Il Trittico at Covent Garden

[Belgrove]

This kicks off the new Opera on 3 season with a broadcast from the ROH on 17th September at 6.20 pm. Richard Jones is augmenting his earlier enjoyable production Gianni Schicchi with Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica, neither of which I have seen. It is the first time the triple bill has been performed at the ROH since 1965. Is anyone going?

[Simon]

Ah, if only it were not so far away and in such an unwholesome place.

[Auferstehen2]

Seconded! If only it wasn't in a different country to mine! A year ago I didn't know these three little works. At the moment, I listen to them all the time.

Belgrove, enjoy!

Simon, I've never been to that opera house - why is it "unwholesome"?

Mario

[Simon]

Not the opera house, Mario - I'm sure it's a lovely place, though I've never been to an opera there.

It's the city it's in that puts me off. Filthy, smelly, polluted and dangerous, sadly.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Is anyone going?

Yes, I'm reviewing the first night (tomorrow) and am looking forward to it immensely.

[salymap]

At least the Royal Opera House area doesn't,hopefully, smell of rotting cabbage leaves and detritus as it did in the days of the nearby Covent Garden Market, when I used to go to opera and ballet. Once inside, it's a beautiful building. The air in London doesn't have smogs [fog] much now but petrol fumes aren't good.

[Auferstehen2]

As mentioned earlier, I've never set foot inside the ROH, even though I lived in Central London for some 35 years (hangs head in shame).

Has it got the necessary attributes for a good staging of an opera (acoustics, seating, view lines, etc)? I thought it was regarded as a world-class opera house, on a par with the Met, La Scala, etc.

Am I wrong?

Mario

[Ruth Elleson]

I love Il trittico. I discovered it in full (having seen Gianni Schicchi before) when ENO last revived it in 2001 (?) and based on the fact that I love the Schicchi which will form part of the Royal Opera set - this having been devised by Richard Jones a few years ago for the double bill with L'heure espagnole - I have great hopes for the triptych.

I am sorry that Anja Harteros has pulled out of Suor Angelica; I'm not sure I can quite imagine Ermonela Jaho in that role. But there's only one way to find out. I'll be there on Wednesday (2nd night) and again on the 27th.

[Belgrove]

In answer to your question Mario, the acoustic has much improved since the theatre was substantially refurbished a decade or so ago. The previously rather dry/dull acoustic has been enlivened through the replacement of the carpeted floors with bare wooden boards, and the front of the pit is now a lattice-work that allows the orchestral sound out. The sightlines have been improved in most parts of the theatre, although there are still a few spots with restricted views (that some directors do not appear to be aware of). The front of theatre facilities have also been enhanced.

It's a wonderful theatre, the refurbishment retaining the traditional horseshoe shape, opulent decoration and ornamentation whilst now enjoying state of the art facilities both front and (I understand) backstage.

I shall report back on how the show went after attending on Wednesday.

[Simon]

At least the Royal Opera House area doesn't, hopefully, smell of rotting cabbage leaves and detritus as it did in the days of the nearby Covent Garden Market, when I used to go to opera and ballet.

Is there no fruit and vegetable market there anymore, Salymap?

[Chris Newman]

Covent Garden Market is now a tourist-trap stylish shopping-centre with many eateries ranging from Antonio Carluccio (Yum) to Snog (as messy and horrid as it sounds). The original market buildings have been preserved though the ROH facility has tripled in size with pleasant bars and foyers and an extra auditorium in the Floral Hall allowing them to put on two productions at a time.

The fruit and veg market went to Lambeth/Vauxhall, south of the Thames at least thirty years ago. My Fair Lady would never look the same.

[Simon]

Thanks Chris. Do you know why the market moved?

[amateur51]

Thanks Chris. Do you know why the market moved?

Hello Simon! There's a very interesting article on wiki about Covent Garden down the centuries...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covent_Garden

The section entitled Covent Garden Market gives the answers to the questions you pose

PS: Could someone please quote from this message so that Simon can see it please? Thanks

[LHC]

As mentioned earlier, I've never set foot inside the ROH, even though I lived in Central London for some 35 years (hangs head in shame).

Has it got the necessary attributes for a good staging of an opera (acoustics, seating, view lines, etc)? I thought it was regarded as a world-class opera house, on a par with the Met, La Scala, etc.

Am I wrong?

Mario

Mario,

Friends of mine in Austria and Italy, who have visited many of the world's best (and some of the not so good) opera houses, tell me that Covent Garden is their favourite opera house.

I think it is fair to say that, on a good night, it is a world-class house; its orchestra is very good (especially when Pappano is conducting), its casts generally include the top singers and its stage facilties are now very good. It's a beautiful building in a prime location. Although I go to the opera regularly, it always feels like a treat to be there.

In general, its productions also seem to strike a happy medium (for me at least) between the worst excesses of some of the german houses (commonly derided as 'Eurotrash') and the vacuous kitsch served up by Franco Zeffirelli for the delectation of the ultra conservative audience at the Met.

If you haven't been, you should certainly go.

[Auferstehen2]

LHC,

Wow! Now THAT's a reply worth having - thank you very much.

You are of course absolutely correct in that any half decent music lover worth his salt should visit this world-renowned concert hall.

I fly to Manchester at least once a month, as I am about to do tomorrow to watch us help Chelsea get their, what, seventeenth manager the sack in a few years, but I rarely seem to pop down to London, a place I lived in for some 35 years.

I'm there twice before the end of the year though, and nothing in any concert halls there (RFH, QEH, Barbican, Wigmore St (I used to work next door to that too!), not even Fairfields in Croydon), ever grabs my fancy, or tickets are simply impossible to get. Same with the opera houses.

Simon Callow once said that he considered opera as the greatest of all arts, in that it hits you at every level; it has dance, movement, soloists, duets, trios, quartets, quintets, two or three choruses, colour, acting, costumes, before we even start to talk about the musical equivalents of... solos, duets, trios, quartets, quintets or full tuttis. Listening to an opera live is a communal pastime, it has (usually) a terrific (or silly) story line, it has tension, excitement, depths of profundity, in short just about everything. When it all comes together perfectly, it must be the greatest fun you can have with your clothes on!

I really feel quite ashamed after all that to admit that I know less than twenty operas, three of which, started this thread.

LHC, I hope you continue to find your obvious enjoyment in such a place.

Thank you for your reply,

Best wishes,

Mario