Glyndebourne 2018

[Bax-of-Delights]

Not a good start to the booking opening this evening. Glyndebourne’s site has crashed.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I checked out with Saul and J Caesar before trying to get tickets for Vanessa as that page went to an error message. I then re-joined the queue at 1600 or so and eventually got in, securing the last decent ticket in my preferred section (going on my own to the Barber as Mrs CS is passing on that one).

Crashing is reminiscent of the old days at the Royal Op House and the queue length of every Proms season so far (if I go to the Proms, this year I'll be outside the box office at the opening of booking I think....Instead of staring at a PC screen I hope to enjoy a walk through Hyde Park!).

[Bax-of-Delights]

It would appear that the first 10 minutes after 6p.m. was the difficult time to log in. Eventually got in at number 1193 and had to wait 45 minutes to get to the booking pages. Saul, Butterfly, Rosenkavalier and Vanessa (the latter had plenty of seats) pocketed. Am waiting for reviews of Pelleas before deciding if it is one for me. Saw the Vick production at Glyndebourne and find it difficult to believe it could be topped.

[Belgrove]

The problems with the website may well be a function of it being a very attractive season. Availability for specific performances was not guaranteed for members either. After some to-ing and fro-ing I managed to secure tickets for J Caesar, Pelleas, Vanessa, which I'm greatly looking forward to seeing. I also got M Butterfly for friends whose introduction to opera this will be.

Bax - you may not be aware that Kate Royal has withdrawn from Rosenkavalier and will be replaced by Rachel Willis-Sørensen (20 May – 2 June) / Michaela Kaune (8 June – 26 June).

[underthecountertenor]

Hmmm: sounds as if my usual Micawberesque attitude to Glyndebourne booking (hoping that some returns will turn up nearer the time) is going to prove even more unwise than usual this season. Missed Saul last time around and definitely want to see it this time; G Cesare with Sarah Connolly and Anna Stéphany and without Danielle De Niese () is a mouth-watering prospect; and I very much enjoyed the concert performance of Vanessa at the Barbican a few years ago (when Edward Seckerson stole a casual remark I made in the interval for his review) - so that is a must for me. Could be an expensive summer.

[PhilipT]

Giulio Cesare yesterday was all one could wish - Anna Stéphany was outstanding. Even the weather was perfect. The only slight niggle - the catering seems a bit under-rehearsed this year, with too many trivial mistakes (no plate laid for tea in the Mildmay; wrong drinks on the table in Nether Wallop). Doubtless this will improve as the season wears on.

[duncan]

Giulio Cesare is camper that ever, and has lost the resonance of British military adventures in the middle east it had in 2005, but still just retains the right balance between high-jinx and seriousness. Most of the cast were terrific. Sarah Connely was a little underpowered, hopefully just an off night. It is still huge fun and was much enjoyed by my 8 year old offspring - his first exposure to Opera.

Our DIY catering was wonderful: freshly-prepared Sushi, followed by home-make apple cake and tea brewed on my jetboil camping stove. I think we must be what Barry Milington called "an audience whose demographic has changed appreciably since 2005 towards younger, less obviously affluent opera-lovers".

[Cockney Sparrow]

1st night of 'Saul'. Good production, excellent orchestral contribution. All the principals very strong, some outstanding. A real opportunity for the chorus and my, they took it. Great energy in movement and acting and superbly sung (I particularly appreciated a very solid bass line.
A memorable evening and well worth the effort in terms of travel time, cost etc

[Dave2002]

1st night of 'Saul'. Good production, excellent orchestral contribution. All the principals very strong, some outstanding. A real opportunity for the chorus and my, they took it. Great energy in movement and acting and superbly sung (I particularly appreciated a very solid bass line.
A memorable evening and well worth the effort in terms of travel time, cost etc

Bonkers but brilliant. Much the best Handel performances and music I've seen and heard for a long while. Now need to take a Bible study course to see how well the opera action matches the texts. It's not just endless tedious da capo arias either, some of the choral sections are fugal, with interesting counterpoint, and the harmonies are at times also interesting and presumably relevant to the mood - not always a nice sound, and clearly deliberately so. This would seem to justify Mozart's opinion of Handel. Seems Handel wanted to introduce some exotic instruments as well - based on what was thought to be known about instruments in biblical times.

