Opera Lovers unite against the ROH and the BBC in unholy alliance

[french frank]

It's hard to imagine that a savvy ROH audience won't come up with a way of dealing with this.

Let's hope so. I'd recommend slow hand-clapping until they gave in and agreed to go on to Act 3 - a bit disruptive for them, but not as disruptive as sitting through a wannabe novice (i.e. not even a novice) conducting a repeat of Act 2. The entire audience is in the box seat on this occasion, surely?

What lunatic mind could have come up with the thought: Look, while we've got the Act 2 scenery in place, why don't we ... ? It's the BBC acting the bully again (even if some people are only too ready to kowtow), as with shoving Choral Evensong all over the place just to fit in with the R3 schedules.


Nice pic...

[Anna]

Looking at the BBC webpage for the programme it says:
In a climax gala concert the four students must each conduct an operatic aria in full, with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House deciding which conductor will leave the competition.


So, it's just one aria, not the whole of Act 2 Which is still dreadful for those attending and, for continuity of the tv programme, news of the winner will of course leak out whereas it won't be revealed to viewers until the final episode on May 18th. None of it makes any sense at all. If Prommer does attend we really need a detailed account of the event!

[french frank]

Looking at the BBC webpage for the programme it says:
In a climax gala concert the four students must each conduct an operatic aria in full, with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House deciding which conductor will leave the competition.


So, it's just one aria, not the whole of Act 2 Which is still dreadful for those attending and, for continuity of the tv programme, news of the winner will of course leak out whereas it won't be revealed to viewers until the final episode on May 18th. None of it makes any sense at all. If Prommer does attend we really need a detailed account of the event!

Isn't that the round to decide who the winner is? Then the winner conducts the whole act?

[Prommer]

I am attending, and will render a full account, I can assure you!

The event on Saturday will be the winner of the whole thing (who has already been chosen) conducting the whole of Act II, all 20 minutes of it. There is a time lag, as the opening programme of Maestro only airs this Friday. And the ROH and BBC have already expressed to us the hope that those who attend will not revel, sorry reveal, who won. Ha bloody ha! They've got a cheek, you must give 'em that.

[underthecountertenor]

I'm a Friend of the ROH, and have enjoyed the fact that they've been riding high under Tony Pappano's musical directorship and Tony Hall's canny leadership - until this season. A succession of flops (the worst being the terrible Miss Fortune), a terrible online booking service with only the most mealy-mouthed apologies forthcoming whenever it crashes, and now this. I'm only thankful that they re-scheduled this fiasco - it was originally down for tonight, for which I have tickets (having booked before it was originally announced). I can't begin to imagine what Semyon Bychkov must think of it.
In short, they've had a Chelsea of a season. I am now hoping against hope that Les Troyens and Otello are season-end triumphs (I say nothing here of the Champions' League).

[Serial_Apologist]

I am attending, and will render a full account, I can assure you!

The event on Saturday will be the winner of the whole thing (who has already been chosen) conducting the whole of Act II, all 20 minutes of it. There is a time lag, as the opening programme of Maestro only airs this Friday. And the ROH and BBC have already expressed to us the hope that those who attend will not revel, sorry reveal, who won. Ha bloody ha! They've got a cheek, you must give 'em that.

Well all the best, Prommer, is all I can say. I would try and arrange a whip round to pay for your ticket, but...

[french frank]

Well all the best, Prommer, is all I can say. I would try and arrange a whip round to pay for your ticket, but...

Advertise it on ebay as the hot ticket to attend the finale of Maestro at the Opera. They don't have to watch the boring bits with the unknown conductor.

[Stunsworth]

I do become rather tired with the ROH attempting to become accessible and 'out there' (yuck) by increasing access

Crikey, you mean they allow the lower orders in? The world's gone mad.

[ahinton]

In one way I’m surprised from a musicianship aspect that Sir Mark Elder has got involved with the programme. On the other hand Sir Mark does seem to love the limelight especially television coverage of himself.

You are not alone in this - and he didn't used to do that kind of thing...

[Panjandrum]

Crikey, you mean they allow the lower orders in? The world's gone mad.

Can you imagine someone whose standard diet is BeastlyBenders and other indigestible fare actually queuing to consume 3 hours of undiluted warbling?

[Anna]

Act 2 is quite short I think - around 20 minutes? And it has to be filmed in one go with no re-takes. Will this extra 20 mins have an impact on those having to catch trains back to the Provinces?

[Frances_iom]

Crikey, you mean they allow the lower orders in? The world's gone mad.

dead right - every since the refit the bums on seats in upperslips no longer fit (literally) - they being the ones who needed the 93 stairs in old house.

[french frank]

Act 2 is quite short I think - around 20 minutes? And it has to be filmed in one go with no re-takes. Will this extra 20 mins have an impact on those having to catch trains back to the Provinces?

Don't forget there will be the 20 mins plus, and then they have to change the scenery for Act 3. And it seems to be the time it would take for the change from Act 3 back to Act 2 which they explained as the reason for putting the new maestro on the podium earlier.

[Nick Armstrong]

Don't forget there will be the 20 mins plus, and then they have to change the scenery for Act 3. And it seems to be the time it would take for the change from Act 3 back to Act 2 which they explained as the reason for putting the new maestro on the podium earlier.

Pace your trusty robot, FF, the whole thing seems to be precisely what phrases such as

Mare's nest

Bugger's muddle

Shambles

and

B*ll*cks

were designed to cover.



I'm giving the entire charade a very wide berth.

[amateur51]

Pace your trusty robot, FF, the whole thing seems to be precisely what phrases such as

Mare's nest

Bugger's muddle

Shambles

and

B*ll*cks

were designed to cover.



I'm giving the entire charade a very wide berth.

Elegantly put, as always Caliban