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

[aeolium]

Don't fall for the "either / or" nonsense
what we need is BOTH

Well, you specifically talked about a campaign for opera funding, not for the arts. The ROH does get plenty of ACE funding already - I'd rather campaign for smaller and regional companies to get more.

[John Skelton]

It's not "either / or" nonsense if it is either / or; if the general budget is being limited / cut to x, and ROH gets whatever % of x then that has an impact on other arts organisations (unless arts organisations which have lost funding have all lost funding because of decisions to do with artistic quality or access, etc. That would be a strong and controversial claim to make).

As for "we need" - depends who "we" are. You could argue that the so-called arts in this country are administered for the upper and middle-classes by the upper and middle classes. They tend to have predictable tastes in such matters and also a social stake in the enterprises - so they will always find the subsidy to see the ROH alright.

[MrGongGong]

Well, you specifically talked about a campaign for opera funding, not for the arts. The ROH does get plenty of ACE funding already - I'd rather campaign for smaller and regional companies to get more.

It's not either /or
it's both

(and I don't live in London either )

[aeolium]

It's not either /or
it's both

(and I don't live in London either )

It is either/or - that's exactly what it is at the present. If the ROH gets a disproportionate amount of funding (which will always be constrained and has been under every government) then other smaller companies will lose out.

[MrGongGong]

It is either/or - that's exactly what it is at the present. If the ROH gets a disproportionate amount of funding (which will always be constrained and has been under every government) then other smaller companies will lose out.

Which is why I think that the debate is always lacking
as with the whole London Orchestra's Wilding Report nonsense if anyone remembers that ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Perhaps this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrc6bVgJMGE will cheer you up?

Wonderful, John!

[Richard Tarleton]

I watched the last 15 minutes or so out of morbid curiosity

There should be no surprise over who it will be on the night, unless the producers deliberately go for the ditzy female in the hope of a car crash. Only one of them seemed to have even the remotest idea what he was supposed to be doing.

[french frank]

Only one of them seemed to have even the remotest idea what he was supposed to be doing.

Perhaps someone who might have been to an opera?

[Flay]

Wonderful, John!

You never know, it might be a good laugh....

[Serial_Apologist]

You never know, it might be a good laugh....

That film was a bit of a curiosity of its time! Luckily I taped it off the telly one afternoon a few years ago.

[Flay]

It was "Raising the Wind" - a classic, surpassing the Carry On films generally. I cannot see what orchestra it was. Sorry to be side-tracking this thread.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055354/

[Anna]

Perhaps someone who might have been to an opera?

I saw the last 2 minutes and Trevor Nelson getting knocked out. I'm assuming the winner will be Marcus wossiname the mathematician who guested on Essential Classics some time ago? He has interesting theories about numbers and music so seems the logical winner. If Prommers (after tonight's performance) tells us who won then we have no need to watch any of the programmes!

[Mary Chambers]

I'm assuming the winner will be Marcus wossiname the mathematician who guested on Essential Classics some time ago? He has interesting theories about numbers and music so seems the logical winner. :

Moreover, he is one of the two who can actually read music

[Barbirollians]

It was leaked on another website that Craig Revel Horwood won .

This was confirmed at the ROH today . We had Tony Hall gushing about how exciting and marvellous it was . The majority stayed in no doubt partly because they refused to open the doors and you had to let yourself out and there was still a cordon blocking the stairs to the entrance hall though judging by the stalls bar 200 or so escaped .

I cannot report on what it was like but I should have felt very sorry for those young singers and indeed for the chorus and orchestra as otherwise this was the best sung , best acted and directed and most moving Boheme I have ever seen . Calleja in particular was magnificent and his Che gelida manina was breathtaking and Bychkov conducted sublimely there was much detail I had never heard before .

What a shame that the ROH has so blotted its copybook by how badly this was mishandled and that all the BBC audience will see is the amateur led Act2 with inferior singers and not the whole of this superb revival

[Mary Chambers]

I must say that surprises me, though he is the other one (apart from Marcus du Sautoy) who can read music and has played an instrument.

I'd have been among those who escaped. I still can't quite believe this really happened.