Opera Imaginaire

"Ladies and gentlemen. Or perhaps... Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome. Welcome to a gala for a very special occasion. Tonight, we are going to celebrate 400 years of opera with some of my very favourite pieces. I've invited a few of my best friends along, and one or two of my best enemies. You may know some of them already: Lakmé, Scarpia, Pagliacci. And who better to accompany us as we start our journey than the first great recording artist, Caruso? Oh, it's not as far as the Met, La Scala or Covent Garden; we are going to my 'Opéra imaginaire'. So, let's imagine."

"You may have heard of the jester Rigoletto. Well, his daughter is in love with the Duke of Mantua. This is not a very reputable neighbourhood. But then, the duke is not a very reputable person. He's about to see that women are fickle."

"Oh, there's a lady who doesn't let much slip through her fingers if she decides she wants it. But, who will she choose next? Or will fate take her hand? Hey, Carmen, what do the cards hold for you today?"

"They say that love makes the world go round. Well, Count Almaviva's house is certainly spinning before Susanna's and Figaro's marriage. Oh, such a crazy day. Oh, I can remember feeling just like Cherubino, the page; young enough to be allowed liberties and, uh, old enough to take advantage of them. Oh, love..."

"Now, which one was it, I wonder? Aha! Ah, I should have guessed... Madame Butterfly, such a fragile creature. She's looking for something too. Looking and waiting for a ship, and her husband to return."

"Hmm... Ah, what do we have here? A pearl from a necklace, no doubt. 'Cherchez la femme' as they say. Now where... Aha! Ah, you really can hear the sea. And a song from long ago, of two pearl fishers who swore they would always be friends, and..."

"Ah, here we are, the Magic Flute. And the search for truth and light. Will Pamina find Tamino, the man she loves, in the Temple of Ordeal? Ah, ah, ah! Patience, Pamina."

"What's that? Is it the Prince over there? Or perhaps, Dandino? It must be the day after the ball. But it's Cinderella's bracelet, not a slipper, we must look for. And everyone keeps on switching identities. Oh, what a tangle..."

"Ah, I do love a happy ending. Don't you? I think most people do. Oh, except this chap. He's always around offering... temptation, and taking your soul in return. Many like Faust live to regret the pact they made with Mephistopheles."

"Still more celebrations. But, not even the tragedy of La Traviata will stop the Parisian high society amusing themselves."

"Whoa! Well, I know that opera can be a very moving experience, but this? Ah, Lakmé. I can smell that jasmine. It is heavy perfume for a young British officer. And the jungle's full of dangerous secrets, as well as beauty."

"What the? Ah, of course. Baron Scarpia. Do you know the baron? Well, take it from me, you don't want to. And neither does Tosca, there. She's an opera singer, too. Now, I myself have sung with her on many occasions. The baron has condemned her lover to death. He's being held in the Castel Sant'Angelo."

"Well, the time has come to leave my friends and their stories. But, of course, the magic of music can bring us back here anytime. There are no limits. Just... listen... and imagine."