Ian Waller enjoys a night of classical opera at the Bath Forum
The Forum Bath added to its position as one of the city’s top venues with a high class performance from the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. OK, yes, this is a concert hall better known for rock, pop, comedy and talks, but why not a touch of high-end classical opera too?
And yes, the Forum pulled this one off fantastically well, with an impressive stage set – complete with working water features – and excellent sound quality for the stalls.
Of course, one of the real joys of this type of operatic production is having the live orchestra out of the pit and front and centre for the audience to see and hear. We managed to nab front row seats and having the highly talented musicians so close really is a thrill.
When it comes to the plot, it’s the typical operatic mix of love, passion and tragedy, this time of course set in Japan with the young Madama Butterfly falling for and marrying Pinkerton, an American naval lieutenant. So besotted is the young bride with her one true love that she gives up her family and her culture to be with him.
But this is an opera so the course of true love rarely runs smooth and before we know it, Pinkerton is off back to America, leaving his young bride to wait eagerly for his return, with just the company of her faithful servant to keep her company.
Playing the lead roles, Korean soprano Elena Dee is stunning at Madama Butterfly, full of passion and hopeless infatuation. Opposite, Armenian tenor Hovhannes Andreasyan as Pinkerton is a perfectly pompous and self-centred lead, happy to play his young bride’s love as a game.
Throughout the orchestra is just superb, a joy to watch and bringing the stirring score to live with such skill.
As the story reaches its inevitably tragic ending and the cast take their well deserved bows, the audience stands as one for the Ukrainian national anthem, as a reminder of the horrors still taking place in their home land.
For upcoming productions at the Forum Bath, go to www.bathforum.co.uk
