The Glyndebourne Opera Festival has its routes in the 30s, when John Christie, charmed by Audrey Mildmay soprano`s voice, married with her and together decided to build an Opera House and to organise a yearly festival.

First edition was in 1934, Mozart`s "Le nozze of Figaro" and "Cosi fan tutte" were first presented. The festival had success by its first edition.

For a Romanian spectator, being at this festival is an interesting experience. Not exactly because of opera, but the environment, high level British. Glyndebourne is a village in the south of England, near Lewes, Sussex district, and the festival is private and it happens at Christie family residence and the show are played in a Opera House, specially build for opera, quite unexpected if you think about the emplacement, in a village. Near Christie`s house and Opera house there are the Gardens, British style, of coarse. And the ladies and gentlemen give the proper elegance for the place.

The show I`ve been seen, Puccini`s "La boheme", was spectacular sometimes. The voices were good and the decor proper sometimes. The version was a modern one, the 4 artists had computer, tape recorder, neon light - Shaunard was a black artist and had headphones and even a "cool" crown and in the 4th act he danced break-dance - and in the second act, a fire give a lot of colour for the assembling. The policemen had the actual costumes, which are in the present in all United Kingdom, the fanfare was made by Santa Clauses and the turning scene was exploited very well, with an elegant crossing from a scene to another.

The typical British behaviour, sober, elegant, with bow-tie, was seen at applauses, which were loud and short, big difference than the Romanians, Italians, Germans people, which applauses many minutes. The same behaviour you might not suspect for humour, but, first time for me (and I saw "La boheme" in Bucharest, Craiova, Munchen and... Glyndebourne), the spectators were laughing by the action of the 4 artists from the scene!

The evening surprise was Musette. Irina Iordachescu (which played "Violetta" in "La Traviata" in Bucharest and in other places) started hesitating, but, after a few minutes, fullfilled very well her role.

I was also surprised by the question of a lady, what shall I do during the break. I thought about meaning of the question (usually the break is 20 minutes), but I found out here the break is one hour and 20 minutes! In this time, the ladies and gentlemen take the dinner, some of them at the restaurant, some having the food from home, even coming from home with folding chairs and tables for taking dinner directly on the green grass, which looks... typically British.: -)

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