Opera North's Die Walküre

[kernelbogey]

This doesn't seem to be available on iPlayer - though it only finished 18 minutes ago so perhaps I'm being premature...

I misread the schedule when posting this - but even when it's all over it doesn't seem to be available on iPlayer. What a shame - I was out this evening and missed the lot.

[rodney_h_d]

I don't think the BBC Pronunciation Unit exists any more.....

I'm not sure, but it did exist in August 2011 as I had an email from one of its experts.

"The Pronunciation Unit's remit is to advise BBC broadcasters across all areas of the organisation on the pronunciation of any word, name or phrase in any language. The Unit is staffed by three full-time linguists with academic backgrounds in linguistics, phonetics and languages."

A website I occasionally go to and perhaps the BBC might find useful is http://www.forvo.com/search although in this case the male and female Germans disagree about where the emphasis should be http://www.forvo.com/word/die_walküre/#de

[mercia]

it doesn't seem to be available on iPlayer

whole opera + intervals

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jxtfd

low volume levels, as someone has mentioned

[JimD]

What a relief that Siegmund hit his big note at the close of Act 1. I bet he was cross on Saturday.

[DracoM]

Yes, it all seemed a bit muted. Odd, given the size of the hall.

[Bert Coules]

"The Pronunciation Unit's remit is to advise BBC broadcasters across all areas of the organisation on the pronunciation of any word, name or phrase in any language.

When I was on the production staff at the Beeb, the usual drill was that individual producers sent a list of uncertain words to the Pronunciation Unit, and the Unit speedily came back with a guide to how they should be said.

It wasn't the PU's job to issue blanket advice on words which might cause problems - they had to be asked specifically on a programme by programme basis. And even if sending out unsolicited guidelines had been their job, it would have been unthinkable back then that any R3 announcer would have needed to be told how to pronounce most words in German, French and Italian at the very least.

Bert

[Andy Music]

Yes,it was excellent. I saw it,live,in Leeds last Saturday: what a magnificent experience! It was good to hear it again thanks to the broadcast of yesterday's performance
on Radio 3 . If anyone wants to catch it live, I believe there are a few more performances in Leeds after which it tours to a small number of venues including, I think, the Sage Gateshead ,the Lowry Salford and Symphony Hall Birmingham but you will need to check. You should be able to find full and accurate details on the Opera North website. And no, I have no connection with Opera North: ergo,no conflict of interest, and I note that this semi-staged performance has received excellent reviews in the national papers.

[french frank]

Andy Music

[ARBurton]

I enjoyed the broadcast although thought the average sound level was quite low but with huge dynamic range (via Listen Again). Am seeing it at Symphony Hall on Saturday and have already booked for Siegfried next year! The curmudgeon in me wondered by they hadn`t started it a year earlier to lead to culmination of the cycle in the Wagner year of 2013.

[Bert Coules]

The curmudgeon in me wondered by they hadn`t started it a year earlier to lead to culmination of the cycle in the Wagner year of 2013.

Perhaps they think that finding a decent Siegfried in this day and age is sufficient of a celebration in itself. Have they announced the casting yet?

Bert

[Flay]

Yes,it was excellent. I saw it,live,in Leeds last Saturday: what a magnificent experience!
If anyone wants to catch it live, I believe there are a few more performances in Leeds after which it tours to a small number of venues including, I think, the Sage Gateshead ,the Lowry Salford and Symphony Hall Birmingham but you will need to check. You should be able to find full and accurate details on the Opera North website. And no, I have no connection with Opera North: ergo,no conflict of interest, and I note that this semi-staged performance has received excellent reviews in the national papers.

I was there tonight. I agree: absolutely magnificent!!!