ROH Season 2016-7

[underthecountertenor]

The new season has been announced. Looks pretty strong to me, on paper at least, in terms of both repertoire and casting.

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/opera-and-music-201617

[Flosshilde]

Hmm - Mastersingers directed by Kasper Holten. No doubt there will be some comment about it!

[underthecountertenor]

No doubt! Indeed two commenters on the ROH website have already decided that it will be a disaster. What lovely people: no wonder KH wants to go back to Denmark. But I for one am greatly looking forward to it.

[Barbirollians]

Looks a terrific season not sure I fancy hearing either villazon or Alagna going after all those high Cs - the Norma, otello and Meistersingers look very strong .

[Nevilevelis]

No doubt! Indeed two commenters on the ROH website have already decided that it will be a disaster. What lovely people: no wonder KH wants to go back to Denmark. But I for one am greatly looking forward to it.

Well said, as ever! Likewise!

[Prommer]

Some good stuff to look forward to here, though a few odd choices and mismatches of repertoire with the talent.

Mr Holten we have surely done to death.

[Conchis]

Netrebko as Norma? Hmm....

I'd agree, though: strong repertoire, with something to please everyone, and some interesting casting choices.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I was at Wednesday's press conference and the upbeat mood reflects a very strong season.

http://beckmessersquill.com/2016/04/06/old-wine-new-bottles-vintage-season-royal-opera-house/

[Conchis]

I didn't much like Robert Carsen's production of Falstaff a few seasons back, so not sure how I feel about him taking on Rosenkavalier.

O/t (slightly) but Laurent Pelly used to be do a lot of work at the ROH but doesn't seem to have done much since his critically roasted production of Robert Le Diable (the production wasn't great, but I thought the real problem there was Meyerbeer's unmemorable music). Was he made to carry the can for it?

[french frank]

I was at Wednesday's press conference and the upbeat mood reflects a very strong season.

http://beckmessersquill.com/2016/04/...l-opera-house/

Thanks for that very clear report on the season, IGI

[underthecountertenor]

Thanks for that very clear report on the season, IGI

Seconded, though with the caveat that you've now tempted me to explore the possibility of spending even more money on opera in Paris and further afield. You'll be hearing from my bank manager.

[johnn10]

I didn't much like Robert Carsen's production of Falstaff a few seasons back, so not sure how I feel about him taking on Rosenkavalier.

O/t (slightly) but Laurent Pelly used to be do a lot of work at the ROH but doesn't seem to have done much since his critically roasted production of Robert Le Diable (the production wasn't great, but I thought the real problem there was Meyerbeer's unmemorable music). Was he made to carry the can for it?

I see that there is due to be a new Robert Carsen co-production of Der Rosenkavalier for which the top price is £270 even for the B cast. £115 for front amphitheatre. Ouch!

[Conchis]

I see that there is due to be a new Robert Carsen co-production of Der Rosenkavalier for which the top price is £270 even for the B cast. £115 for front amphitheatre. Ouch!

They need a new Rosenkavalier, as the Schlesinger production is 32 years old and now looks very boring and conservative. Carson is not, though, the man I'd have chosen for the job.

I think it will be difficult to top Richard Jones' Glyndebourne production.

[LHC]

They need a new Rosenkavalier, as the Schlesinger production is 32 years old and now looks very boring and conservative. Carson is not, though, the man I'd have chosen for the job.

I think it will be difficult to top Richard Jones' Glyndebourne production.

It was originally intended that this new production would have been directed by the Austrian actor Christoph Waltz (star of the Tarantino films "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained", and the most recent Bond villain in "Spectre"). The production premiered at Vlaamse Opera in December 2013, but it seems Covent Garden decided not to use it, and instead turned to Robert Carsen.

Carsen's previous production at the Salzburg Festival set the opera in the period immediately preceding the outbreak of World War One, and was controversial for setting the last act in a working brothel, complete with naked prostitutes and transvestites. In Act II Octavian arrived on a live horse galloping across the (very wide) Salzburg stage to present the silver rose. Its available on DVD and worth having a look at as the production actually works very well, and musical standards are very high (Bychkov conducting).

It's rumoured that these will be Fleming's final performances at the ROH (perhaps why she has finally deigned to appear in a fully staged opera here, rather than a one-off concert performance), and while it would have been nice to have seen her farewell, I don't think the rest of the cast justifies such astronomical prices. Charging the same for the second cast is just bonkers.

[underthecountertenor]

Charging the same for the second cast is just bonkers.

The Fleming performances are sold out at Friends booking stage (I think the ROH have a limit on Friends tickets and release more on the general sale booking date). The second cast performances have hardly shifted any tickets at all, which rather bears out your remark. I imagine that there will be offers galore on these nearer the time.