Nabucco by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen

Two weeks ago I was invited by my friend from Yab.be to join her at hte last emission of Nabucco at the Opera in Antwerp.  I had never before attended an opera so it was quite an opportunity to take. 

After a little sprint on my side, I made it on time to meet at the train and we were off to Antwerp together. 

We had to search a little to find our spots but we had wonderful spots on the first floor in straight view of the stage in a box that we shared with 2 other ladies. 

I was quite quickly surprised and captivated by the modern stage visualisation. I must admit that I assumed that historic classic opera's like Nabucco would have a traditional classic stage view, with costumes etc.  But no, the singers and choir were a mix of "day-to-day" ordinary people like you and me without costumes.  They walked around and took a camera with them that filmed them from another angle which was projected on huge mirrors/screens on stage.  So you saw the movie while you also saw the filming of the movie. 
And then I was worried for a moment: there were some small puddles on stage and they were getting bigger.  Until I realised it was intentional and half the stage got flooded. I pitied the performers that had to lay, jump and fight in the water or drag huge clothes through the water etc.   The water became one of the crucial stage elements .  

Fortunately the water retreated in the 2nd half and the actors had been abe to put on dry clothes again.  Now the stage was more poetic and fairy tale like. 

In contrast to the modern special visuals, the famous Va pensiero (the slave choir) was staged in a less is more visual: the entire choir with the mirrors reflecting the people viewed us directly and sung the world famous passage. Chicken bumps. Really, breathtaking. 

As is custom, the end of the opera retook Va pensiero. This time part of the choir filled the balconies and the audience. It was not the first time at all that the singers had mingled, in the first episodes they were even seated among the audience and stood up and sung from between the audience. Very surprising. At the end the surprise effect was less, but boy, did Va pensiero come across even stronger. The music was just a few people aside from us on all sides. Super cool. 

I must admit that on Monday I've played the entire opera again. Not because I am now all of a sudden such an opera lover. In fact, I don't think I like area's too much. In a way it's quite artificial singing.  But it is an experience.  You can follow the lyrics that are projected, you get absorbed in the story so you don't mind the long area's all the time.  And as said: the staging is a surprising all-around you experience that captivates you. I was really glad I've had the chance to come along. 

We walked in awe back to the train station where we killed some time in the station bistro before we could catch a train back to Leuven.