The "new" Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

[David]

 

 

 

The way in which Stefan Herheim subverts Queen of Spades in his production to focus on Tchaikovsky himself and his sexuality is a good example of what I find so unacceptable in recent Royal Opera productions. I know it has received some good reviews from critics on the continent but I care too much for the work to see it so abused. I am curious though - we know programmes are organised years in advance. Is this I wonder a dying gasp from the previous regime or an example of what we can expect from Kasper Holten's successor?

Edited December 13, 2018 by David
spelling!

[Mary]

David, I know what you mean -  the trailer put me off- and it is an opera I know and love.

Don't tell me, let me guess- it's all about Tchaikovsky being 'tormented'-yes?

Of course! There could never be any sense of  joy in composing such divine music could there- and no doubt his -I am sure- 'repressed'- gay identity is a terrible agony etc because in the arts these days noone is ever 'glad to be gay' as we used to sing.

 

I realise Tchaikovsky's life was difficult in many ways, but the complexity just gets reduced down to stock concepts in this kind of production, and  why does the biography always have to take over the actual work he wrote?

 

Academic anyway:  I can't afford it!

[Sim]

I started going off opera at the ROH a few years ago when I saw their current Rigoletto.  The audience is subject, during the overture, to male sodomy, orgies, etc. etc.  Do they think that today's audience is too pathetic to use their imaginations?  Everything we need to know about the depravity of the Duke of Mantua's court is right there in the overture music.  All we have to do is use our imaginations.  Like with everything else these days, it would seem that it all has to be fed to us in sound and visual bites.  Maybe yet another example of condescension?  Get the young ones in by feeding them a diet of easy sex.  

[Dawnstar]

3 hours ago, Mary said:

David, I know what you mean -  the trailer put me off- and it is an opera I know and love.

Don't tell me, let me guess- it's all about Tchaikovsky being 'tormented'-yes?

Of course! There could never be any sense of  joy in composing such divine music could there- and no doubt his -I am sure- 'repressed'- gay identity is a terrible agony etc because in the arts these days noone is ever 'glad to be gay' as we used to sing.

 

I realise Tchaikovsky's life was difficult in many ways, but the complexity just gets reduced down to stock concepts in this kind of production, and  why does the biography always have to take over the actual work he wrote?

 

Academic anyway:  I can't afford it!

I'm starting to wonder if someone at the RO dislikes Tchaikovsky, as we've already suffered Holten's awful (IMO) Eugene Onegin & now this Queen of Spades. If the director thinks he's being original by putting Tchaikovsky on stage then he isn't, as about 25 years ago I saw a very confusing Nutcracker production where most of the characters at the party were turned into members of the Tchaikovsky family.

[ninamargaret]

Interesting to visit the Barbican today for the RSC matinee. As gloomy as ever, but comfortable chairs s to sit in, although too few, a decent coffee and sandwich for under £8, tempting shops and a couple of box offices. Downside are the enormous flights of stairs and poor access to loo facilities and the theatre itself if you're a bit tottery like me! But a good visit.

[loveclassics]

12 hours ago, Mary said:

David, I know what you mean -  the trailer put me off- and it is an opera I know and love.

Don't tell me, let me guess- it's all about Tchaikovsky being 'tormented'-yes?

Of course! There could never be any sense of  joy in composing such divine music could there- and no doubt his -I am sure- 'repressed'- gay identity is a terrible agony etc because in the arts these days noone is ever 'glad to be gay' as we used to sing.

 

I realise Tchaikovsky's life was difficult in many ways, but the complexity just gets reduced down to stock concepts in this kind of production, and  why does the biography always have to take over the actual work he wrote?

 

Academic anyway:  I can't afford it!

Didn't Ken Russell cover the composer's emotional problems/issues years ago in his film?  Why ruin Tchaikovsky's  work by saying the same thing all over again?  Word to producer/director; 'been there, got the t-shirt...."

 

Linda

Edited December 13, 2018 by loveclassics
clarity

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

If the director thinks he's being original by putting Tchaikovsky on stage then he isn't, as about 25 years ago I saw a very confusing Nutcracker production where most of the characters at the party were turned into members of the Tchaikovsky family.

It sounds like Peter Schaufuss' version 

for Festival Ballet circa 1986 - 1991 or thereabouts. It was very confusing and replaced the lovely Ronald Hynd production of 1976. Schaufuss' was replaced by in turn by productions from Stevenson, Deane, Hampson, Eagling and hopefully something else soon. 

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, Darlex said:

It sounds like Peter Schaufuss' version 

for Festival Ballet circa 1986 - 1991 or thereabouts. It was very confusing and replaced the lovely Ronald Hynd production of 1976. Schaufuss' was replaced by in turn by productions from Stevenson, Deane, Hampson, Eagling and hopefully something else soon. 

 

Although my preference would be the Hynd production I enjoyed the Schaufuss and still think his snowflakes were the best.

[Sim]

5 hours ago, Darlex said:

and hopefully something else soon. 

Oh yes.  

[Fonty]

Which was the one where the corps were all dressed like Liquorice Allsorts?  I thought the costumes for that one were fab, but I can't remember a thing about the actual production.  

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Fonty said:

Which was the one where the corps were all dressed like Liquorice Allsorts?  I thought the costumes for that one were fab, but I can't remember a thing about the actual production.  

Derek Deane's, I think. IIRC the costumes were by Sue Blane. 

[Sim]

Yes, it was Derek Deane's.  I quite liked that one because it was very elegant.  

[Fonty]

Thanks everyone.  

 

I did a quick search, just to refresh my memory about the costumes.  In doing so, I found this link about Derek Deane's Nutcracker.  I am posting the link, because the last few paragraphs make for very interesting reading, given the topic of this thread,

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-a-sweet-suite-to-suit-all-sorts-1295045.html

[Fiz]

Indeed they do, Fonty. Thanks for sharing it.

