Wno 2013-2014

[Hornspieler]

Well at least they will be here twice with 6 x Productions in a few months, so I suppose we should be grateful, given the amount of funding thats being cut all over the place, what do you think of the "rebranding" New Look Site/Brochure etc etc, looks great I think, very simple and effective, I've been scouring the web to see if there's any further news on The Autumn season in Bristol generally, Britten's "War Requiem" will be good, and I see that The Sofia Ballet are due in The Summer with Giselle

An enterprising selection of operas and congratulations to the WNO. Not like the old days, when the same singers appeared in every production (Tano Ferendinos and Ruth Packer come to mind and Zoe Cresswell, (whose voice scooped up and down like a musical saw), with occasional top artists such as Joan Hammond or Otaka Kraus (a great Scarpio portrayal) in "Tosca".
Endless repeat performances of Nabucco (beloved by the WNO chorus which, at that time, was strictly amateur)

Prompts me to narrate a little anecdote for Caliban:

Bookings were down one year in Cardiff. WNO were mounting their first production of "Il Seraglio" and the audience, used to the drama of Verdi and Puccini, were displaying little interest in a work by Mozart. Until, that is, the Producer (John Moody) had the brainwave of advertising the opera on the billboards by an English Translation - "Escape from the Harem"

All the tickets were sold within 3 days!

HS

More anecdotes about those early days later, if requested.

[amateur51]

An enterprising selection of operas and congratulations to the WNO. Not like the old days, when the same singers appeared in every production (Tano Ferendinos and Ruth Packer come to mind and Zoe Cresswell, whose voice scooped up and down like a musical saw, with occasional top artists such as Joan Hammond or Otaka Kraus (a great Scarpio portrayal) in "Tosca".
Endless repeat performances of Nabucco (beloved by the WNO chorus which, at that time, was strictly amateur)

Prompts me to narrate a little anecdote for Caliban:

Bookings were down one year in Cardiff. WNO were mounting their first production of "Il Seraglio" and the audience, used to the drama of Verdi and Puccini, were displaying little interest in a work by Mozart. Until, that is, the Producer (John Moody) had the brainwave of advertising the opera on the billboards by an English Translation - "Escape from the Harem"

All the tickets were sold within 3 days!

HS

More about those days later, if requested.

Bravo Mr Moody!

My Nain and Taid were both great fans of WNO's annual visits to Llandudno (was the theatre called Arcadia?) and Nabucco was a particular favourite, I remember

Nice story HS - more please

[Hornspieler]

Bravo Mr Moody!

My Nain and Taid were both great fans of WNO's annual visits to Llandudno (was the theatre called Arcadia?) and Nabucco was a particular favourite, I remember

Nice story HS - more please

In Llandudno, we had to compete with the seagulls on the roof of the theatre. What a racket! Would have been good background for "The Flying Dutchman, I suppose.

Does anyone remember Rimsky Korsakov's "May Night"?
A charming Russian Folk Opera and it was graced with the presence of that great tenor Gerald English.
Not quite so great (except sizewise) were the fairies, sung by the ladies of the WNO chorus. They came thundering on the stage wearing diaphenous white dresses, clearly revealing the "passion killers" underneath.

Titters from the audience. (No, you couldn't see through the tops of their dresses.)

Good morning all. Did anyone listen to last night's ASMF concert? I did start a thread on it.

HS

[kernelbogey]

Has anyone seen the WNO Vixen? Would like a report if you are able - thanks.

[Flosshilde]

Just thought Id like to commend Welsh National Opera who have annouced a very diverse and interesting programme for next season, It Includes a Donizetti Trilogy, Schoenberg's Moses & Aron, Revival's Of La Traviata & Tosca and a new production of Nabucco, Nice One WNO

I don't know how they do it, when all Scottish Opera could manage for the current season was the Magic Flute, Werther, Flying Dutchman & - Pirates of Penzance in collaboration with D'Oyle Carte !!!!