Category: music

I’d been meaning to go to Sevilla de Ópera in the Arenal Market ever since I first heard about it from Claudio, owner of the Adriano Hotel, and was introduced to its organisers, opera baritone Luciano Miotto and producer Paco Oliva. Then last Saturday I was invited to the final show for this season (it starts up again in September).

Sevilla is often advertised as the “city of opera“, and is famous as the setting for operas by Bizet (Carmen), Rossini (The Barber of Seville), and Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni).

Sevilla de Ópera put on a small show (the one we saw featured three singers and a pianist) that aims to make opera more accessible to the public. Their concept is based on a typical tablao de flamenco, a bit like dinner theatre, though you can also just go and have drinks. The difference here is that, although there is some basic scenery, there is no actual stage – or rather, the entire room is the stage – and the performers come and go using various entrances, interacting with the audience. I think it’s a great way for people to get a first taste of opera without feeling intimidated, and the market setting adds to its “everyman” appeal. But the quality of the performances ensures that well-seasoned opera lovers will enjoy it too.

Gianpero Ruggeri, Sachika Ito & Luciano Miotto

I’m not exactly an “opera buff” myself and wasn’t sure what to expect, but the show turned out to be hugely enjoyable, with scenes from the Mozart and Rossini operas and other songs (traditional Spanish and a couple of zarzuelas) performed with skill and gusto. And the encore, Rossini’s Duet for Two Cats, was delightful – a humorous piece with “meow” as the only lyric. Very frustratingly, my attempt to video it for posterity (and for my friend Sledpress) on my iPhone proved unsuccessful but Luciano told me I could find them performing it on YouTube. Enjoy…

[youtube=”http://youtu.be/2c6xvPPRTW4″]

Looking forward to the new season in September!

Sevilla de Ópera