Witches and Bitches - strong women in opera
It’s autumn, the wind is blowing, the nights are drawing in… and I am thinking about the dark stories and characters that we love to indulge in at this time of year. What does opera have to offer? Grab a mug of hot chocolate, stick another log on the fire, cuddle up in your favourite blanket and read on… if you dare!
Not all is as it seems in opera… we love a spooky story, and we love a villain! But occasionally we are guilty of creating a one-dimensional character who we wrongly judge to be ‘bad’… are we being entirely fair? I’m going to take you through a few spooky or ‘bad girl’ female roles in opera so we can decide. Some you will know, some you may not. No sitting on the fence, thumbs up or thumbs down.
All rise, the court is in session, with Judge Lisa presiding, please be seated and solemnly swear to take this very seriously!
Defendant 1 : Carmen, from the opera Carmen, Bizet
Look, we’ve all been there. You like a boy, but he’s a little dull, you like parties… you read your cards at a party and decide death is your fate and spiral out of control eventually having yet another knife fight and being killed by the dull boy. It’s a tale as old as time.
Carmen is a strong woman who uses sex and her allure to control, but her chaotic life, love of playing games and run-ins with the law catch up with her mentally and leave her unable to see a way out from her life.
Verdict: Guilty of being very bad
Sorry Carmen, you aren’t very kind (slashing your friends face…), and you are probably guilty of gaslighting Don Jose which ultimately ends in Don Jose stabbing you. You are the opera character we all love to hate, but modern eyes see your crimes with similar eyes.
Defendant 2: Emilia/Elina, from the opera The Makropolous Case, Janacek
Who wants to live forever?… Well, actually, nope, not really, thank you.
Poor Elina was born in 1585 and has spent 3 centuries living an itinerant life escaping any long connections, because her father invented and tested his successful potion on her. She lives currently as Emilia, a world famous opera singer - she’s had a lot of extra time to perfect her craft!
Youthful and beautiful, she has had a string of lovers and admirers, but by the time we see her in the opera she is tired of life and love, apathetic to others.
A mix up of papers and wills eventually leads to her confession. At the same time the potion is finally wearing off and she ages in front of her friends, convincing them of her fantastical story. She offers the parchment with the potion to another young singer, who refuses it and burns it in front of her. Emilia dies reciting the Lords Prayer in Greek.
This spooky story plays on the human fascination with ageing and death - playing out the scenario of how it might feel to live longer and experience more of life than our allotted 3-score-year-and-ten.
Verdict: not guilty of being bad
Emilia certainly is a very string woman, but was a child when she was given the potion to try, so would not have been able to refuse or see the consequences. The criticism that she is cold and emotionless is just, but she is a victim of her very very long life and the struggle to stay young. A story still relevant today!
Defendant 3: Mimi, from the opera La Bohème, Puccini
Surprised to see this opera included?… read on!
La Bohème is a fairly standard love story - between two bohemian artists living in poverty in Paris. Deeply in love, Mimi is ill with what is probably tuberculosis.
Rodolfo breaks up with Mimi telling his friend at first this is because she is a flirt, and then admits it is because she is ill, and that he hopes she can find someone wealthier who can pay for help with her illness. She hears this. (Yes. Pretty brutal.)
Mimi then tells Rodolfo that she is in fact leaving him… which is a pretty strong move to save face. However their love is ‘too strong’ and they agree to stay together until the spring as no one should be alone in the winter.
We cut to the spring and the men are talking about their past girlfriends who have found much wealthier partners, except that we learn Mimi is now severely weakened by illness and alone. They go to her, but she dies shortly after and Rodolfo is heartbroken.
Mimi is in the dock because a director once described her to me as ‘a b****’. emmmm SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE?
Verdict: not guilty of being bad
Isn’t this just a story of young impetuous people who are in love and don’t always act the way we all probably should? I still don’t see that Mimi has anything to answer for, Rodolfo however…
I’d love for you to supply me with fresh evidence that might reverse my judgement, but for now, NOT GUILTY
Defendant 4: Violetta from the opera Traviata, Verdi
She loved parties, she lived as a courtesan, and she fell in love. Original audiences were shocked at this tale which portrays Violetta as a moral and good person who just so happens to be a prostitute to pay her bills. She is independent and free in a way women were not at that time, her only reliance was on men and financial.
Holed up in the country with the love of her life, Alfredo, she is visited by her father-in-law, who begs her to give up his son for the sake of his family, as living unmarried was scandalous. The scandal would ruin them. Heartbroken she agrees.
Violetta returns to her old life, sad, and fatally ill with tuberculosis (yes… another female victim of ill health).
She is finally visited by her dashing Alfredo just as she dies.
Verdict: not guilty of being bad
Violetta is a victim of poverty, societal judgement, and of course the lack of a medical cure! The one time she follows her heart, she is persuaded to give up her happiness for the good of others, and does so.
Luckily, we all see this story with more modern eyes, and instead it is the sadness of the situation that stays with us.
The court thanks you all for your time and fair judging - did I miss anyone out? How do you feel about Mimi? Pop your comments and other suggestions in the comments box below.
Join me next time on All Hallows Eve, when we will discuss some very spooky operas, if you dare!…
“I love Italian opera - it’s so reckless. Damn Wagner, and his bellowing at Fate and death. Damn Debussy, and his averted face. I like the Italians who run all on impulse, and don’t care about their immortal souls, and don’t worry about the ultimate”
