Opening night of Le Nozze di Figaro

Our opening night of Le Nozze di Figaro was last evening, and it was a roaring success, with a great audience response and no major problems in execution.  We had very little time in the Academiezaal, just one rehearsal on Saturday afternoon to iron out little issues with entrances, but our extensive rehearsals in Brussels paid off, and we had enough time to adjust everything in time for the performance.

The salle is a special one, built by Louis Roelandt, the designer of the opera house in Ghent, between 1843 and 1845, on the site of a Benedictine Abbey that was founded in the 7th century.  The octagonal Academiezaal has a great acoustic, and I felt a bit like the Stratford young company must feel, doing their shows at the Tom Patterson Theatre on a thrust stage. 

 

I was very happy to have had a chance to sing my aria Hai gia vinta la causa as if I was pleading a legal case, and this meant that I could direct the questions the aria is filled with directly to the audience themselves.  Lots of fun!

Vedrò mentr'io sospiro                Shall I, while I'm sighing,
Felice un servo mio?                   See one of my servants happy?
E un ben che invan desio,             And the good thing I want in vain,
Ei posseder dovrà?                    Shall he have it?
Vedrò per man d'amore                 Shall I see the woman who woke in me
Unita a un vile oggetto                A feeling she doesn't have for me
Chi in me destò un affetto,           United to a vile object
Che per me poi non ha?                 By the hand of love?

The audience was really moved and enthusiastic, and after the show we all met at a nearby restaurant, and were surprised with much applause and shouts of "Proficiert" (I hope I'm spelling that right, it's Flemish for "congratulations").

Today I am lying low and being quiet until it is time to leave for the second performance.  It looks like Maggie and the boys will be able to attend, so we will head out together... they recorded a video yesterday and will take photos tonight, so I will post some pictures when they are ready.

After tonight I will have a little time to think about other things, smoke a celebratory cigar to commemorate my first opera performed on Belgian soil; La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein in Brussels was technically an operetta, and Un Ballo in Maschera was in Ireland, not on the mainland.  Then I must start reviewing the Messiah, the Brahms Requiem, and the Fauré Requiem, all coming up in the next month... and call more opera houses, agents and orchestras to arrange more auditions...