An opera love story takes over the Antequera bullring

It was a great midsummer night, but instead of being set in William Shakespeare's enchanted forest, it took place in an ancient land ... transported to the 18th century. Vicenzo Bellini's 'La Sonnambula' showcased the cultural side of the bullring, which was transformed into yet another stage for the production conceived by Ras de Terra. With nothing to envy from major theaters, Antequera used its resources to present an opera in the heart of the province of Málaga, bringing it to an audience that embraced the cause. Since August 20, 2000, with the play 'Don Juan', there had not been a similar spectacle.

In the play itself, Annie Fassea's voice shone masterfully. Her restraint at the precise moments, the sweetness when facing a female character who experiences love and criticism in equal measure. Alongside her, Gabe Clarke, who managed to provide a counterpoint to a story distant in time and space, which can still be a relevant topic today when criticism of our behaviors is based on lies and prejudices.

The Switzerland that Ras de Terra presented was not about improvised sets and costumes, but everything was measured and thought out for the performance in Antequera. The stage, as we reflected, was another part of the interpretation of this work, where the Chamber Choir of Extremadura surprised the audience; accompanied by precise music provided by the Orquesta Ópera de la Vera.

The Enchantment of the Night

There was great anticipation among the audience located in the sand of the plaza before a stage prepared for the occasion, and adapted to the stands and the historic Antequera arena. What cultural uses it could have! The first sounds of the opera played and silence ensued. A beautiful scene that transported the attendees to other times, those in which women in the mid-19th century first filled this plaza. There, with flowers in their hair, satin dresses and puffed sleeves, they dressed up for the first bullfights of this plaza built in 1848.

The story of Amina and Elvino resonated with the attendees who, carried away by this "semi-serious" work, passionately lived as the sleepwalking young woman was criticized and judged, far from reality. Along with Fassea and Clarke, Candida Guida, Pedro Ometto, Giordano Farina, Lorena Ferreiro, and Sergio Aunión formed a great combination of voices and performances that blossomed along with the rose carried by the protagonist, sometimes condemnatory and other times glorious, which in this case, won the approval of a devoted audience. A night that will remain in the memories of those present and that should occur more frequently in this plaza.