' I realised something was wrong. These weren't the words that Bizet had written but some translation that dengerated it to the level of some Lloyd-Weber musical!! Opera does not do particularly well in English, especially not one like Carmen which is a French portrayal of an idealistic Spain. Once it is transferred to English so much is lost. The singers sound foolish as they harmonise with unmelodious words, retorting to eachother with a blank language. The sonority of the Habanera and the Toreador are lost, they might as well have been in Phantom of the Opera or Cats.

I've never cared particularly about the words of the songs, it's always been about the way that the music makes me breathless, the fact that I can get totally lost in it. But while listening to it in English the words were all too apparent. I tried to lose language, to forgot all my words but it would keep creeping back and made the entire experience an effort rather than a joy.

Perhaps it is my own fault. I should have done more research on the English National Opera but one would generally assume that an Opera would be in the language it was written in. As I flicked through the program I discovered that their next prodution is going to be 'The Ring' .... in English.

Tonight I'm off to see Orbital. I absolutely can't wait. I can only hope that the Hartnoll brothers haven't opted for a translation. It would be terrible to be faced with Orbital by pan-pipes.

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