Tannhauser: ROH, Covent Garden

[Barbirollians]

Glorious music excellently performed, but not much was lost by closing the eyes for extended periods to enjoy it!

Sounds like Wagner generally !!!

[Donnie Essen]

I saw this on the 29th. I though the production was great in parts, what with Elizabeth fading away and the boy with the tree. Mostly, though, I kinda ignored it. It was my first time witnessing it. Often, if it's a first time, and if the staging ain't grabbing me, I kinda see 'through' the staging to get my head around the work itself, just the music, the words, the singers singing to each other as if there ain't much around them.

But what was Wagner's take on Christianity here? The forces of restraint win out in a conventional sort of way. Kinda goes against the grain of his other works. Ain't the free and sensual type of lovin' represented by Venus here what the composer later revelled in and glorified in Tristan? That Act III was darn predictable in a non-Wagner sorta way, which was kinda hard to predict. But then I recall in Parsifal, Kundry is redeemed by having her advances refused. I guess I shoulda watched with my Parsifal hat on and taken off my Tristan hat.

But the playing and singing rocked. The Mail sucks ass, as ever, what with being rude about Mr. Botha. Even the sidebar of celeb-chicks in bikinis can't redeem them this time.

[Chris Newman]

You are right, Mandryka. Mellor usually reviews opera (and music generally) for the Daily Mail: mind you I only ever read it in my local library after a performance I am interested in. The rest of the paper was not the sort of thing I would countenance as a former teacher in Britain: it was dispiriting the way they ran teachers down in the way that Thatcher did. Mellor is a fair reviewer with plenty of enthusiasm for his subject and some background knowledge. I have not read Gillard for years until today. After reading that Tannhauser review I can only say "Silly bitch!"

[GrahamMca]

I was at the 27 December performance in a right side lower slip. ALL the action was on my side, so spent a lot of time sitting back and listening. The Baccanalians ran to the opposite side occasionally, but I felt very short changed as I hardly saw a singer. Moved to the stalls at the interval and found that all the action in Acts 2 & 3 was also on that side, but at least I could see it.
Fell in love with the work and spent the next week listening to the Christmas broadcast constantly. Gerhaher is simply magnificent isn’t he. Even in act 3 where he stands for ages listening to HT going on about his trip I was hypnotised as he slowly slowly turned on the spot, looking at the ground, Great actor. Is there a recording planned to match Bychkov’s Lohengrin? Rush out!
One gripe was the coughing. Never heard such appalling racket in any music venue. Constant uncovered violent coughing from a dozen people. Worst during Gerhaher great Evening Star aria – poor bloke must think we’re a load of uncivilised ignoramuses. I longed for an Alfred Brendel moment – he’d have stopped the whole show and told people how to behave themselves. If I’d actually paid for my £200 seat I’d have been at the manager’s office.
Thanks for the opportunity to moan

[Chris Newman]

One gripe was the coughing. Never heard such appalling racket in any music venue. Constant uncovered violent coughing from a dozen people. Worst during Gerhaher great Evening Star aria – poor bloke must think we’re a load of uncivilised ignoramuses. I longed for an Alfred Brendel moment – he’d have stopped the whole show and told people how to behave themselves. If I’d actually paid for my £200 seat I’d have been at the manager’s office.
Thanks for the opportunity to moan

One of famous put-downs for coughers came from tenor Jon Vickers in "Tristan and Isolde":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrHMla5AJgQ&playnext=1&list=PLFFAE9EEAF6FF984D&index=29

sadly the filmed version is no longer on YouTube.

A tip with the slips at Covent Garden is book the front row seats nearest the back of the auditorium. You will be five or six feet from someone in the main tiers who has paid twice as much and leaning forward you can get a good view. Damn! why do I tell everyone my secrets?

[Bert Coules]

Moved to the stalls at the interval...

I'm amazed that you got away with that. The front of house staff must be a lot more lenient than they were when I used to go there regularly!

[GrahamMca]

[QUOTE=Chris Newman;25685]One of famous put-downs for coughers came from tenor Jon Vickers in "Tristan and Isolde":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrHMla5AJgQ&playnext=1&list=PLFFAE9EEAF6FF984D&index=29

Thanks for that fabulous link. What a great moment. Bet the audience loved him for it (as they loved Florez for his much reported "shit" last week). And the link to the treasure trove of ancient Vickers clips is wonderful. How to occupy a chilly weekend!

[Flosshilde]

Oh - I always thought that Vickers was British!