Originally posted by ChandlersFord
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I understand that ballet audiences in Liverpool are generally pretty conservative: is it the same for opera? These companies need to sell tickets. -
Liverpool has never been a philistine city, though it has been a poor one for many years.Originally posted by alywin View Post
I remember a WNO production of Tristan being completely sold out when I attended it in the early 90s (first Wagner opera I ever saw, too). I don't think T&I counts as conservative programming.
Things have obviously changed in the last thirty years.Comment
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They have, alas. Give a city the best, and audiences will come. Condescending programming by the visiting companies over the last twenty years has left Liverpool indifferent: people know when they're being palmed off with second-rate, popular repertory fare rather than something interesting.Originally posted by ChandlersFord View PostComment
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There's a very good editorial in today's Opera, highlighting the shifty, contradictory vacillations of ENO's CEO Stuart Murphy, and the rabid anti-operatic bigotry of Darren Henley of ACE. From what John Allison says, it seems that the appalling Henley was being lined up to replace Alan Davey (another ex-ACE toady) as Controller of Radio 3, but that his incompetence has become so apparent over the last couple of months that he has cooked his goose as far as that little career move is concerned.
Meanwhile, we're told, poverty-stricken Poland is building a brand new, state-of-the-art opera house for Warsaw's third - yes, third! - opera company: "attendances at the National Opera, Warsaw Chamber Opera and the Royal Opera show that the Polish people love opera. We must make new investments in this field, because that is what our citizens expect".
Couldn't you cry?Comment
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It looks to be this announcement, dated today:Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post
I obviously have no understanding of the internecine politics of the UK classical and opera scene to parse all the subtexts, except that perhaps there might be some between-the-lines acknowledgement of the mess that ACE has created here. Although it is kind of nice to see ENO twist the knife to ACE with this bit in the announcement:
If Sir Bryn and others can keep the pressure on ACE for the next 2 years, perhaps the hope is to inch ACE back to restoring ENO's primary base in London at the Coliseum, but with enhancing / buffing up outreach activities outside of London. Since Opera North was formerly an arm of ENO, maybe as a face-saving measure, Opera North and ENO can announce long-term collaboration and sharing of productions, for a "base outside of the capitol". I'm totally making this up, of course."While we fundamentally disagree with ACE’s decision to remove the ENO from the NPO list having met or exceeded all success criteria laid down...."
Not that David Pickard is reading the Forum (but perhaps if Petroc does still read these posts occasionally, and perhaps he can get this idea to David Pickard and/or Sam Jackson), here's an idea for the 2023 Proms. Annelise Miskimmon said a while back in the NYT that ENO shelved a planned production of Tippett's King Priam. Dare I suggest a Prom this summer by ENO with King Priam in a staged concert presentation?Comment
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Thanks so it looks like the usual British messy compromise.Originally posted by bluestateprommer View PostIt looks to be this announcement, dated today:
I obviously have no understanding of the internecine politics of the UK classical and opera scene to parse all the subtexts, except that perhaps there might be some between-the-lines acknowledgement of the mess that ACE has created here. Although it is kind of nice to see ENO twist the knife to ACE with this bit in the announcement:
If Sir Bryn and others can keep the pressure on ACE for the next 2 years, perhaps the hope is to inch ACE back to restoring ENO's primary base in London at the Coliseum, but with enhancing / buffing up outreach activities outside of London. Since Opera North was formerly an arm of ENO, maybe as a face-saving measure, Opera North and ENO can announce long-term collaboration and sharing of productions, for a "base outside of the capitol". I'm totally making this up, of course.
Not that David Pickard is reading the Forum (but perhaps if Petroc does still read these posts occasionally, and perhaps he can get this idea to David Pickard and/or Sam Jackson), here's an idea for the 2023 Proms. Annelise Miskimmon said a while back in the NYT that ENO shelved a planned production of Tippett's King Priam. Dare I suggest a Prom this summer by ENO with King Priam in a staged concert presentation?
I think ENO need to be bold and reject the idea of a second base . Far too capital heavy. They should undertake to tour for 6 months of the year with a smaller orchestra and British singers taking in cities like Bristol , Plymouth , Norwich, Southampton , Oxford , Birmingham, Liverpool that either have little opera provision or about to lose it through cuts to WNO and GTO . Long term they should argue for a £20 million annual budget. They should also sell the Colly and move to a 1500 seat London theatre. The key thing is they shouldn’t compete for audience with Opera North.Comment
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This has been said for many years - the Colliseum is too large for young singers + also for most performancesOriginally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostComment
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They'd better get their thinking caps on pronto before the year's out... very difficult decisions to be made, especially in the light of WNO and Glyndebourne cancelling their touring. It doesn't look as though there'll be much opera down here in Kernow.
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Yes...BUT... for the right music and shows it is unbeatable. Better than the ROH... (Wagner, big Verdi, verismo...)Originally posted by Frances_iom View PostComment
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Having been to both I find where you sit is crucial.Annoyingly listening to and commenting on radio 3...Comment
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It is indeed. I went to a performance of Eugene Onegin some years ago and sat in either front Dress Circle or front Upper Circle (reduced-price ticket from tkts, naturally) and was blown away by it, so much so that I took a friend I was trying to persuade to like opera to see another performance of it: same month, same cast. We sat in the rear Upper Circle, and were really disappointed - and she hated it.Comment
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ENO have announced a shortlist of cities where they may base themselves - Birmingham, Bristol, Greater Manchester, Liverpool Nottingham
I wondered about Bristol, with Cardiff and WNO being so close. But if WNO kept/had to keep its touring largely to Wales, Wales might benefit cullturally. Tours to Bristol had already been cut down so I don't think the presence of ENO there would prevent slotting in a WNO visit when convenient.
That said, I don't see them choosing Bristol.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Nottingham is more central to UK, already has a v.good 'culture' profile, good transport links.Comment
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Bristol is not centrally located but it would at least put opera within striking distance of people in Devon and Cornwall (for example), who don't have it at the moment and who can't easily get to Cardiff or occasional weeks in Southampton (if indeed those still happen?).
Having said that, I'm not sure how high a priority the arts are for Bristol council. The main concert hall was very nearly not reopened at all on the grounds of cost (it will do so, as Bristol Beacon, over 4 years late this autumn. Only half of the delay was due to the pandemic.)Comment
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