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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Opera in Valencia

The Most Famous Opera House in the World: Sydney, Australia

On December 30th, 2009, my wife gave us a rare treat in the form of a night out at the opera in Valencia. It was a very enjoyable evening as “Madame Butterfly” unfolded before us on the stage of the purpose-built Valencia Opera House.

Madame Butterfly is not a mystery so therefore I will not spoil it for anyone if I outline the plot. The story is set in Japan many years ago. The two principal characters are Madame Butterfly, of course, and Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, a navy man.

While on shore leave he meets and falls madly in love with the very young Cio-Cio San, (Madame Butterfly), and against the advice of the U.S. Counsel and all of her family and friends, they marry. He then rejoins his ship and is away for three years. While he is away he fails to maintain contact and he does not know that she has,
(a) delivered them a son, and,
(b) remains steadfastly true to him and desperately in love with him.
(c) Finally, his ship returns to Japan and she looks forward in seeing him again. However, he has a nasty surprise in store in that he has bigamously married an American woman who is there in his company. His new wife asks that she be allowed to take the boy with her to America, and although it is agreed, Madame Butterfly falls on her sword.

I don’t know much about opera but I suspect that one does not exist that has a happy ending. This one is curious in that it makes the Americans the villains of the peace in a very significant manner. And is even more significant given the era in which it was written. I have no idea of how well it is received in America, but around the rest of the world it is a very important and popular work.

It was my very first visit to an opera in Spain. The only other opera that I visited was Lucia di Lammermoor that I saw at the Paris Opera House in1963. I sat in student seats wearing jeans and paid a discount price for my ticket. The Valencia Opera House is truly an imposing building, but not a perfect edifice. I think that they have done well with the space but there are some things that can be criticised. Firstly, it is a building without its own parking.

If you are transported by your driver this is not a problem for you personally. Most people have to save up for such a night out, and we have to drive ourselves. The entrance level is a flight and a half up from street level. Cars can discharge their passengers in a semi-circle temporary stopping place, then we have to climb all those stairs to arrive at the entrance level.

Your car will then have to drive about a full kilometre to get into the parking lot of the science and arts building next door. Then comes a very long walk that takes nearly ten minutes before reaching the stairs to get to the upper level. I was hobbling with my damaged leg and my walking stick. Much to my delighted surprise there was a young man with a wheel chair waiting to offer me a lift. That was a very nice touch, even though I didn’t accept. I should have!



The walkway was very spacious and could be used for parking. The surface is dangerous for ladies walking in high heels as the grouting between the bricks has broken away leaving many holes to be avoided. This is correctable of course, and should be attended to without delay.

Between intense traffic encountered along the way and problems getting parked we arrived at the entrance with two minutes to spare. That was not helped by the fact that once the patron is on the entrance level and begins the walk along the concourse what we are faced with is the back of the building. We have to walk to the other side to reach the entrance.

We sat down with less than two minutes to spare. The program is completely computer-controlled. At precisely eight o’clock the doors are closed and the lights are lowered and the performance begins. I’m very glad I don’t know what happens to you should you arrive one minute late. I’m sure that it happens.

Two other minor comments: the most convenient toilets only serve two or three persons at a time, and in the performance itself I was disappointed that having given us the illusion of water, one of the actors walked upon it. His name was not Jesus.

My observations of the physical design faults should not discourage you from a visit to the opera. It is high theatre, impeccably presented. Madame Butterfly is wonderful. Enjoy!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael