With one glance he was possessed...

Last night Mark and I were lucky enough to see the new ROH production of Carmen (one of my favourite operas). I've always liked opera, but never really been truly enthusiastic about it, but last night provided a 'now I understand what all the fuss is about' moment.

In my experience, if Don Jose (Carmen's soldier boyfriend) or Escamillo (the toreador Carmen ditches Don Jose for) are too portly or wimpy, then the whole thing doesn't seem to work.

Last night Jonas Kaufman was Don Jose and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo was Escamillo. Carmen was Anna Caterina Antonacci. So far, so smouldering. Carmen and Escamillo were excellent, but Jonas brought the house down with his "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée". It's one of my favourite arias, and he sung it with such intensity, passion and agony. It was amazing. He was great.

Here's a the original and a translation:

La fleur que tu m'avais jetée,

Dans ma prison m'était restée. Flétrie et sèche, cette fleur
Gardait toujours sa douce odeur;
Et pendant des heures entières,
Sur mes yeux, fermant mes paupières,

De cette odeur je m'enivrais

Et dans la nuit je te voyais!

Je me prenais à te maudire,
À te détester, à me dire :
Pourquoi faut-il que le destin
L'ait mise là sur mon chemin?
Puis je m'accusais de blasphème,
Et je ne sentais en moi-même,
Je ne sentais qu'un seul désir,

Un seul désir, un seul espoir:

Te revoir, ô Carmen, ou, te revoir!
Car tu n'avais eu qu'à paraître,
Qu'à jeter un regard sur moi,
Pour t'emparer de tout mon être, Ô ma Carmen!
Et j'étais une chose à toi
Carmen, je t'aime!

The flower that you tossed to me

In my prison stayed with me.

Withered and dried, this flower

Kept always its sweet odour

And during all of the hours,

Over my eyes closed my eyelids,

I became intoxicated with this odour

And in the night I saw you!

I became accustomed to cursing you,

To detesting you, to saying to myself :

Why is it necessary for destiny

To put herself there on my path

Then I accused myself of blasphemy

And I didn't feel but in myself

I didn't feel but one desire

A sole desire, a sole hope

To see you again, oh Carmen, to see you again!

For you had only to appear

Only to toss a glance towards me

In order to take a hold of all my being

Oh my Carmen

And I was yours

Carmen, I love you!