Geoff

No, more’s the pity. I know a couple of (highly regarded and experienced) documentary makers who have tried but failed to get anywhere with this archive. There is a database (internally accessible only) which holds information but have not heard of anyone from the outside being able to use this. Not very “Open Up”.

My view is that the current production falls into the cheap and dreary category. So there may be little repeat business from season to season unless some star name acts as a draw.

...in which case I think I know enough now.

Point of information: what is that faintly oriental-looking show one has been pressed to take a flyer for (for months now) when trying to leave the ROH quietly at the end of performances? The people thrusting the flyers have on occasion been so aggressive and persistent in their “handing out” of the sheets that I vaguely assumed this was not really to do with the arts, but some kind of cult, like Scientology or whatever, and they would be punished if they didn’t hit a certain target. But I may be doing the show, whatever it is/was, a disservice. It would be interesting to know if anyone actually bought a ticket to whatever this is (apologies but as I haven’t kept any of the flyers, taken only to stop being harassed, so don’t know the name). And to know what it was like.

No. My typo, sorry.

Ha ha! But if you really want to know, I remember the people concerned and they knew exactly what they meant. They would have gone live to anything by, say, Harrison Birtwhistle, rather than promote the sorts of shows large numbers of people had gone to with pleasure over many decades. It was still an era of that kind of culture war, when certain people at the Third Programme and later Radio 3 believed they were right and the license fee payers were wrong.

The ROH website has the date of the production as 1984. But maybe it didn’t get filmed until 1985. A Christmas run, perhaps, one can look this up, if the website is behaving.

Quite. That was the point (ie the extraordinary snobbery of the then hierarchy at Radio 3).

After Domingo’s miserable performance the last time he attended Traviata, I would pay *more* for the nights he is not singing. But still maybe not those prices, despite Don Carlos being one of my favourite scores.

Gulp. One wonders what the ROH computer knows that I don’t. Don Carlos as much of a premium product as Tosca? Really? Maybe I have misread.

So, leaving the “bit of a cheat” Traviata aside, can I suggest the 1984 Rosenkavalier? One of the BBC people involved told me that initially Radio 3 vetoed this transmission (on the grounds that BBC resources should not be expended on “light music”, the old serial worshippers not yet having left the building). But a direct appeal to the top saved the day and the schedule was cleared.

I agree, pot luck. Most of the front of house staff at the Coliseum are delightful and professional but there can be problems, which risk spreading and changing the theatre’s friendly open culture. After a conversation with senior management at the theatre a while ago I would always recommend taking the time to draw attention to these sorts of issues (with, if possible, enough detail so the particular member of staff can be identified). If the front of house managers don’t know, nothing can change. The appropriate email address can be found on the website. It is CustomerRelations@eno.org (this is the general address for all Coliseum front of house matters, both for ENO productions and also others) Incidentally if people are interested in the standards expected of front of house staff, they are spelled out in this job description from a couple of years ago: https://d2ae1n566nbglo.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/09123508/Casual-FOH-Assistant-Nov-2016.docx

Thank you Fonty. As has been said before, if only someone would find where the (previously easily available) clip is hiding of the great Beryl Grey dancing this variation in the 1950s.

Decades ago I was told that most ROH mysteries can be explained by its proximity to Freemasons' Hall. At the time I thought this was nonsense but some subsequent events have given me pause. The orchestra, for example, is an interesting case.

This is the sort of stupid design fault that needs correcting asap. Might you perhaps send a note to ROH Customer Services to explain? I know there was a period in the last year when it became clear ROH staff were monitoring this site but no idea if they are still doing so.

You might be amused to learn that exactly this point was made to the (then) Chair of ENB, at the time Caesar Corrales was still in that company. No idea what was done by way of response.

Luckily we can all see at least one version, as a complete recording of her performance from the Bolshoi has been on YouTube for some time (it may be against the rules of the Forum to link to this here but it is easy to find). Many other pleasures on the way, not least Lopatin and the tempi at which the Marzurka and the Czardas are taken (which may be a hint as to why the national dances are not quite hitting the spot in the current ROH run).

Of course not Lizbie1 and thank you for pointing that out. But a quick check shows the ROH account to be UK heavy: whoever decided to send the campaign out will have been entirely aware of the analytics (the ROH has access to the figures). The ROH knows, to a level of detail not available to us, exactly where they are sending their messages to - and plenty is headed no further than the UK. That is the point, as much as this campaign having also gone overseas where, some might argue, it is less controversial.

Indeed. A day - and several hundred Twitter comments later (nearly all of them opposed) - what do we know? It seems the "Great" campaign was never intended for the local, ie British, market, but to sell "Britain" around the world. This explains the apparent contradiction between those who say this has been running for years, and those (like me) who only came across it yesterday. So to that extent it seems this campaign is a bit like those Hollywood stars who make a big fuss about "never" doing commercials, while at the same time Japan, for example, is saturated with their guest appearances in Japanese adverts. People believe they can serve something up to "foreigners" which they would never do "at home". However this does not explain the decision of the ROH to send this out to their followers in the UK. There is an own goal here and one can speculate who or what is to blame. In any case, even if they don't read this discussion or the one at Slipped Disc, they will undoubtedly be aware of the Twitter response.

More here: https://slippedisc.com/2020/01/royal-opera-jumps-on-boriss-brexit-bandwaggon/

Just seen the government ad campaign that has the Royal Ballet endorsing the barely grammatical slogan “Creativity is Great Britain and Northern Ireland” - or perhaps, how droll, “Creativity is Great (Britain and Northern Ireland)”. Nice pics but a pretty dodgy campaign imho:

Indeed. Although there was a nasty episode when Jaho was trying to make music and Plácido Domingo made horrid noises at the same time. Whatever sins Domingo may or may not have committed in other areas, this should have been enough to get him banned from the stage. I didn’t book anything this run as the various Violettas haven’t set my heart racing, although in one or two cases the names are new to me so perhaps one should make the effort (after all, this is traditionally a part when new voices break through). Does anyone have tips?

This story on the BBC website might be of interest:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50831698

Thanks for explaining Sim. Must have been awful for everyone.

So what happened (I wasn’t there)? What was the screaming about?