English Opera is not for the proletariat

We had our first opportunity to see a Mozart opera here in England, and here I was thinking: "Oh goodie...I haven't seen opera since we were at the Mozart Festival in Warsaw 5 years ago."

But if you can picture the Mozart Festival in Warsaw, it was definitely very Soviet-like in its atmosphere. Everyone in sturdy shoes and their Sunday best, going for the cultural experience, not to be 'seen', in some cases, children attending, sitting attentively and enjoying the sights and sounds. Even the intermission was utilitarian in its offerings: tea, coffee and I can't remember if they had wine or beer for that matter. But the performances were first-rate and the ambiance of the small 100-seat theatre it was held in was magical.

Now picture our outing to the Garsington Opera just outside Oxford to see Mozart's Il Re Pastore (see photo above). The dress code was listed as 'formal', so I drove the Jeep in my evening gown and strappy sandals, only to discover that I was sinking fast into the earth on the grounds of a lovely manor house. (Luckily I had packed another more sensible pair of shoes.) The atmosphere was as formal as the attire, wandering around the lovely gardens which were soon to be used as part of the stage in the opera. After a quick glass of champagne, we took to our seats in the open (but covered) auditorium and were instantly engaged by the live sheep being paraded across the stage into the adjacent gardens. Then the leading lady who was playing a man (a role originally intended for a castrato - of which there are none) came out and started rolling around on the ground with his lover, another woman, professing his (her) undying love to her. Goodness! It was all a bit much to take in! Thank God there was a long break after the first act, where we were allowed to finish a 3-course meal in the adjacent barn and marvel over the performance we had seen. By the second act, we were somewhat immune to the theatrics until they set off fireworks to cap off the performance for the finale.

It was obvious to us that the major difference between Warsaw's Mozart and Garsington's was the showmanship in providing visual stimulation in addition to the aural. I guess here in England, you have to justify the high price of the ticket somehow...