| Amina sings of her joy (?), while Mom makes some final alterations to her party dress. |
The other day I made a comment on Earworm Opera's blog
about the silliness of the plot of La
Sonnambula. I went back to double-check the reference before I
started on this post, and noticed that Earworm had been talking about I Puritani! She was
kind enough to respond to me without commenting on my error. Really, it was a
comment on Bellini plots in general. Many of Bellini's opera plots are
far-fetched, silly, and/or undramatic.
Then I found this Stuttgart Staatsoper performance of La Sonnambula on Arte LiveWeb. Widely acclaimed (in Germany, anyway), it took me
a whole year to find out about this production. Directors Jossi Wieler and
Sergio Morabito update the setting and probe the background of the story and
the possible interrelationships of the characters, particularly complicating the dynamic of Annina and Elvino and their arranged marriage. They add a whole lot of
interest and intrigue to the story line that complement and contrast with the beautiful music. They also manage to add humor and just a bit of obligatory ickiness.