Lizbie1 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Reactions and thoughts? My must-sees at first glance are Death in Venice, Fidelio (at last, Kaufmann in German at the ROH - and with Davidsen!), Jenufa (for Mattila), and Elektra (Stemme AND Mattila, what a treat) and Netrebko in Tosca with Terfel’s Scarpia. I’m more ambivalent about Don Carlo for casting reasons; and I’m actively cross about the continuing neglect meted out to La Traviata by the casting department. Also: unless I’ve missed something there’s no Calleja or Oropesa again ;( 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) You haven’t, Lizzie - missed anything. I’d agree with your ‘must sees’ and probably add Agrippina - love all the casting plus Emelyanchev and the OAE. For me, Don Carlo and Otello are both curate’s eggs on the casting front but I will see them anyway as I can never get enough Verdi. And Tristan & Isolde does have the wonderful Semyon Bychkov, albeit saddled with the so-so Christov Loy production. It’s a good season for Kwiecien - Don Pasquale AND Don Carlo and good to see Louise Alder down for Zerlina albeit in Kasper Holten’s over-busy production. Edited May 14, 2019 by Scheherezade 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 I love Bychkov too, but that casting is not good and the production no better. As for Agrippina: I know I’m virtually alone in this but I don’t like Joyce DiDonato so will wait for the revival! Re Don Carlo: I don’t know whether to laugh or cry about Domingo’s presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I wouldn't concern yourself too much with Domingo, Lizbie1, given that he's one of only two cast variants. I'll just see it early in the run when he isn't in it - and if that means missing Ruxandra Donose's Eboli, it doesn't really matter as I've heard her do it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 Just now, RuthE said: I wouldn't concern yourself too much with Domingo, Lizbie1, given that he's one of only two cast variants. I'll just see it early in the run when he isn't in it - and if that means missing Ruxandra Donose's Eboli, it doesn't really matter as I've heard her do it before. No - I’d be avoiding him anyway, but there are others in the cast I’m not mad about either. It would be great to see Garanca, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 On the whole I'm reasonably happy about the clear line the season announcement has drawn between things I definitely must see and things I definitely don't need to see. On too many occasions in the past I've ended up seeing practically everything because although elements of each thing (director? conductor? half the cast?) were obviously mediocre, there were one or two unmissable singers. This year the brilliant people and interesting repertoire and productions are largely grouped pleasingly together, and interspersing them, whole revivals I don't need to see at all. This season has been much the same to be honest. Makes it much easier to be selective! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onemouseplace Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 12 minutes ago, RuthE said: On the whole I'm reasonably happy about the clear line the season announcement has drawn between things I definitely must see and things I definitely don't need to see. Snap! My must-sees are Agrippina, Alice's Adventures Underground (for my 10 year old), Kaufmann's Fidelio (I studied Fidelio for A-Level Music and hated it at the time, so I'm thinking this is a good chance for it to redeem itself to me!), Jenufa, Elektra and Netrebko's Tosca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 1 minute ago, onemouseplace said: Kaufmann's Fidelio (I studied Fidelio for A-Level Music and hated it at the time, so I'm thinking this is a good chance for it to redeem itself to me!) Not just Kaufmann's Fidelio... Lise Davidsen's Fidelio! Off-topic and out of curiosity, how old are you? I did my A-levels in 1996, and fell in love with opera a month before that. I always knew that the year group below me (class of 1997) were getting Fidelio as their upper sixth set work, and I reckon if I'd discovered opera when I did but taken my A-levels a year later and with opera on the syllabus, I'd have probably got a much better mark than the C I got... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onemouseplace Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 5 minutes ago, RuthE said: Not just Kaufmann's Fidelio... Lise Davidsen's Fidelio! Off-topic and out of curiosity, how old are you? I did my A-levels in 1996, and fell in love with opera a month before that. I always knew that the year group below me (class of 1997) were getting Fidelio as their upper sixth set work, and I reckon if I'd discovered opera when I did but taken my A-levels a year later and with opera on the syllabus, I'd have probably got a much better mark than the C I got... We must be the same age as I did my A-Levels in 1996 as well! I can't for the life of me remember what exam board we did - but our set works were Fidelio and Brandenburgs 1, 3 and possibly 5 for the other topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Aha, we had Brandenburgs 1, *2* and 5 (they must have given the teachers a choice) and the Janacek Sinfonietta. Talking of Janacek and attempting to get this back on topic, that's a stunning cast for Jenufa - one of my favourite operas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Brief chat with Oliver Mears on Radio 3's In Tune programme this evening, approximately 1 hr 5 minutes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I'm looking at seeing Werther, Traviata (the Aleksandra Kurzak cast, especially as one of my favourite mezzos, Helen Sherman, is making her ROH debut as Flora), Jenufa, Cav & Pag, and Don Carlos (not with Domingo, I don't want to see a Posa who's older than both King Philip & the Grand Inquisitor!). I'd like to see Agrippina again as a piece but I've sworn off Kosky after hating his production of The Nose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 3 hours ago, Dawnstar said: I'd like to see Agrippina again as a piece but I've sworn off Kosky after hating his production of The Nose. Each to his own! I dislike Handel opera intensely, but the one thing that attracted me to this was Kosky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Kaufmann and Netrebko. Oh my goodness. Let’s pray they won’t do a Forza with the tickets. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Kaufmann and Netrebko *not together* may make a difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now