Royal Opera Season 2024/25

[Master Jacques]

[...] One British Wotan nobody seems to mention these days is David Ward. We've heard of Bailey and Tomlinson but Ward seems to have been squeezed out, probably because there isn't a recording, at least as far as I know.

I completely agree with you about Ward, in many ways the most imperious and individual British Wotan of them all. As a teenager I was lucky enough to hear him live in the Scottish Opera production: when writing an article about him fairly recently, I had assurances that off-air recordings do exist - but I didn't seek them out, and am not sure that anything's ever been made publicly available.

Anyone with a library card (or a personal subscription) can learn more about this very special singer - and generous man - here:
https://doi.org/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.111774

[Darkbloom]

I completely agree with you about Ward, in many ways the most imperious and individual British Wotan of them all. As a teenager I was lucky enough to hear him live in the Scottish Opera production: when writing an article about him fairly recently, I had assurances that off-air recordings do exist - but I didn't seek them out, and am not sure that anything's ever been made publicly available.

Anyone with a library card (or a personal subscription) can learn more about this very special singer - and generous man - here:
https://doi.org/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.111774

I always prefer a bass Wotan. I understand Ward was absolutely huge, Martti Talvela size, which must have been quite striking on stage. It's a great shame he isn't recognised more.

[Master Jacques]

I always prefer a bass Wotan. I understand Ward was absolutely huge, Martti Talvela size, which must have been quite striking on stage. It's a great shame he isn't recognised more.

He was certainly an imposing figure on stage. One decision he made - not to play Wotan when asked by Bayreuth, due to prior commitments and his firm refusal to sing more than a limited number of performances during any one year - impacted on his fame, though not the extent of his international career. He did get a CBE for his work.

Another point: when he retired, he emigrated to New Zealand (where his wife hailed from) and was promptly forgotten here: obituaries in the UK were thin on the ground, and it's taken a while for people to catch up again with his supreme qualities.

[Orphical]

He was certainly an imposing figure on stage. One decision he made - not to play Wotan when asked by Bayreuth, due to prior commitments and his firm refusal to sing more than a limited number of performances during any one year - impacted on his fame, though not the extent of his international career. He did get a CBE for his work.

Another point: when he retired, he emigrated to New Zealand (where his wife hailed from) and was promptly forgotten here: obituaries in the UK were thin on the ground, and it's taken a while for people to catch up again with his supreme qualities.

If you visit the Opera Depot website and enter David Ward in the search engine you will get the opportunity to purchase many Ward recordings including a Siegfried Wanderer from Glasgow.

[Cockney Sparrow]

If you subscribe to the Opera Depot emailing list, you will get 50% discount offers on all recordings at irregular intervals, but several times a year. There is a facility for discs (despatched from the US) - sometimes they are are not available in that form for periods of time. But downloads are always available.

[Prommer]

Late to this thread...

The season is a damp squib, apart from Walkure and Hoffmann, I'd say.

And the conductors are very humdrum.

Hrusa is apparently a great human being and a good, developing conductor of Czech and Wagnerian repertoire, but he does seem to be a lightweight appointment given where the ROH is now, compared with 2002, when Pappano took over.

At one time, when they thought Pappano was going to go earlier, they had Yannick lined up, my man in the ROH board tells me...

They also let Rustioni through their fingers - but too similar to Pappano?

Mind you, not sure they would have been any better!

[Saint-Loup]

Rather surprised this thread dried up so fast - no comments about performances there since June? Or is there another thread that I have overlooked?

Anyway, I thought 'Festen' was magnificent, and would go again if i could. It will be broadcast on March 22 I believe.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Rather surprised this thread dried up so fast - no comments about performances there since June? Or is there another thread that I have overlooked?

Anyway, I thought 'Festen' was magnificent, and would go again if i could. It will be broadcast on March 22 I believe.

Only really been to rehearsals this season with the exception of the magnificent Jenufa .
I sometimes comment on the Night At The Opera strand.

I’m tempted by Festen and could go the day of the Trovatore rehearsal …oh you’re tempting me …

(searches )

a few £90 tickets left

(thinks, consults Mrs EH)

That’s it I’ve cracked. Long time since I’ve done the rehearsal / perf double …exhausting

To put it in perspective I met the conductor Alexandre Sody very briefly last night. At short notice he’s conducting the Ring at La Scala in a couple of weeks after what sounds like one rehearsal. When I asked him how he felt about it he said it knew it pretty well through playing it through several times as a repetiteur.
Professional show-must -go-on musicians never cease to amaze me.

