A night at the opera

My dear fellow – you can’t go to the opera dressed like that! Of course not. It must be approached in a smart outfit, with lots of cash and a reverential attitude. But was it always thus? I have a sense that many years ago opera was not the elitist performance that it is today.

Anyway, if you have neither the cash, nor a particular love of music snobs, then come to Kinshasa. Maybe you’ll experience opera as it used to be.

There you can see a show which is about music, but also about fun. And no one really minds if you come in late, or chat on your cell phone during the show. And everyone will clap, whistle, stand up with you if you think the performer has done something special (high notes and very long notes are particularly popular).

We’ve just been to one such show. It consisted of famous excerpts from the opera, and was held in a large school theatre in the town. It has adequate theatrical lighting and curtains and a good sound system had been rigged up to provide the orchestral accompaniment. We, like many people, arrive late (had to go to a very important birthday party). In our case we were 1 ½ hours late, but luckily had only missed half an hour of the show. (And 45 minutes later people were still arriving . . .). The place was 100% full – even the balcony, which is normally never used, was packed, but luckily some staff members kindly give up their seats for us.

I think Puccini and Verdi might have enjoyed the evening as much as we did, because even if the music wasn’t, frankly, top notch, they would have witnessed people who were so overcome with wonder and joy at the music that they couldn’t contain themselves. In fact the performances were often drowned by the yelps of joy and clapping at the good bits. The performers had much the same spirit: smiling and laughing as they performed.

The performance ended with excerpts from Carmina Burana including a moving bit in which a king-like person gave a short political speech about the lack of power of the poor. For the final chorale they put up the house lights thereby including the audience in the performance.

I don’t think I’ve even been so moved and exhilarated by a show as this one, and as the curtain came down there weren’t many dry eyes.

Surprisingly, in view of the naughty bits in Carmina Burana, the show was produced by the Catholic Church. When it was finished they apologised for charging entrance fees, while explaining that they had to pay for the costumes and other costs. Then they went on to give a prayer (with apologies to non-Christians, while asking them to direct the same prayer to their own god) asking for succour to those who had lost their families, their houses and everything in them, in the bomb blast in Brazzaville last week; and a speedy recovery for the thousands of wounded.

Then to make impart the sense of a grand event, there was a final curtain call to the tune of Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory which somehow seemed to fit the occasion very well.

The cost? $10 each: better value than Covent Garden.