Geoff

Just in case people are interested in a free live stream:- http://www.staatsoperlive.com/en/live/289/parsifal-2016-03-30/#tab_0 This exceptionally intelligent show (which I saw live with the first cast) is cast to a high level and conducted by Adam Fischer, so should be good.

Anybody see Spartacus yesterday (recorded in 2013 but I don't remember it being broadcast till now)?

Given how difficult it can be to get tickets for ROH Insights I thought people might like to know that there are currently some tickets available for next Tuesday evening:- http://www.roh.org.uk/events/x2d65

The hollowing out of ENO goes way back. It is a crying shame that their training system was broken: over many years repetiteurs and permanent music staff guaranteed continuity, a secure company and the next generation of British singers. This made ENO indispensible and undoubtedly deserving of government support. What happens on stage was only the most visible part of the operation. But backstage (and therefore invisible) cuts, however disastrous, do not provide good opportunities for political posturing. I have absolutely no idea how to get out of the mess but it seems far too late to rely on old-school union arguments, even if they have merit.

On 3rd March there was wave after wave of undisciplined coughing (no efforts made to stifle the sound), particularly during quiet passages, almost as if some people were bored by "nothing happening". Yet the stalls stood up and gave Jaho a sincere standing ovation. When I went back on the 8th, nobody coughed but there was no standing ovation either. Jaho was wonderful again. Apparently she is coming back next season as Butterfly.

By the way, it was great to see the Moshkovsky Waltz (Daria / Vadim). Apparently there is a ballet school which requires everyone to dance this as part of their formal graduation. Blimey!

If we're picking one favourite, mine would be Daniil Simkin / Corsaire (apologies for typos in my original post, it was late)

Just back from this. What do people think? I had the usual wonderful if rather weird evening. This time my astonishment was capped by seeing, in amongst the Russian splendour waiting to go in, a strangely familiar face, someone who turned up again backstage at the end when I popped round to greet a friend. Yes, the "ballet fan / member of the public" interviewed in Bolshoi Babylon had somehow made it to London along with the visiting dancers. Curiouser and curiouser (see postings on Bolshoi Babylon for more about this individual). Some absolutely glorious dancing, much cheering and quite few astonishng frocks.

This week's open letter by Cressida Pollock is interesting:- https://www.eno.org/news/further-update-on-eno/

It doesn't take long to sign the petition. It takes a little longer to read another side of the argument, presented in an open letter from the ENO this week:- https://www.eno.org/news/further-update-on-eno I will also put this up as a separate posting.

Wow oh wow, Ermonela Jaho, who I had never seen before, is the real deal. Just had my breath taken away and my heart broken by Jaho in Suor Angelica (middle show of ROH Trittico one-acters). Can't wait to see her again. Nothing to say about the rest of the evening (didn't stay as the thought of singers from the first show reappearing after Suor Angelica suggested they might spoil a peak experience). Go, if at all possible, and see the wondrous Ermonela Jaho. Extraordinary coughing, though, particularly from the amphitheatre (the quieter she sang, the more they coughed). Audience then somewhat made amends with a standing ovation for her.

Just read through last night's Twitter. At the end one person thought they had been watching Osipova. Note to self, don't trust Twitter reports without corroboration

But I think next Wednesday's event is still on, as above!

Wednesday 2 March DANSOX (Dance Scholarship Oxford) distinguished guest lecture Frederick Ashton: Steps, Stories, Style Alastair Macaulay (Chief Dance Critic, New York Times) 5.30pm St Hilda’s College Jacqueline du Pré Building Followed by drinks reception Open to all; booking required at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dansox-presents-alastair-macaulays-lecture-frederick-ashton-steps-stories-style-tickets-21057199651

Thanks Sim. In fairness I should report that a quick skim of Twitter just now suggests the crowd went wild for the cover at the end of the evening - so either she got better in the second half, or a generous audience rewarded her for stepping in to an impossible role at the last minute, or my ears were tired last night and I made a poor judgement.

Correction to my post above: the cast change WAS tweeted out in good time. Apologies all.

Well, I tried Norma tonight. And given the ongoing discussion about the ENO, I wanted, really wanted, to accentuate the positive. Yes, I find my spirits lift when I go in (the refresh they did a few years ago has helped the atmosphere). I like the mixed and relaxed and often quite young crowd (though perhaps not the massed ranks of Radio4 types, although they are probably the core audience who keep the ENO going so forget I said that, particularly if you are offended, I don't mean you, of course). The cheery staff are a big plus (compared to ROH ushers who too often manage to be high-handed at the same time as inept - squeaky shoes, cloth-eared choices about when to move about, often during the quietest passages etc) And the easy-going bringing in of drinks is a happy policy which disturbs not at all (compared to chatting, rustling, texting, coughing etc etc) Can't help but love Matcham's masterpiece, an auditorium so over the top it isn't vulgar, just fun and gorgeous. And how nice to be able to get a perfectly good seat, with fine sightlines and excellent acoustics, on a whim on the day of the performance, for £20. So - all was set pretty. But the Norma was off sick - which can happen anywhere but there was no warning on Twitter or whatever - and sadly the cover was not a match for the Adalgisa (the tenor the usual ENO not-quite-up-to-the-role voice). The production - for a "bad" production, or so friends and some critics suggested - was actually rather tasteful and well done, or at least what I saw of it as I left at the interval, as so often at ENO these days. It was wonderfully conducted, but having heard Gruberova and Garanca in this work, Bellini's limited orchestral invention was not enough to hold me for the night. Sorry all round. If the real Norma returns, I might give this another go, as I have been told good things about her voice.

