The Trombones from Hell

[David-G]

I can’t speak highly enough of the new "Orphee et Euridice" at the Royal Opera House. Juan Diego Florez sang marvellously the "haut contre" title role, Lucy Crowe delightful as Eurydice, Amanda Forsythe sweet-toned as Amour. The English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir excelled themselves, sensitively conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. The tempi and phrasing always seemed perfect. Dance in Gluck is important and integral to the action; I have never seen this better done than here by the Hofesh Shechter company. The stage design was simple, abstract and at times bewitchingly beautiful, sometimes on several levels – the orchestra were centre stage on a platform that was sometimes raised and sometimes lowered. And the trio of trombones! Seated on their own on the third tier, above the raised orchestra, anonymised by face masks, playing without scores – their incisive notes in the infernal scenes of Act 2 took the breath away. Truly the heralds of Hades; as the titles said at one point, "the horrible howlings of the rabid Cerberus".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Great review D-G - many thanks.

[Flosshilde]

I'm full of envy. When I read the review in the Guardian I checked to see if I could manage to get to see it. Unfortunatrely I'll be in Greece for the entire run.

[Darkbloom]

I'm full of envy. When I read the review in the Guardian I checked to see if I could manage to get to see it. Unfortunatrely I'll be in Greece for the entire run.

If this is supposed to be some sneaky way of making us feel sorry for you, I can tell you that it didn't work!

[Flosshilde]

But I really do regret not being able to see the production - it does sound brilliant (has there been any tut-tutting about modern productions yet?). I hope they'll revive it before too long.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But I really do regret not being able to see the production - it does sound brilliant (has there been any tut-tutting about modern productions yet?). I hope they'll revive it before too long.

In my eyes, JEG can do almost no wrong. Modern production? I just wouldn't go to anything so unHIPP.

[gurnemanz]

Great to hear positive comments. We are really looking forward to going to Orpheus on Oct 3 (last night), having rather neglected the composer for several decades. The last Gluck opera we saw live was a German production of Ipigenia (in Weimar,. East Germany) almost exactly 40 years ago. ... Termpus fugit: Tomorrow is our 40th wedding anniversary

[ARBurton]

I love Orfeo/Orphee - hope R3 are going to bring it to us.

[David-G]

Tempus fugit: Tomorrow is our 40th wedding anniversary

Congratulations!

[David-G]

I love Orfeo/Orphee - hope R3 are going to bring it to us.

"Opera on 3 continues its creative partnership with the Royal Opera House starting with Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, starring Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez and the English soprano Lucy Crowe on 24 October."

A date very much to be looked forward to. I understand it is the performance on 30 Sept that is to be broadcast.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Congratulations!

[ahinton]

And more congratulations from me!

At the risk of inviting chagrin or worse for drawing conscious attention to anything of mine, it occurs to me that "The Trombones from Hell" might in fact be the tenor and contrabass ones in my Concerto for 22 Instruments (otherwise perhaps known or knowable as A Bag of Wind, since those instruments are all à vent)...

[Howdenite]

(has there been any tut-tutting about modern productions yet?)

I have mostly not liked the updated productions that have been done recently at ROH, and I was beginning to think I was going to be driven away from live staged opera by the new stuff, but I have to say that I loved this production. It did what I want a production to do -- told the story, involved me every minute, charmed my eyes as well as ears, and brought out details I'd never heard before in the score.

[underthecountertenor]

I can’t speak highly enough of the new "Orphee et Euridice" at the Royal Opera House. Juan Diego Florez sang marvellously the "haut contre" title role, Lucy Crowe delightful as Eurydice, Amanda Forsythe sweet-toned as Amour. The English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir excelled themselves, sensitively conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. The tempi and phrasing always seemed perfect. Dance in Gluck is important and integral to the action; I have never seen this better done than here by the Hofesh Shechter company. The stage design was simple, abstract and at times bewitchingly beautiful, sometimes on several levels – the orchestra were centre stage on a platform that was sometimes raised and sometimes lowered. And the trio of trombones! Seated on their own on the third tier, above the raised orchestra, anonymised by face masks, playing without scores – their incisive notes in the infernal scenes of Act 2 took the breath away. Truly the heralds of Hades; as the titles said at one point, "the horrible howlings of the rabid Cerberus".

Great to be able to agree with you on this, David-G. A sublime evening on every level (for the orchestra in particular! ). I'm even contemplating trying to find the time and the money to go again. And those trombones!
By the way, have you thought of imitating their face masks for the next Michieletto production? (Sorry - I couldn't resist SOME mischief! )

[underthecountertenor]

By the way, there are some nice insights into the rehearsal process in this viola player's diary. http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...-aliye-cornish