Our group headed to the Volksoper tonight to see Bizet's Carmen. Having seen this work performed twice, I briefed the kids--almost none of whom had ever been to the opera before--about what to expect and explained this work would contain a few musical themes they would recognize. (If one is an opera newcomer, Carmen is an ideal first exposure.)
Turns out when we arrived that what we were scheduled to see was a ballet, not an opera. Now I'm sure it's a beautiful art form for those who understand it, but dance is not really my cup of tea. The music in this performance was only loosely based on Bizet's score. So it was disappointing, though there were some striking visual images created on stage.
