Hippolyte et Aricie at Glyndebourne

[David-G]

Ariadne - well with one's eyes shut the last half hour was sublime, but the goings on stagewise were totally whacky.

True - but the opera itself is rather whacky (or is it wacky?). I actually enjoyed Ariadne much more than I had thought I would. The concept was certainly very strange; but it was executed with great sensitivity to the music. But I do wish Ariadne had worn something rather more stylish than a dressing-gown. Especially, after seeing the fabulous costume from a previous Ariadne currently on display in the Glyndebourne archive!

[Nick Armstrong]

I saw H&A last Thursday. It was a marvellous evening. We were a party of eight; and all of us came out on a high. There were, in truth, some aspects of the production which I might have wished different; but the whole thing was carried off with great panache, and much of the production impressed greatly. The music was marvellous; the singing was marvellous; the conducting was marvellous; and needless to say, the OAE played marvellously. I shall be going again in August, and am looking forward to it very much.

Encouraging... fridge, sausages, cauliflower and all? Or is that just pour épater les bourgeois at the start, after which it all settles down a bit?

[David-G]

Encouraging... fridge, sausages, cauliflower and all? Or is that just pour épater les bourgeois at the start, after which it all settles down a bit?

Exactly. Much of the reviews have been taken up with the fridge - but after the Prologue we did not see it again.

[PhilipT]

I'm with David-G on this. Yes, the fridge, with Diana in the ice-box and Cupid hatching from an egg and the dancers (this is French Baroque opera, so there's a ballet sequence in every act) cavorting with broccoli spears, was a bit of a shock, but that soon wore off. Subsequent acts are in more realistic (by operatic standards) settings (e.g. aboard King Thésée's royal yacht).

[MickyD]

Working in the UK for six weeks, my heart leaped when I saw that I would be able to go to the cinema relay of this, one of my favourite Rameau pieces. Then I saw that photo and my heart sank. What a tragic waste with such wonderful singers and musicians involved.

[jean]

How many intervals, and how long?

(I just need to know how lavish a picnic I should prepare for the relay tomorrow.)

[David-G]

How many intervals, and how long?

(I just need to know how lavish a picnic I should prepare for the relay tomorrow.)

Just one - the usual 90 minutes (or possibly 85?) I hope you have a wonderful evening!

[aeolium]

The actual performance at Glyndebourne is scheduled to start at 5.05 pm, with an 80 minute interval at 7 pm. The cinema and online broadcast is due to start at 6.15, which suggests that the relay interval may be quite short (20 mins?) so as to catch up with the second half live performance (and avoid the need for a long interval for those in the cinema). It's not absolutely clear though - I'm just guessing at the reason for the deferred first half broadcast.

[David-G]

The interval at Glyndebourne is actually an hour and a half, the Glyndebourne email said: "The performance starts at 5.05pm and is approximately four hours and 35 minuteslong, which includes an interval of an hour and a half." However, I think you are right, Aeolium; the first half of the relay is probably delayed. Good thinking! Which could mean just a 15-minute interval in the cinema. Which seems rather short for an opera of this length.

[Old Grumpy]

I have tickets for the relay tomorrow. I have phoned the cinema - the interval is one half hour long. Must say, the press reviews are not overwhelmingly marvellous - oh,well!

OG

[jean]

Thank you - that's a fairly modest picnic, then.

(Whenever I ask the cinema here how long the interval is, they never know.)

[Old Grumpy]

Thank you - that's a fairly modest picnic, then.

(Whenever I ask the cinema here how long the interval is, they never know.)

Small local cinema - the box office guy phoned the projectionist who looked at his notes

[Old Grumpy]

Upside:

I thought this was really rather good. The music was exquisite and exquisitely delivered. Despite intial misgivings about the set, I thought it was teriffic, and completely within the spirit of opera of this period. I personally thought Sarah Connolly was excellent in the role of Phaedra.

Downside:

No perceptible refrigeration in the cinema - despite the massive fridge on the screen.

OG

[jean]

I agree - I enjoyed it very much too.

I loved the oversized vegetables, and I wish I had not been misled by David-G's after the Prologue we did not see [the fridge] again because I did not realise until later that in the Hades scene we saw the back of it - all grubby and fly-infested.

The only aspect of the production that really jarred was the last scene in the mortuary - they were all just a bit too dead, like poor Cupid herself.

Who was it who slid out of her mortuary fridge to sing that lovely aria about nightingales?

I loved the dancing, too.

My cinema was almost too cold - I really needed another layer! Very poor attendance, I was sorry to see.

[Nick Armstrong]

Rather more encouraged now about going a week on Sunday