Postcard from Andalusia

A fountain, a hen, two donkeys, a horse, lots of toreros and the virgin of Macarena made it into Francesca Zambello’s new production of Georges Bizet’s operatic blockbuster par excellence. Once again, Carmen was the perfect excuse for a glamorous night at the opera filled with pseudo-Spanish apparel, beautiful jewellery and fashionable dresses. This display of brilliance seemed to annoy some highbrow critics who talked bitterly about the “frivolity” of the evening. “So what?”, I thought. If the event was not enjoyable for them it should not be because of the outfits of the very generous sponsors present at the House, nor because of Zambello’s extensive stereotypical Spanish references. Indeed, Carmen is a waypoint in the construction of Spanish nationalist music. Actually, Spanish musical nationalism was modelled on Carmen (amongst other…