A prophetic opera

Well, I got through the night without being too much bothered by pain or nausea, and was able to eat carefully at breakfast and lunch. I lay low most of the way until it was time to go to the Millennium Centre for the opera. Gail slept long and sweetly in our new bed and said it was the most relaxed night's sleep she'd had for ages.

Clare and Gail went down to Cardiff Bay early for a walk around and something to eat before the performance. It started and six thirty, and I timed my arrival for si, which meant I was able to buy a sandwich and a drink from Sainsbury's and eat them outside before entering the Millennium Centre.

'War and Peace' adapted from Tolstoy's novel, was written by Prokofiev around 1940, when Stalin and Hitler we still allies and Russia hadn't invaded. It's a prophetic work of art, as well as a patriotic celebration of heroic Russian resistance to foreign aggression. What was true for Napoleon's time turned out to be true for Hitler's time also. Both underestimated the courage and endurance of ordinary people as well as, or in spite of their leaders. I wonder if Prokofiev was musically giving voice to misgivings among the Russian people about the alliance between Stalin and Hitler?

In the opening scene, Tolstoy himself is portrayed, writing on stage, while the characters in his mind appear and move or dance about the stage. Such an effective narrative device. There are some fine choral episodes and apart from this a great deal of recitative, thankfully well rendered in good English translation. Curiously, there are fewer notable set piece solos, duets or or ensemble pieces.

The choral work and many individual singers as well as the principal parts were superbly sung. The movement of the 80+ singers and dancers on stage was a wonder to behold. Behind the stage was a large screen on to which still and moving images were projected, and the chorus turned to the screen on times and interacted with what was being shown. The first act was set in peace time, the second was set during and after Napoleon's invasion and defeat. Clever use was made of old movie footage of battle scenes from a period piece movie. Very effective indeed. It was powerfully and confidently executed in every sense from start to finish. What an opening night!

Being seated for the best part of three and a half hours took its toll on my gluteus maximus, and the last half hour was quite uncomfortable as I was unable to move around. I was none the worse for wear by the time we got home, however. As the performance finished late, the last number six Bay Car bus had gone, but thankfully there was a Stagecoach X8 bus going through the city centre a few minutes after we reached to stop. It's reprehensible that there seems to be no co-ordination between Cardiff Bus and the Millennium Centre, when it comes to extra late finishing times. I had a moan about this on Twitter since then.