Timmie Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Newbie question… I’ve been to the ROH many times for the ballet but have my first live opera (Tosca) coming up in the New Year. We will be front and centre in the amphitheatre, how well do the surtitles work from here? I’ve seen recordings of Tosca so am familiar with the story but my wife is not and I am wondering how much of a pre-brief I need to give or will the surtitles be easy to read and follow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 In my view the surtitles couldn't be clearer from mid-amphi and unless a show is poorly directed or the plot overly complex (and neither applies to this Tosca), no advance study is necessary. I hope you enjoy the show - Calleja's Cavaradossi, if you're lucky enough to have him in your cast, should be a real treat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted December 15, 2017 Author Share Posted December 15, 2017 Thanks Lizbie and we do have Calleja (21/1 matinee). Looking forward to it even more now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Yes, exactly - you even have the perfect "vantage point" in that from there you really have to look at the surtitles in order to look at the stage, rather than, e.g., in front stalls where you have to keep looking up if you want to see them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 I meant to come back here before to say the surtitles were perfect and Tosca was fabulous as my first opera. Calleja’s voice was just wow! When he climbed up onto the scaffolding for his first major piece I could not believe what I was hearing. People say ballet is so much better live than recordings but that goes double for opera. That man’s voice… words fail me. At the time I thought it was like being pelted with warm melted chocolate with the occasional big blob of runny honey. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 I'm so glad! I always think that Tosca is a really great first opera (I think it was mine, in fact!) and I'm really pleased you liked Calleja: it's just an exceptionally beautiful voice, thrilling to hear live and IMO the recording studio seldom does him justice. I agree also that live opera is a completely different beast to recorded - on a good night some kind of magic happens between singers and orchestra and the audience. I hope you enjoy your next opera too 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 I am trying to track down my next opera right now! I won't be going to the opera nearly as much as I go the ballet so I'm having to be really selective . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 If you're happy to take your time with it, I'll be very surprised if ROH doesn't bring back La traviata next season (it's rare to have a Trav-free season like this one), and that's a pretty safe bet for your first Verdi. Others here might have other, earlier suggestions - maybe it's worth a new thread! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 My first opera was Marriage of Figaro with Geraint Evans in the title role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 3 hours ago, Timmie said: I am trying to track down my next opera right now! I won't be going to the opera nearly as much as I go the ballet so I'm having to be really selective . Where do you live? Does it have to be London? Either way I'll give you some good suggestions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 Well, my next opera I hope will be Lohengrin - but I'm not sure I'd advise that one for a newbie. It's a bit long, for a start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 9 minutes ago, alison said: Well, my next opera I hope will be Lohengrin - but I'm not sure I'd advise that one for a newbie. It's a bit long, for a start And violently expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 Thanks for the thoughts so far, new thread started! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 5 hours ago, RuthE said: And violently expensive Oh dear, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 9 minutes ago, alison said: Oh dear, is it? I hope this link for the pricing works: http://static.roh.org.uk/seatmaps/2017-18/summer/summer-seat-price-plan-201718.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 9 hours ago, RuthE said: And violently expensive And, no doubt, a 'Marmite' production, with the description 'bombed out city' and 'dystopian world' likely to produce first night catcalls of La Scala proportions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 On 13/02/2018 at 19:21, Lizbie1 said: I hope this link for the pricing works: http://static.roh.org.uk/seatmaps/2017-18/summer/summer-seat-price-plan-201718.pdf Flippin' heck! I'd thought they might go up to £20 for the standing, but not £23!! Unfortunately, I don't have my ticket from the previous run with me, and my history of booking online doesn't appear to extend back that far, but my guess was that last time I probably paid about £13 for a standing ticket. Out of interest, how does this compare with tickets for the Ring Cycle? My experience has been that Lohengrin isn't a guaranteed sellout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 (edited) The 2018 Ring was cheaper than this on a per-night basis. I think I paid £78 for a cycle in the best spot in Balcony Standing, or was it less? Seventy-something, at any rate. I think the justification is that that is a revival and Lohengrin is a new production. The "hot tickets" of the last couple of seasons have been £20 (Rosenkavalier, Otello). Edited February 16, 2018 by RuthE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruna S Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 I paid £69 per night for an Upper Amphi ticket for the Ring Cycle. I see that the same seat is showing as £58 for Lohengrin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 On 16/02/2018 at 15:34, RuthE said: The "hot tickets" of the last couple of seasons have been £20 (Rosenkavalier, Otello). That's what I'd thought - and what I'd been expecting to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted August 17, 2021 Author Share Posted August 17, 2021 Quick question. In the very front row of the orchestra stalls at ROH can you see surtitles (or even subtitles) anywhere? Should I stick to the amphitheatre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 I would imagine so, but given that they're over the top of the stage it might be pretty uncomfortable on the neck. Amphitheatre should be all right - provided your sight is good enough. Don't forget, you'd be a long way away from them. I thought I might as well merge your new thread with the existing one, since you indicated that it exists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted August 17, 2021 Author Share Posted August 17, 2021 40 minutes ago, alison said: ...I thought I might as well merge your new thread with the existing one, since you indicated that it exists 😄 I nearly did continue it, couldn't quite decide 🙂. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 1 hour ago, alison said: I would imagine so, but given that they're over the top of the stage it might be pretty uncomfortable on the neck. Amphitheatre should be all right - provided your sight is good enough. Don't forget, you'd be a long way away from them. I thought I might as well merge your new thread with the existing one, since you indicated that it exists There are additional surtitles in the amphitheatre, visible from about row K (I think) back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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