A night at the opera in Reggio Emilia

The women were dressed in their best with jewels, furs, and all the elegance that the opera requires. The men who accompanied them were just as sharp in their suits as they escorted their beautiful wives to their private opera box. The conductor was debuting his new interpretation of the classic opera Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi. Buckets of champagne were chilling so they would be ready at the conclusion and everyone patiently filed in, ready for a night at the opera. The opera house was gilded in gold, red velvet seats in the private boxes, and the air was filled with the sounds of anticipation. Silence fell as the string instruments tuned in the pit below the stage. Everyone clapped when the conductor emerged. The introduction was the most magnificent thing I have ever heard. Mesmerized by the succinct and precise movements of the violins, the trombones stepped in, bassoon and harp coming in so perfectly that it all become on sound, one song led by the passion of the conductor who held them all with his baton and his exact hands, I knew this was what music is suppose to be like. The set was impressive, but simple and the costumes helped me keep characters straight since I couldn’t follow the words. The evening progressively got better. The plot was complicated and sung in Italian, but even still, the emotion conveyed was undeniable. Every time I thought the best song was over, another would begin. The soprano was flawless and she never faltered. It was really too bad she had to die in the end. The singer who played Ismaele also was a stand out. The chorus was also glorious. I obviously loved it all and can’t say enough positive things about the entire experience. It was all very refined and elegant. Three hours of the most incredible performance I have ever experienced. Where better to see an opera than the country where it was born? The Italians can sing opera. It’s that simple. The curtain call was almost ridiculously long, but who can blame them. They knew that had done well and it was a performance worthy of many bows. Eventually the curtain fell, the lights came up, and we all knew we had truly experienced the opera.