Prom 11 (22.7.12): Berlioz – The Trojans

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sunday 22 July at 4.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Berlioz: The Trojans (255 mins)

Bryan Hymel tenor (Aeneas)
Fabio Capitanucci baritone, Proms debut artist (Coroebus)
Ashley Holland baritone (Panthus)
Brindley Sherratt bass (Narbal)
Ji-Min Park tenor, Proms debut artist (Iopas, Iopas)
Barbara Senator mezzo-soprano, Proms debut artist (Ascanius)
Anna Caterina Antonacci soprano (Cassandra)
Eva Maria Westbroek soprano, Proms debut artist (Dido)
Hanna Hipp mezzo-soprano, Proms debut artist (Anna)
Ed Lyon tenor (Hylas)
Robert Lloyd bass (Priam)
Lukas Jakobski bass (Greek Chieftain)
Jihoon Kim bass, Proms debut artist (Ghost of Hector)
Ji Hyun Kim tenor, Proms debut artist (Helenus)
Pamela Helen Stephen mezzo-soprano (Hecuba)

Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As there is already a thread on the ROH Trojans, I expect the two to be combined shortly.

[benb87]

I noticed in the My Fair Lady programme that the lyrics are included. Do they normally include them in the programmes for the foreign-language opera concerts also? (p.s. I am a quiet page turner)

[bluestateprommer]

I noticed in the My Fair Lady programme that the lyrics are included. Do they normally include them in the programmes for the foreign-language opera concerts also? (p.s. I am a quiet page turner)

The general answer is yes. My guess will be that the program for Les Troyens will be a 2-parter, so you'll have to pay extra for 2 brochures. One will be the traditional program note with notes on the music, the bios of the musicians, the orchestra roster, and various adverts. The other brochure will have the libretto of the opera itself.

[french frank]

In fact, when do the online Programme Notes appear? I can't see anything for Pelléas et Mélisande which is on tomorrow.

[Hello, benb87 - welcome!]

[benb87]

Thanks guys. Not sure about the programme notes. I've only ever looked while a Prom is on or shortly before (as with this).

[bluestateprommer]

In fact, when do the online Programme Notes appear? I can't see anything for Pelléas et Mélisande which is on tomorrow.

From The First Night and today's Prom, the online Program Notes appear to go live 1 hour before the concert begins. I can't remember what the time threshold was in past years.

Reading some of the reviews of the ROH production, one wonders if Sir Tony will take some of the slow tempi that he's gotten some flak for a bit faster at the RAH, without the big stage distractions to fill the eye. Not that I'll be there to find out, of course ;) .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Would Forum members like this thread to be merged with the ROH Trojans thread?

[bluestateprommer]

Would Forum members like this thread to be merged with the ROH Trojans thread?

My vote is to keep them separate.

[grandchant]

Just listened to acts 1 & 2. Started OK but nothing special, then really caught fire in the finale to act 1. Act 2 a bit over the top lacking subtleness, but the evening looks promising at this stage. Hope it holds up!

[LeMartinPecheur]

A startling amount of bass drum emerging from my speakers, FM-powered

Forgot it was on and went dog-walking - but got back just in time for the Royal Hunt & Storm [phe-e-ewww ikon].

[Bryn]

I'm saving it for when it gets to the iPlayer. Might listen tomorrow. I slept out on the steps of Door 10 when Colin Davis conducted and English language version in the late '60s. Couldn't even get a day off work for it this time.

[Flosshilde]

I didn't hear it all (being sociable with my mother-in-law ) but I thought what I heard was stunning. I can't think that Jonas Kaufmann would have been much better than Bryan Hymel. I wonder if it will be released on the ROH's record label?

[Stephen Smith]

Lucky enough to have been there tonight and to have seen it at RoH last week. Different experiences - what concert performance lacks, by getting stalls seats parallel with (say, the 5th) row of promenaders provides a fascinating experience of seeing and hearing the orchestra (sounded by turns sublime/glorious/visceral - a wonderful revelation to hear them out of the pit) the immediacy of a thrilling chorus (regulars plux extra chorus - highlight even more thrilling tenor section with a sound to set the hair on back of he neck to rise) and see Pappano at work - really driving the momentum, at other times moulding the sonorities - a great thing to watch and hear.
Eva Maria Westbroek acted the part superbly and got the srongest ovation (her final scenes strongly acted most recently seen) with Anna Caterina Antonacci receiving hers at the end of Act II (and again at the end) caming over stronger in the prom in my opinion. Bryan Hymel seems to divide opinion but to me, although not a Domingo or a Vickers he truly fulfilled the role, was completely assured, acted without flaw (he is rated a poor actor but he had no fault there in my opinion) and gave a complete tenor sound, giving his all, and met the challenging moments. At the end of Act 5 Sc 1 he gave a great account of "Inutiles regrets" - listen to how long he held on to the final note !
A few other points - again the gallery at the RaH hosted the offstage band, brass etc - as ever a great experience - in the Trojan March at the end of Act 3, the orhestra on stage is largely silent, but was answered by 3 players (tonight behind the harps) - who left the stage never to return. I am intrigued - they made a strident sound over the gallery brass - but I'm not sure what they were exactly - does anyone know if Berlioz used soprano saxophones? (or were they oboes?)
And the audience - I'd say the hall was at about 80% capacity excluding the circle which was less full. The prom, if people stood at normal density, was about 30% full, but of course people spread over the space. I'm perplexed why this performance wasn't a complete sell out (excluding the leaseholder seats, I know). However, its been a wonderful week, seeing and hearing this major work live.

[Richard J.]

I was in the hall and thought it was stunning. From my seat in the Side Stalls near the platform, the singers were occasionally drowned out by the orchestra, but I reckoned that was because I was nearly sideways on to them. I thought Bryan Hymel was as good as any Aeneas that I remember, except perhaps Vladimir Bogachov at the Barbican in 1993 under Colin Davis. The ROH Chorus was outstanding.

While this was a concert performance, there was quite a lot of movement across the front of the platform, especially by Eva-Maria Westbroek as Dido, who at one point sang an aria from a kneeling position. I wondered how it sounded on R3, as the mikes were pointing above her head.

What really surprised and disappointed me was the number of empty seats. Many Grand Tier boxes were empty, as were most of the choir seats (not needed for the chorus which was all on the platform), and the arena was only half full!