Tannhauser stand-in at ROH

[ardcarp]

Just heard on R3 that a singer from the audience stepped in for the third act when the principal was taken ill. It's an ill wind, etc

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just heard on R3 that a singer from the audience stepped in for the third act when the principal was taken ill. It's an ill wind, etc

The nephew of the late Henry Cooper, it was also reported!

[ardcarp]

He would have been better in The Ring.

[David-G]

Just heard on R3 that a singer from the audience stepped in for the third act when the principal was taken ill. It's an ill wind, etc

Do we know which principal? Tannhauser himself?

[Pulcinella]

He would have been better in The Ring.

[Nick Armstrong]

He would have been better in The Ring.

It was this chap, who is preparing the rôle for Longborough Opera and happened to be there last night.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

He would have been better in The Ring.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do we know which principal? Tannhauser himself?

Yes. The replacement (David Cooper, IIRC - possibly Ian) is preparing to sing the role in another production, and had gone along simply to enjoy the ROH show.

Or even Neal - as I would have known if I'd seen the link after Cali's photo, and saved the bother of posting the above. )

[Richard Tarleton]

I hope Peter Sieffert is OK - glorious voice in his prime as Walter andTannhauser (heard him in both).

[Nick Armstrong]

(David Cooper, IIRC - possibly Ian)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Well - at least I didn't suggest "Tommy"!

[Flosshilde]

I don't know how the overture came across in the theatre, but it sounds rather lack-lustre on the radio. A bit of a tepid bachanale.

& I'm not desperately impressed by the singing so far, either.

In fact I'm feeling a bit bored by it so I think I'll go & mow the lawn.

[Nick Armstrong]

A bit of a tepid bachanale.

Nothing worse than a tepid bachanale, in life as in opera

I'm not desperately impressed by the singing so far, either.

Nor I neither - the bit I heard sounded almost like parody Coarse Opera Singing...

[Flosshilde]

Tannhauser & Venus sounded as if they'd been married for twenty years. Couldn't even summon up the energy for a good argument.

[Cockney Sparrow]

i found it quite acceptable live, in the house. I didn't think any of the singers deficient.

I've always found Radio relays of live performances (I know, deferred in this case)problematic and a pale imitation (or I hope it is - I don't get to compare many with the live - well in fact i stopped listening to them a long time ago). Give me a commercial recording please, if I'm not able to go.

Assuming its available on iPlayer, I will be skipping through to to revisit Christian Gerhaher's exceptional contributions in the part of Wolfram. Performance to be treasured in the memory.