It's always a pleasure to head south to Glyndebourne on a sunny weekday. Think of all those poor people who have to stay in the office and work. I had never seen Betrothal in a Monastery - I don't recall it being staged anywhere recently, but what a delight. Although the plot was a wee bit complicated (based on Richard Sheridan’s 1775 play, The Duenna), the cast really pulled it off with flair. The constumes and the set were very effective. Lighting (done by Rick Fisher) played a strong role in portraying the umpteen scene changes. The music, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, was wonderful - both playful and humorous.
Michael Levine's set design for Dialogues des Carmélites was minimalist. Actually, was there any set design? I suppose the director Robert Carsen was clever at introducing formation of human figures in many different ways to suggest the context of the opera. It kind of worked. Blanche, sung by Sally Matthews, was pretty good. Though I did find the whole work quite tedious - I think the intimate nature of the dialogues needed a small and intimate performing space i.e. not the Royal Opera House. The ending was worth waiting for. Dramatic. Poignant.
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