Stunningly good - though we got slightly wet as rain arrived for the first time in weeks.

[Dave2002]

Still a day or so to watch the 2015 production - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opera/wh...debourne-free/

Worth it if you have time.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Checking the Glyndebourne website it would appear that this new production of Pelleas hasn’t gone down too well with lots of tickets left for the remaining three performances. And there’s still plenty for Saul and Vanessa - the latter I’m looking forward to this coming Tuesday.

[Lat-Literal]

Checking the Glyndebourne website it would appear that this new production of Pelleas hasn’t gone down too well with lots of tickets left for the remaining three performances. And there’s still plenty for Saul and Vanessa - the latter I’m looking forward to this coming Tuesday.

I have been preparing to attend my first opera for many years and it does get to the stage where it feels that time is running out. I have read the reviews of this Pelleas. I might have been tempted nonetheless or perhaps especially as ever since the excellent all black version of Measure for Measure at the National many decades ago, I have been fairly open to novel approaches. However, the dress code, travel by train and then what, and perhaps a worry of not being of the right class background are as always excuse-to-not-go factors along with confidence issues where I am generally ok but only once I leave my front door.

As it happens, I have thrown caution to the winds following an astonishing Prom visit and booked tickets in the autumn/winter at the Coliseum for what appears to be a modern and slightly controversial La Boheme and also Porgy and Bess. The price I have paid is enormous by my standards but it's very much a one off - twice - so I decided it would be a self treat. I have added on a cancellation fee just in case it cannot happen. While this is perhaps not the ideal thread for questions in regard to these, I just wonder if anyone knows what the dress code is there and additionally any experiences of trying to cancel and getting a refund on the genuine grounds of not being able to attend? I've also got a Rach 2nd Piano Concerto with Benjamin Grosvenor at the Southbank lined up but that is incredibly inexpensive.

[Dave2002]

No problem going to ENO - just go. Unless you have really weird clothing nobody will notice. Don’t need a tie, jacket will be OK, even a pullover. Suggest you do wear trousers, and perhaps tank tops not recommended! Suits OK but hardly anybody bothers now, and if you sport a DJ you’ll really stand out. Just go in the sort of clothes an office worker (casual?) might wear - many will be coming straight after work anyway.

It’s really not Glyndebourne, but can still be a good experience.

Re tickets at ENO have you yet to discover Secret Seats - which are really cheap? Otherwise if you are old enough you might be able to get concessions on the night from around 5.30pm.

[Lat-Literal]

No problem going to ENO - just go. Unless you have really weird clothing nobody will notice. Don’t need a tie, jacket will be OK, even a pullover. Suggest you do wear trousers, and perhaps tank tops not recommended! Suits OK but hardly anybody bothers now, and if you sport a DJ you’ll really stand out. Just go in the sort of clothes an office worker (casual?) might wear - many will be coming straight after work anyway.

It’s really not Glyndebourne, but can still be a good experience.

Re tickets at ENO have you yet to discover Secret Seats - which are really cheap? Otherwise if you are old enough you might be able to get concessions on the night from around 5.30pm.

Unfortunately, I'm not old enough.

I saw the secret seats on the seat plan but needed an explanation which you have kindly provided. I also saw the seats where it isn't possible to see surtitles and avoided those, not knowing quite what that meant. Don't tell anyone but I was at the Prom in grey track suit bottoms and a black t-shirt but both were quite presentable. I didn't want to be stereotypical. It's not that I want to rub people up the wrong way - I like to blend - but I have quite basic clothes, what is important to me is all in the head, and I am the not the corporate box. I'm the sort of paying if necessary through the nose to be on the end of a row where I am not breathing in anyone's face and with a very good view out of my better eye sort of person.