Opera in the Square

Walking into Trafalgar Square last night reminded me why I enjoy London and its variety so much for this great showpiece public space was abuzz with thousands of people watching on a giant screen a live performance of Carmen from just up the road in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and joining in lustily on the choruses. Trafalgar Square en fete in summer is a great urban set piece with Nelson’s Column at the centre overlooked by the National Gallery and the church of St. Martin in the Fields.

Lord Nelson, Britain's greatest military hero, and the mighty lions that surround him, pay testament to the position of Trafalgar Square at the heart of the London, at one time, the heart of an empire that controlled three fifths of the world. Yet, though it is dominated by these imperial symbols, and by the magnificent Victorian edifice of the National Gallery, the square is no relic of a bygone age. It was transformed under the City Squares programme when the road was paved over by former London Mayor Ken Livingstone in a £25million scheme in 2003, creating a piazza free of traffic fumes. At the same time lifts were put in to improve access along with toilets and a café under the paved area on the Northside of the square creating a quality, accessible and pedestrian friendly urban space in place of the previous traffic roundabout. A great pity then that Livingstone’s successor, Boris Johnson, abandoned the programme which was to do a similar much needed improvement of Parliament Square.

Now the oil company BP is getting a deserved bad press at the moment but they were sponsoring this wonderful open air relaying of Carmen last night on the 8th June 2010 at 7pm in Trafalgar Square and Walthamstow Town Square. Wayne McGregor's award winning ballet Chroma/Tryst/Symphony in C will be screened on 10th June 2010 at 7.30pm at Trafalgar Square and General Gordon Square, Woolwich. There’s also the chance to see Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra on 13th July 2010 when it is screened live from 7.30pm to both Trafalgar Square and Canada Square Canary Wharf, and this is the last of the BP opera and ballet screenings to take place.




So last night London was exercising its vocal chords as part of a nationwide sing-a-long to the opera Carmen at the event hosted by Gareth Malone of the BBC television series The Choir. As for Carmen it is basically an everyday tale of sex, crime and murder set in a cigarette factory (!) in Seville. Gypsy girl Carmen plays a dangerous game of seduction and betrayal. After an ardent love-affair with an army corporal, Carmen abandons him - and his jealousy proves fatal for her. It was slated at its premiere as its heroine was working class and the setting was so unusual. Georges Bizet never saw the popular success Carmen was to become as he died 3 months after its premiere. The opera premiered at the Opéra-Comique of Paris on 3 March 1875, but its opening run was denounced by the majority of critics. It was almost withdrawn after its fourth or fifth performance, and although this was avoided, ultimately having 48 performances in its first run, it did little to bolster sagging receipts at the Opéra-Comique. Near the end of this run, the theatre was giving tickets away in order to stimulate attendance. Bizet died of a heart attack, aged 36, on 3 June 1875, never knowing how popular Carmen would become. In October 1875 it was produced in Vienna, to critical and popular success, which began its path to worldwide popularity. It was not staged again at the Opéra Comique until 1883.

But on this night in Trafalgar Square it was as popular as ever with Gareth also doing Vox pop interviews in the square in the intervals which were also shown on the Big Screen which was somewhat voyeuristic but added to the sense of occasion. You just can’t beat Opera for the masses!



Also adding to the sense of occasion and which caused me to chuckle at its sheer cleverness and inventiveness was Yinka Shonibare’s display on the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square of a replica of Nelson's ship, HMS Victory, in a giant glass bottle. Using brightly coloured 'African' fabric he buys at Brixton market to fashion into the ship's sails, Shonibare set out to reflect the story of multiculturalism in London today, which began with Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. It's particularly appropriate given that admiral Nelson himself can survey the scene, looking down from his nearby column on the model of the ship on which he died. Shonibare himself was born in London but grew up in Nigeria - returning to Britain when he was 17 - and issues of race and class are recurrent themes throughout his work, which earnt him a nomination for the Turner Prize in 2004. With this nautical work his message in a bottle is set to reach an even wider audience.



The fourth plinth was originally created to accommodate an equestrian statue but because of insufficient funds nothing was ever commissioned and it remained unused until 1999. Now its aim is to raise awareness of art to the public and generate cultural discussion. Works which have been displayed on the plinth include Marc Quinn's Alison Lapper Pregnant and Thomas Schutte's Model for a Hotel.

It is good to see a public space like this being used so well and bringing pleasure and, dare I say, culture to Londoners and visitors alike. Not to mention that all this was being generously put on at the publics’ favourite price, FREE!

For my RLT (Reduced London Tour) featuring more free attractions see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/09/day-in-london.html