Rigoletto
On Tuesday night, we had our final cultural experience, a trip to Rigoletto at the Bastille Opera! This being my first opera, I was quite looking forward to it, but was wary that I might be disappointed; I’m told you either love or hate opera the first time you see it, and I wasn’t confident enough in my cultured tastes to be sure I would appreciate it.
Before the night begins, however, a quick note on the venue itself is in order. The Opera Bastille was constructed in 1989, commemorating the bicentennial of the French Revolution. It stands in the Place de la Bastille, on or very near to where the infamous prison stood years ago. Although the physical building has long since been destroyed, I nonetheless found it remarkable to be at the actual location where one of the most influential political revolutions ever began.
Rigoletto is the story of a depraved, hunchback jester- Rigoletto himself- and his afflictions after having been cursed. He plays the fool for the Duke, a true womanizer who eventually seduces and then promptly leaves the beautiful daughter of his court jester. Heartbroken, the daughter is emotionally destroyed and her father seeks revenge. The story twists and turns and ultimately claims the life of the daughter. As Rigoletto kneels over his dead daughter the symphony builds and the final line is sung: “The curse!”
As the lights came on, I had no idea how I could have hesitated about opera! It is such a beautiful form of art! Although sung in Italian with French subtitles, I found myself not needing to know either language. The story is told not with words, but the with passion with which the singers sing. And the power of the voices! How one can project to the back row of an opera house with no artificial amplification is beyond me!
In sum, I greatly enjoyed our night out at the opera and hope to attend another sometime soon. Tristan and Isolde is in town in the upcoming weeks and the student discount is more than a reasonable price.
More updates to follow soon. And if anyone is interested in travels, know that I will spend the next three weekends in Dublin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona, respectively. Be ready for some pictures!
