ninamargaret

I despair of anything really being done, having read in The Times that the nation's spirits have been lifted by the return of football. So we're all ok now.

Signed. Let's hope something is done soon

1 hour ago, alison said:

But at what price?  How much state funding does Vienna/Austria get?

sorry, I was forgetting we live in a country where the arts are seen as a sort of add on pleasure for the few. 

Have just watched a hugely enjoyable concert from the Vienna staatsoper. All opera,  no orchestra, but an excellent cast of around 15 singers performing solos, duets and items with five or six singers, and all in front of an enthusiastic, socially distanced audience. All from French opera, German and Slavic to come. Certainly a pointer for what could be done here.

Will be a very short programme i think!

Brilliant! Gave me more pleasure and enjoyment than the Saturday evening performance!

Beautiful, and for my money, far more interesting than the McGregor offering on Sae

I've just watched this and must say I think it really showed what can be done given the current limitations. Some chamber music, some interesting ballet, and some opera. ROH please take note!

Agree that more ballet is needed. Having watched most of the Monday evening concerts from the Bayerischer Staatsoper, they have tried to include a bit more ballet, but somehow short solos that are part of a pas de deux just don't seem to come across. I think also the lack of an audience makes a huge difference - today I saw a concert from the Vienna State Opera of Beethoven trios played in front of a socially distanced audience and it was totally different. I do think programmes like this need a bit of lightening up. Some of the Monday concerts have been quite depressing, not what is needed. But for me seeing the empty Opera House was so sad - just want to get back!

Have watched this twice! It's great fun, lovely to see what is, in effect, an all  male corps de ballet. I loved the way the male soloists, Vogel and Moore, were actually part of the corps. needless to say, it is meticulously danced by all. a great treat.

4 hours ago, David said:

yes, I was up most of the night streaming from the Wigmore Hall!

Sorry if I ruined your beauty sleep David!

I ordered my ticket via the ROH web site and the confirmation gave me an address stream.roh.org.uk. . I can access this on my tv - I use an Amazon Fire stick.  I have not had to sign up to Vimeo.

54 minutes ago, David said:

I tend to separate off Mahler's great orchestral song cycle Das Lied von der Erde from Macmillan's equally fine setting of it in his Song of the Earth and it seems a slightly odd choice for an opera house, apart from the Macmillan link - it has of course attracted the greatest soloists and orchestras and I am a little apprehensive about the thought of a skeleton orchestra - which is what I assume is meant by "soloists of the Orchestra".  But I have enormous faith in Sir Tony and I have heard and admired Dame Sarah Connelly many times, David Butt Philip only the once, and am sure they will both rise to it. And of course, the opportunity to see Vadim in the Ashton piece is very, very special. Not to be missed!

I heard, a year or so ago, the chamber music version of this. I rather enjoyed it and it's probably a bit kinder to the singers! Could be interesting and the chance to hear proper live music is much to be welcomed. The streamed Wigmore Hall concerts are becoming a bit of a lifeline!

On 08/06/2020 at 22:18, MrsBBB said:

The Vienna State Opera have launched a live concert series tonight with a small audience in the house and live streaming on the web. Dates and performers are listed at the Bottom of this page (not yet available in English): https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/die-staatsoper/aktuelles/detail/

 

The live stream page is here. They are continuing to show an opera each day (sometimes ballet): https://www.staatsoperlive.com/calendar

Caught up with this today. Good to see an audience, even a small, socially distant one, enjoying music.  

I was able to complete the whole survey and I'm very elderly, live in London and attend performances fairly regularly. But it took a long time and some choices e.g. educating my children , were irrelevant. As far as watching streamed performances is concerned, I would be happy to do this if the cost was reasonable. I pay approx £16 per month for the Vienna State opera and under normal circumstances this gives me three or four performances that I want to watch, plus usually a couple of free ones. However, the Vienna opera has a very large repertoire and generally offers around 12 operas plus the occasional ballet each month. The ROH could not do this.

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Liked this not because I agree but because it's so refreshing to see this said aloud!

For me as well one Swan Lake goes,a very y long way! I saw the new RB version, and that will do me for a few years. But I do like most of the bits without the swans!Will now sit back and wait for howls of anguish!

Just seen my first real live pas de deux on their Monday evening,concert! Jonah Acosta and,Lauretta Summerscales dancing the Don Q . Think there's more ballet to come in the programme. It will be available on their website from Wednesday.

My reservations about The Cellist still remain - too many people milling around almost detracted from the three leads. But it was certainly worth watching for those three! And the,DVD is a must for DAAG, which like,others,on the forum I found,far more emotionally moving. 

I've always thought that all actors, dancers, singers etc should have a very good friend who can be trusted to tell them when it's time to stop. Age doesn't necessarily come into it - think of various musicians who are very elderly, but also think of the times we have seen a previously lauded favourite turn in a performance that makes us cringe inwardly. Dancers are probably less likely to dance for too long because of the physical requirements, but I have seen some very sad performances in other arts.

My late husband used to say, of certain actors - and they were very few in number - 'when they come on the stage lights up' The same is true of dancers. And they are a rare breed.

interesting to speculate who selected which dancers would be featured. Was it the RB or the BBC?  Are some dancers more comfortable in this sort of programme than others? I can think of several,dancers who I would like to have seen talking about careers and possibly views on how the role of the male dancer has changed. A more in depth series of programmes could be welcome.

1 hour ago, Odyssey said:

I really enjoyed the BBC4 programme last night, but I think I would enjoy any programme which included interviews and clips of these wonderful dancers given that  they are an endangered species on television channels, including the joke that is Sky Arts.

I do agree that there were elements which were frustrating as you longed for certain themes/interviews to be developed. The length of time spent on Nureyev was for me the most irritating aspect  - I began to think that Ed Watson wasn't going to feature.

How desperately we need a full series that enables a serious look at ballet in this country. 

Given that it was a programme aimed at a general audience, I suspect the focus on Nureyev was because it was a pretty safe bet that most people had heard of him. How many people in this country could name any dancers, male or female, currently in UK companies?

Thor enjoyable, interesting and lovely to see dancers who are familiar to us, even if at a distance. But, as MJW says it makes us realise what we are missing. And I thought I was coping so well!

I'd love to see this instead of the usual cringe making version we get! It's the best I've seen since Morecombe and  Wise had a go at it.

Panic over - full refund now received. Thanks to all of you for soothing words!