ROH - Death in Venice

[Belgrove]

Not sure if R3 intends to broadcast this in the future. Richard Farnes is replacing the convalescing Mark Elder. Farnes’ conducting of the work for Opera North some years ago was memorable. I’m a bit surprised that ticket availability is as tight as it is.

Anyone going?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes I’m going and like you amazed that it’s such a hot ticket . It is very difficult to get returns. I have been “preparing” by listening to the Pears and Langridge recordings. Both very high quality- every word crystal clear. What a great singer John Shirley - Quirk was ....

[underthecountertenor]

Not sure if R3 intends to broadcast this in the future. Richard Farnes is replacing the convalescing Mark Elder. Farnes’ conducting of the work for Opera North some years ago was memorable. I’m a bit surprised that ticket availability is as tight as it is.

Anyone going?

Going on 21 November, and looking forward to it. Surely it will be broadcast??

Tightness of ticket availability: it may be that this is partly because the tickets were sensibly priced at the outset (contrast, say, Don Pasquale), and that people jumped at the chance of seeing a relative rarity in the Britten operatic canon with an attractive cast and a generally reliable director.

But I suspect that the ROH may also have been liberally conferring cheapies on the conservatoires.

[Master Jacques]

Going on 21 November, and looking forward to it. Surely it will be broadcast??

Tightness of ticket availability: it may be that this is partly because the tickets were sensibly priced at the outset (contrast, say, Don Pasquale), and that people jumped at the chance of seeing a relative rarity in the Britten operatic canon with an attractive cast and a generally reliable director.

But I suspect that the ROH may also have been liberally conferring cheapies on the conservatoires.

It's not such a "rarity" these days - in fact, next to Peter Grimes and Turn of the Screw, Death in Venice is (internationally) the most often produced of Britten's operas. The last run at ENO was also a sell out, and I am sure you are right, in that sensible pricing has had something to do with the high ticket sales. I don't think there has been any papering going on, either.

It is due for Radio 3 broadcast on December 28.

[ardcarp]

Look forward to it...but a pity it's not going to be on BBC4 TV...from which music has all but disappeared.

[Keraulophone]

.

This summer's St Endellion Festival gave an intimate foretaste of Mark Padmore's performance as Aschenbach, in the good company of Roddy Williams and Robin Blaze and an in-form chorus and orchestra under the impressive Duncan Ward.

It was sad to see the dilapidated state of the Hotel des Bains on the Lido di Venezia recenty. A plan to redevelop it as luxury apartments seems to have stalled.

.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It's not such a "rarity" these days - in fact, next to Peter Grimes and Turn of the Screw, Death in Venice is (internationally) the most often produced of Britten's operas.

... and was "done" by Opera North 6 years ago - conducted by Richard Farnes (who is superb).

[Darkbloom]

It's not such a "rarity" these days - in fact, next to Peter Grimes and Turn of the Screw, Death in Venice is (internationally) the most often produced of Britten's operas. The last run at ENO was also a sell out, and I am sure you are right, in that sensible pricing has had something to do with the high ticket sales. I don't think there has been any papering going on, either.

It is due for Radio 3 broadcast on December 28.

Surely Billy Budd is performed more often than Turn of the Screw?

[Master Jacques]

Surely Billy Budd is performed more often than Turn of the Screw?

Given that Billy Budd requires the full paraphernalia of a large opera house, with a score or so of principals and a large chorus, and that The Screw requires six singers and a chamber orchestra, and can (ought) to be performed in small venues, it's no surprise that the later opera has clocked up many more productions and performances than the earlier one. As, believe me, it has!

Bottom of the list currently (apart from the three Church Parables, which are almost out with the washing) are Albert Herring and - more surprisingly - The Rape of Lucretia. Oh ... and Owen Wingrave, so far behind the others that I forgot it entirely!

[bluestateprommer]

Tightness of ticket availability: it may be that this is partly because the tickets were sensibly priced at the outset (contrast, say, Don Pasquale), and that people jumped at the chance of seeing a relative rarity in the Britten operatic canon with an attractive cast and a generally reliable director.

But I suspect that the ROH may also have been liberally conferring cheapies on the conservatoires.

There is perhaps another, simpler, reason: this run of Death in Venice has only 5 performances. So supply of tickets is limited to begin with. The star power and cachet of Mark Padmore and Gerald Finley certainly doesn't hurt the appeal. It's happy to read that people are interested and that tickets are relatively scarce.

The Metropolitan Opera does a rather similar thing at the end of its season, rather than in the middle, namely to give a limited run of a "niche" opera. This season, it's Káťa Kabanová this coming May. Past offerings were works like The Rake's Progress or Dialogues des Carmelites.

[LHC]

Going on 21 November, and looking forward to it. Surely it will be broadcast??

Tightness of ticket availability: it may be that this is partly because the tickets were sensibly priced at the outset (contrast, say, Don Pasquale), and that people jumped at the chance of seeing a relative rarity in the Britten operatic canon with an attractive cast and a generally reliable director.

But I suspect that the ROH may also have been liberally conferring cheapies on the conservatoires.