Well, here is my view, for what it's worth. I used to go to ENO all the time (as well as ROH) when it was Pountney-Elder. Postmodern directors tropes were fresher then, or better, or I was simply younger and had seen less, in any case I had many a happy evening. The theatricality was often exciting compared with ROH park-and-bark, the chorus a belting glory and sometimes the band were the best in town. I remember, randomly, a wonderful War And Peace, some sensationally exciting Verdis I saw again and again (Macbeth, Simon B to name just two) and of course I was seduced by the charms of Jonathan Miller's productions (Rigoletto, Mikado). The repertoire was bigger than ROH (Busoni, anyone?) so often worth going just to learn. Not near my programmes at the moment but I must have seen dozens of different shows over the years. Then we moved abroad and by the time I returned to London ENO seemed to have become something of a self-parody. Many times the productions seemed not original, or daring, or exciting but simply bad, in some cases not even competent, the chorus still doing well but the conducting much less reliable. Increasingly I would leave at the first interval. The last time I saw a show again and again was the final run of Nikolaus Lehnhoff's Parsifal, as wonderfully conducted as I have ever heard anywhere in the world (by the wonderful new music director appointment, not everything ENO has done recently is bad, Mark Wigglesworth). One hears stories about a weak board and lousy management and goodness knows what else. Now we are invited to campaign, but exactly what for I am not sure (this fight over the chorus terms and conditions is surely a proxy for much else as well, on all sides of the argument). I am older now and less interested in dodgy shows by young directors, badly sung and boring to listen to - so I am against that. And many works go much better in the original language, the political point seemingly now outdated. I have not applied for the vacant post of artistic director and wish whoever is appointed great wisdom, better bosses, new resources, much inspiration - and a little bit of luck.

Anybody see this last night? Here is an early online review:- https://operabritanniauk.wordpress.com/2016/02/18/bellini-norma-english-national-opera-17th-february-2016/

I agree with just about everything in this post by nycitybird and indeed with just about everything everyone has said so far about the triple bill as a whole and Strapless in particular. But this comment? Carmen was (is?) a vanity project gifted to a well loved amateur which ended up truly head-in-the-hands awful, barely even competent (though not perhaps without a possible future in front of undemanding fans in more commercial settings, once perhaps cut back by a professional producer). Strapless on the other hand is a new work by an established choreographer of considerable talent which doesn't (yet?) come off, perhaps because it needs revising (which it may get) or developing (ditto), although the music may always hold it back. My hunch is that for whatever reason Wheeldon didn't get the rehearsal time he needed (I have no inside knowledge, this is really only a hunch). Off the point, may I add that the After The Rain pdd was one of the great ballet experiences of my life (and I had forgotten they are now divorced, so was not influenced by extraneous factors). Hope these two have this performance immortalised asap.

After a quick check it seems the instant Twitter reactions seem more negative about Strapless than positive (boring, not enough dancing, nasty quip from Luke Jennings). Here is one example:- sandra (@bicoated) 12/02/2016, 22:49 I once saw a film about 2 French lesbians eating a bag of sugar. That was marginally more interesting than #ROHStrapless #WasteOfCast

Funnily enough I wasn't Alison - but not for any obvious reason (nor am I psychic). I went to the dress rehearsal yesterday (and will keep my mouth shut until the show has opened tonight, and probably also until I have seen it again as well) As everyone knows this ballet has been built around Osipova, who is now guesting at the Bolshoi. And very late last night I caught this note on Twitter from Ismene Brown:- >>12/02/2016, 02:41 Bolshoi anno on eve of @wheeldondance's new Strapless @TheRoyalBallet tt they'll acquire it in Moscow in 2017. Presume Osipova's influence. As RB didn't announce until today, which seems very late, one can't help speculating that the "co-production" was only decided on after someone from the Bolshoi checked out the dress rehearsal. But no idea of any facts, just a guess.

Thanks Alison. Apologies, I was actually being a bit colloquial (I meant what, rather than who or which company which is anyway on the website, was behind the screenings) - the whole thing looked a bit of a poor deal shuffled together clumsily by a small or disinterested distributor, and so one wondered what was going on, that's all. Sorry for being unclear, I was just puzzled by the offer.

Indeed! Back in October (rather long ago and not repeated since, or not that I have noticed) ROH sent this out:- >>After the Rain / new Christopher Wheeldon / Within the Golden Hour will now start at 12.30pm instead of 11.30am on Thursday 11 February 2016. Due to new lighting designs for After the Rain and Within the Golden Hour, extra technical time is required.

Sorry for all who booked tickets - but somehow I am not very surprised at the turn of events. Very underpublicised and in a curious selection of venues across the UK, I was wondering what was behind this series of screenings, at least so far as we in Britain are concerned.