Bellini's opera, first performed in Milan in 1831, was based on a Parisian ballet about a sleepwalker. Sleepwalking on stage was a fashion in the 1820s. La Sonnambula is at the Théātre des Champs Elysées on certain dates in June. Despite its name, the theatre is not on Paris's famous avenue, but a ten minute walk away, towards the river. It is a theatre full of cosy atmosphere and pink carpets, with decorative motifs from the 1920s when it was built. The title role is sung by Pretty Yende. Her rich generous voice is perfect for this bel canto work. From being joyful and giggly in the early scenes, where her marriage to a local farmer Elvino is announced, right through to the climatic aria « Ah ! Non credea mirarti… » when she compares her fiançé's love to a withered flower, lasting only one day, Pretty Yende sparkles. Stage director Rolando Villazòn, himself a well-known tenor, has decided to give an unusual (feminist ?) twi...