The ROH do seem to be quite astute in setting prices for operas that might be considered a harder sell. I remember a few years ago both ENO and the ROH put on productions of Wozzeck at the same time. The ROH performance featured Simon Keenlyside and Karita Matilla in the lead roles and had a top ticket price of £50. ENO’s production had a less starry cast and a top price of over £100. Unsurprisingly the ROH performances were sold out, while ENO’s were half empty.

[Master Jacques]

The Metropolitan Opera does a rather similar thing at the end of its season, rather than in the middle, namely to give a limited run of a "niche" opera. This season, it's Káťa Kabanová this coming May. Past offerings were works like The Rake's Progress or Dialogues des Carmelites.

It's wryly amusing to read these well-established repertory mainstays - at least in Europe - described as "niche" operas, though I acknowledge the inverted commas. For the Met's management, perhaps they are still cutting edge, though not for audiences these days. Does that lumbering dinosaur of an opera house need to come to terms with the fact that the 20th century has been - and gone?!

The main point is that - as with Opera North's Greek Passion, which packed out the sole performance given in Nottingham - the Royal Opera has consistently underrated the appeal of 20th century classics to today's audiences, when old 19th century warhorses are no longer filling the house. The same was true of the ROH House of the Dead a couple of years ago, which easily surpassed targets ... too late for them to cut out a couple of half-empty Tosca nights to accommodate many people who wanted to see the Janacek and couldn't.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's wryly amusing to read these well-established repertory mainstays - at least in Europe - described as "niche" operas, though I acknowledge the inverted commas. For the Met's management, perhaps they are still cutting edge, though not for audiences these days. Does that lumbering dinosaur of an opera house need to come to terms with the fact that the 20th century has been - and gone?!

The main point is that - as with Opera North's Greek Passion, which packed out the sole performance given in Nottingham - the Royal Opera has consistently underrated the appeal of 20th century classics to today's audiences, when old 19th century warhorses are no longer filling the house. The same was true of the ROH House of the Dead a couple of years ago, which easily surpassed targets ... too late for them to cut out a couple of half-empty Tosca nights to accommodate many people who wanted to see the Janacek and couldn't.

That’s a very good point . The standard run at ROH is five performances . Warhorses like Tosca and La Boheme can sometimes get double that and often don’t sell out - there are plenty of spare tickets for the upcoming La Boheme .I don’t think the 5 perf run of Death In Venice is because of artist availability because there are other British tenors and baritones who could fill the roles . I think the ROH may have underestimated the drawing power of Mark Padmore who doesn’t do a huge amount of opera but because of his concert and leider work around the UK has amassed a loyal following . Quite rightly - he is a very fine singer . That coupled with some keen pricing might explain the sellout . It’s also not that often performed and there is a core of ‘ hard core ‘ of opera goers at ROH quite happy to forego their umpteenth Puccini Opera for a rarely performed masterpiece .

[Master Jacques]

The ROH do seem to be quite astute in setting prices for operas that might be considered a harder sell. I remember a few years ago both ENO and the ROH put on productions of Wozzeck at the same time. The ROH performance featured Simon Keenlyside and Karita Matilla in the lead roles and had a top ticket price of £50. ENO’s production had a less starry cast and a top price of over £100. Unsurprisingly the ROH performances were sold out, while ENO’s were half empty.

Well ... what possibly undermines that correlation, is that the new ENO production was approximately twice as good a show! With Leigh Melrose giving what the Guardian (and others) described as "the performance of a lifetime" and Edward Gardner inspiring a level of involvement with the score well in excess of anything the somewhat tired and undercooked 2013 revival of Royal Opera's 2002 production managed. Both Keenlyside and Mattila sounded past their sell-by date even six years ago, nor did they relate much to one another artistically; and it's a mistake (in my opinion) to assume that ROH standards were somehow magically superior to ENO's.

The reverse is true, the majority of the time - certainly then and even in today's deeply troubled Coliseum era. ROH is indeed a better place to hear opera, but that's another question.

[Master Jacques]

That’s a very good point . The standard run at ROH is five performances . Warhorses like Tosca and La Boheme can sometimes get double that and often don’t sell out - there are plenty of spare tickets for the upcoming La Boheme .I don’t think the 5 perf run of Death In Venice is because of artist availability because there are other British tenors and baritones who could fill the roles . I think the ROH may have underestimated the drawing power of Mark Padmore who doesn’t do a huge amount of opera but because of his concert and leider work around the UK has amassed a loyal following . Quite rightly - he is a very fine singer . That coupled with some keen pricing might explain the sellout . It’s also not that often performed and there is a core of ‘ hard core ‘ of opera goers at ROH quite happy to forego their umpteenth Puccini Opera for a rarely performed masterpiece .

A whole series of good points here, with which I agree. If we compare the "standard repertory" with 30 years ago, the changes are quite stark. These monolithic companies are always the last to catch on and get the spread of performances right - but in essence, the public has changed and would much rather see Death in Venice than yet another Tosca, a piece which has little to address the concerns of contemporary audiences.