La Traviata, which needs no introduction, will open the opera program. While the people of Nice are well-acquainted with Cristina Pasaroiu, they will certainly be thinking of Franck Ferrarri, who recently passed away; he was supposed to play the role of Germont.
La Traviata inspired a Venetian critic to say this phrase where everything is said: “Those whose eyes remain dry in front of this music do not have a human heart beating in their chest.” Then in January, we will go to Venice, the lagoon. An opera, a film, a film, an opera. Benjamin Britten and Luchino Visconti simultaneously wrote the film and the opera based on Thomas Mann’s work; Tadzio is still that beautiful adolescent who inflames hearts and troubles souls.
The beauty is devilish, the film is a masterpiece and the opera is said to be its mirror. In February, during carnival time, things will be a bit lighter. Il Barbiere di Siviglia, based on Beaumarchais’ work, is a comic opera where the Age of Enlightenment opposes the Jesuits. With the arrival of spring in March, we will have Meyerbeer and the Huguenots, an evocation of the religious wars and the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.
The opera season ends in May with Cherubini’s Medea. The libretto, written in French and in alexandrines, is performed in Italian to avoid the interpretation difficulties of the French libretto. The concerts follow a guiding thread: “Vienna, an open book.”
The capital of the Habsburg Empire is the capital of music. Metternich spoke of it this way: “It does me good and harm, which is itself harmful.” Besides this Hegelian echo with its confrontation of opposites, one must admit this inextricable link between Vienna, the Prater, the Ring, and music. The Viennese went to war with music!
The concerts take place throughout the year and are held in seven venues across the city, offering a century (1800-1900) of Viennese music for one’s ears to delight in.
Ballets and choreography are also present, including a Coppélia in December. This ballet brings together dance, music, and storytelling. The doll dances, comes to life, Léo Delibes takes us to the land of childhood, of dreams; it’s Christmas, he gives us back our childhood soul. The program is rich and eclectic. There is something for everyone, and the audience should certainly be delighted and captivated by the music, the bel canto, and the ballets.
The Wizard of Oz is always backstage at the opera, and if you have kept your childlike soul, it will take you to this land where music is the air we breathe and song the language we speak. A Provençal poet said: “What does it matter if a story is true, as long as it is beautiful.” The Nice opera and its program respond to this definition.
Thierry Jan
