Opera North

[JimD]

Opera North recently announced its programme for next year:

Handel’s Joshua at Leeds Grand Theatre.
Britten’s Albert Herring, in the Howard Assembly Room
and
Siegfried, at Leeds Town Hall"

with of course performances in other venues.

This provoked the following response from someone on the company's website:

'How sad. It seems gone are the days when Opera North presented Grand Opera on a Grand Stage; set, costumes and all. One early piece, one repeat of a chamber work in "intimate surroundings" and one concert performance - not worth the effort of an hour long drive and the price of the tickets.'

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/new-productions-announced-for-spring-2013?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2012-10-17-season-announcement

I thought that this was unfair, especially in the light of this Autumn's offerings (Gounod, Poulenc, Purcell, Janáček and Mozart) . The company seems to me to be doing a pretty good job. I guess there is always room for something a bit more modern and experimental, but on the whole the balance seems good and, given the Ring Cycle, pretty ambitious.

I wondered what others thought.

[amateur51]

Opera North recently announced its programme for next year:

Handel’s Joshua at Leeds Grand Theatre.
Britten’s Albert Herring, in the Howard Assembly Room
and
Siegfried, at Leeds Town Hall"

with of course performances in other venues.

This provoked the following response from someone on the company's website:

'How sad. It seems gone are the days when Opera North presented Grand Opera on a Grand Stage; set, costumes and all. One early piece, one repeat of a chamber work in "intimate surroundings" and one concert performance - not worth the effort of an hour long drive and the price of the tickets.'

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/new-productions-announced-for-spring-2013?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2012-10-17-season-announcement

I thought that this was unfair, especially in the light of this Autumn's offerings (Gounod, Poulenc, Purcell, Janáček and Mozart) . The company seems to me to be doing a pretty good job. I guess there is always room for something a bit more modern and experimental, but on the whole the balance seems good and, given the Ring Cycle, pretty ambitious.

I wondered what others thought.

I've travelled up from London over the last few year's to see productions of Jonathan Doves' Pinocchio, Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Turn of the Screw, and the first two parts of Wagner's Ring, these in concert performances and I have greatly enjoyed them all.

I shall be making the trek up for Siegfried too, I hope

[aeolium]

English Touring Opera are also doing Albert Herring - I suppose a flurry of Britten opera productions is to be expected in anticipation of the centenary next year. I'm a bit surprised at the recent trend for performing Handel oratorios in the opera house, with the WNO Jephtha, ENO Messiah and before that the Glyndebourne Theodora. I suppose the people behind it feel that audiences are less likely to go to a concert performance of a Handel oratorio apart from Messiah. I would have thought Judas Maccabeus might have been a more naturally dramatic option for opera performance - and some great music too.

[kuligin]

Well I hope there is more than that!

In recent years we have had 6 operas, 1 musical/operetta and a concert performance.

Usually it includes a revival of Puccini / Carmen or something very popular.

I skip the concert performances, if I want that Ifind the Halle/ Elder series of more interest.

Performance standards/ productions as with all companies fluctuate. I also avoided Makropolous after the very poor reviews and instead went to Faust, pretty well sung but a silly production dominated by "Video Performer".

The choice of operas is perplexing. despite having so few they always want to have a " theme" hence Faust, Makropolous and Don Giovanni even though musically there is no real link. Really one should not attempt Makropolous without a superb older soprano, similarly an indifferent singer ruined Macbeth, that too was part of a theme, Macbeth Romeo et Juliette etc. I think start with the singers available and then choose the repertoire, and it would be nice if Wagner could be staged, surely a staged Rhinegold is not that difficult to cast

And really are they "breathing new life into the arts in the North of England" as they say on their web site?

In my musical life, of the Halle RNCM Manchester Chamber Music Society Opera North are the weak link. I have to travel to Lomdon if I want decent opera, though Iam tempted by Lulu and Vixen in Cardiff

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I do go to Opera North performances regularly. The Grand Theatre in Leeds is a worthy venue, but I'm less than happy about Wagner in Leeds Town Hall. My only gripes with Opera North are the black cloaks that seem to be used as costumes in half their productions, and their use of a hideous electric piano in La Rondine. Also, I've never forgiven them for the amplified harpsichord in The Marriage of Figaro.

[Black Swan]

I also have season tickets for Opera North. I have seen Das Rheingold and Walkure in concert at the Lowry. I do agree on the Faust. I attended and a really weird staging, to much of the video performer and I didn't like the update to current times. I am off this weekend for Don Giovanni and Makropolous so I am hoping for good performances.

John

[Cavaradossi]

[QUOTE=kuligin;215964]Well I hope there is more than that!

The performances they have announced above are for the spring season of 2013, which they held back earlier in the year due to budgets/year end.

The 2013/14 season will be announced in early 2013, but will open with a Festival of Britten in Sept 2013 and close with Götterdämmerung in the July of 2014.

[Flosshilde]

Ha! Think yourselves lucky. Scottish Opera - a national company, as opposed to a regional one - can only manage 4 productions - Flute, Dutchman, Werther, & Pirates of Penzance, in collaboration with Oily Cart!!!. And it's an anniversary season (50th?), so it's supposed to be a special one. They're touring the regions with a reduced Traviata & opeartic scenes.

[Flay]

This is something to look forward to in the Autumn:

Festival of Britten dates announced We are excited to announce performance dates for Opera North’s Festival of Britten; a unique celebration of England’s greatest opera composer, Benjamin Britten, to mark the centenary of his birth. This is a very special opportunity to experience the best of Britten’s work in one season, with three critically acclaimed productions: 14 Sep – 23 Nov Peter Grimes Phyllida Lloyd’s (Mamma Mia / The Iron Lady) five-star production returns, with Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts in the title role. Set in a small fishing community on the English coast, this astounding opera is an utterly absorbing, emotionally compelling experience not to be missed. 28 Sep – 22 Nov A Midsummer Night’s Dream Britten’s take on Shakespeare’s fanciful comedy sparkles with atmospheric harmonies and gorgeous costumes. Oberon, the fairy king and Tytania, his queen, are locked in a conflict that spills over into the human world in this colourful and vibrant production. 17 Oct – 21 Nov Death in Venice Performed for the first time by Opera North, Death in Venice will be conducted by our very own Music Director, Richard Farnes. Gustav von Aschenbach is a novelist in crisis and he leaves Munich in search of fresh inspiration in Venice. Britten’s sensual final opera features an exotic orchestral score and is tinged with mortality.

[kuligin]

Well that's great if you are a Britten fan, but with only 6 productions a year is it really sensible for half the Opera's to be by one composer, especially as they are staging Albert Herring this Summer too .

I would feel the same if it was three operas by Janacek or Mozart or whoever.

[jean]

I'm really looking forward to the three Donizetti Queen operas (oh sorry, that's WNO!)

I'm going to the Opera North Otello in Salford next week...any reports?

[bluestateprommer]

Good news from Opera North, namely a new music director officially in a year, Garry Walker:

https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/opera-north-announces-new-musical-leadership/

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Dang! I had a tenner (<ho-ho>) on Christoph Altstaedt.

Still, Garry Walker (and, indeed, Antony Hermus) have done splendid work at ON, so this is indeed good news - thanks bap

(And, with luck, Altstaed will still be given a complete Tristan with the company.)