Picnicking at Glyndebourne
Sunday, 12 July 2009Posted in: Out and about
Picnicking at Glyndebourne watching the dress rehearsal of
Rusalka was such a special day in the sunshine. The theatre is set in beautiful grounds with such pretty gardens. Miki Sekers was also one of the Trustees of Glyndebourne.
We sat and had our picnic of yummy salads and Pimms with the sheep and then went in to enjoy visually and musically one of the most wonderful Operas I think I have ever seen.
Rusalka is a opera written by Dvorak which was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. The designer Rae Smith created wonderful sets and costumes that really set the story off well, with the singers hanging on wires with huge Mermaid tails swinging while singing, dancers dressed as lake weeds moving Rusalka around as if she was swimming while singing and the naughty wood nymphs in paper skirts that rustled as they scampered around were just a few of the highlights.
I have always loved this Opera and had studied it for A-Level Theatre Studies which had included costume design. I have included a picture of my Dad in my costume for Vodnik, Rusalka’s Farther. He came swishing onto the stage singing one of the arias and the tail had torches in so it glowed.