On the evidence of last nights BSO concert and his recent Fidelio at ROH he is definitely a future star.

[Pulcinella]

Rather surprised this thread dried up so fast - no comments about performances there since June? Or is there another thread that I have overlooked?

Anyway, I thought 'Festen' was magnificent, and would go again if i could. It will be broadcast on March 22 I believe.

Festen gets five stars from Neil Young in today's Times:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/724aa5a5-ddf2-4385-9e37-ba0bd8ff8de1?shareToken=f92d483c40b85368cab12aca3b 793257

[Saint-Loup]

I’m tempted by Festen

(searches )

a few £90 tickets left

(thinks, consults Mrs EH)

That’s it I’ve cracked. .

I do hope you will not regret it and that you will offer us your opinion.

Clare Presland as Pia reminiscent of 'Rachel-when-from-the-Lord' ?

[Saint-Loup]

Festen gets five stars from Neil Young in today's Times:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/724aa5a5-ddf2-4385-9e37-ba0bd8ff8de1?shareToken=f92d483c40b85368cab12aca3b 793257

The Guardian liked it too. As they did the miniature 'Rheingold' which I was also fortunate enough to see during a few days' dart from West Mercia to Babylon:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/15/the-week-in-classical-festen-mark-anthony-turnage-lee-hall-royal-opera-richard-jones-edward-gardner-premiere-review-dark-jubilant-five-star-triumph-das-rheingold-regents-opera-york-hall?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[gurnemanz]

Rather surprised this thread dried up so fast - no comments about performances there since June? Or is there another thread that I have overlooked?

I'll chip in. We saw the opera Eugene Onegin last October. Our daughter is a big ballet fan and has priority booking, so she got the tickets for us and came along. She suggested we would also like the Cranko ballet version and we duly went along in January, to coincide with her birthday. She has already seen it but enjoys seeing different dancers. It was Francesca Hayward's debut as Tatiana and only appearance in the role in the run (I see she is doing one in May). A few years ago she had played her sister Olga in the same staging. A minimalist Eugene Onegin with almost no set, but we greatly enjoyed both, and it was fascinating to compare the two.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I'll chip in. We saw the opera Eugene Onegin last October. Our daughter is a big ballet fan and has priority booking, so she got the tickets for us and came along. She suggested we would also like the Cranko ballet version and we duly went along in January, to coincide with her birthday. She has already seen it but enjoys seeing different dancers. It was Francesca Hayward's debut as Tatiana and only appearance in the role in the run (I see she is doing one in May). A few years ago she had played her sister Olga in the same staging. A minimalist Eugene Onegin with almost no set, but we greatly enjoyed both, and it was fascinating to compare the two.

Well this is what I’ve seen since June mainly in rehearsal

Eugene Onegin - excellent Lenksy and Tatiana but not quite the right role for the Onegin who had a lovely voice


Tosca - Terfel on spine tingling form and an excellent Tosca from Natalia Romaniw

Fidelio - a very good Leonore and superbly conducted by Alexander Sody. Don’t like the production at all.

Jenufa - magnificent in both rehearsal and performance - one of the highlights so far of season. The new MD seems very well thought of by the orchestra.

La Boheme - good revival but don’t care so much for the production

….coming up Il Trovatore / Festen this Monday .

The superb reviews / word of mouth mean that there are very few tickets left for Festen .

one thing that seems consistent - good singing , shame about the production. I hear the Tosca production is not long for this world - what a waste of money …half a mill for sets ? The last one lasted decades.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I do hope you will not regret it and that you will offer us your opinion.

Clare Presland as Pia reminiscent of 'Rachel-when-from-the-Lord' ?

Will do. Never had too many regrets at Covent Garden . Mind you there was a Don Carlos once …

[Ein Heldenleben]

I do hope you will not regret it and that you will offer us your opinion.

Clare Presland as Pia reminiscent of 'Rachel-when-from-the-Lord' ?

Thanks for the tip-off . Yes a tremendous production superbly sung , acted and played . One of the best directed pieces I’ve seen in a long time. Allan Clayton as Christian in particular put in a truly outstanding performance . Only one perf to go and only a few boxes left. The score is very eclectic with more than a touch of Copland . Bernstein and indeed Britten.
Despite the appalling themes it’s also very funny.