[Scheherezade]

On 12/12/2018 at 17:49, alison said:

FLOSS, I'm highly tempted to copy that over to the Opera section and see what happens!

 

Please do! Perhaps if the rest of us who share these views did the same, with a request for a full and reasoned response devoid of the usual market-speak that characterises the ROH's current replies, it might, at the very least, cause the administrative arm to examine their recent strategy. No, I know, it's too much to hope for ...

[Dawnstar]

9 hours ago, Darlex said:

It sounds like Peter Schaufuss' version 

for Festival Ballet circa 1986 - 1991 or thereabouts. It was very confusing and replaced the lovely Ronald Hynd production of 1976. Schaufuss' was replaced by in turn by productions from Stevenson, Deane, Hampson, Eagling and hopefully something else soon. 

Yes, it was. I must have seen it in its last year, as I would have been too young before, so my confusion may have partly been because I was only 6 and a half in 1991 but my mother also remembers it as confusing so I don't think it was just due to my age.

[alison]

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 17:49, alison said:

FLOSS, I'm highly tempted to copy that over to the Opera section and see what happens!

 

I have now

so please feel free to dissect the Royal Opera in more detail there.

[Lynette H]

I just thought I would record how helpful the ROH box office staff have been recently. I made a bit of a boob when booking online on Wednesday and managed to book an evening performance instead of the intended matinee.  When I managed to get through to them on the phone (which admittedly took a while) they were very helpful about swapping the ticket for what I wanted. All done very quickly and pleasantly.  I do hope the box office staff are retained. I'm not sure what the procedure would be if only online interaction was possible. 

[alison]

So do I, Lynette, although if as someone implied ticket returns are going to be done via the new customer services department then I'm concerned that they may not be.

[Beryl H]

I visited the Box Office on Russell Street about 2 weeks ago, to hand in a ticket for resale, and to ask if they could print me out a Friday Rush ticket as I don't have a printer, and they were most helpful too, probably glad to get a customer.

[penelopesimpson]

I have always found the Box Officer excellent and think it’s tidiculous that they are stuck in Little more than a kiosk away from the building.  It was much better when they had desks near the Covent Garden entrance.  All that expensive new space dedicated to nothing in particular yet, apparently no room for people who actually know about the product they sell.  Presume it’s part of the all-powerful Marketing departments master plan to make everything digital.

[alison]

And let's face it, they generally do know about the product they sell.  You can't ask a computer "Yes, I know that's what the view shows on the website, but what can I see in reality?" or "I'm 6'4".  Where can I sit that's not too expensive and where I'll be able to get my legs in in comfort?", can you?  Well, you can ask, but you won't get any meaningful reply.

[penelopesimpson]

Rupert Christiansen highlights ‘astronomical charges for ford and drink’ and ‘a ticketing policy that needlessly penalises regulars.’  Todays’s Telegraph.

[Lizbie1]

30 minutes ago, penelopesimpson said:

Rupert Christiansen highlights ‘astronomical charges for ford and drink’ and ‘a ticketing policy that needlessly penalises regulars.’  Todays’s Telegraph.

 

Where is that from? I can't find it in the online version of his Hansel and Gretel review.

[David]

It's from the third para down of his review of the year entitled: Time for a bloodbath at the Coliseum.

[Lizbie1]

Thanks - doesn't look like it's online (yet).

[loveclassics]

5 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Thanks - doesn't look like it's online (yet).

I did a search for that phrase and found the writer had used the same phrase back in 2003.  Must be fond of it.

 

Linda

[alison]

Twice in 15 years?  

[penelopesimpson]

He also, rightly IMHO, criticises Unknown Soldier

[Blossom]

Front of house staff were amazing last week after the Marianela Nunez interview. I started to feel unwell towards the end, I am coeliac and basically had been given contaminated food in the meal I ate before heading to the Linbury. They helped me out of the theatre via the lifts, checked on me in the ladies’ toilets and helped me to find my coat as the cloakroom closed in the meantime. I think it’s really important for us to share all of the things which work so perfectly at the Royal Opera House. 

[Alice Shortcake]

On 14/12/2018 at 03:37, Darlex said:

It sounds like Peter Schaufuss' version 

for Festival Ballet circa 1986 - 1991 or thereabouts. It was very confusing and replaced the lovely Ronald Hynd production of 1976. Schaufuss' was replaced by in turn by productions from Stevenson, Deane, Hampson, Eagling and hopefully something else soon. 

I can't remember a thing about the Schaufuss Nutcracker other than that it involved a Sea of Lemonade and nutcracker dolls of various sizes. On the night I saw it at the Royal Festival Hall there were no programnes, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening on stage!

[Guest]

I received an email from ROH  today promising to be entered for a draw to win tickets in the Royal Box if I take a photo of their Front of House displays and post it on Instagram. Oh dear, what is the world coming to?!!!! Must have been thought up by a 20 -something -year -old marketing expert. This must be all about engaging with the yoof, innit.

Anyway, I'm SUING: firstly they expect me to possess a photographic device (one which hopefully has a nice, loud ringtone which sounds during the quietest moment of the ballet - think Shades or Giselle Act 2 or, as I really experienced, during beautiful Concerto pdd); AND they expect me to have Instagram. This is full scale DISCRIMINATION!!!! I feel EXCLUDED. I want my RIGHTS!!! I WANT FULL INCLUSIVITY!!!!!! NOW!!!!! angry emoji. very angry emoji!!!

Edited December 17, 2018 by Darlex

[Sim]

🤣🤣🤣

 

I’m not jealous of the winner;  the view from the Royal Box is terrible!