Cheap tickets for amazing cast for La Traviata

[Geoff]

Just to say, I have only just noticed that there are lots of the better Upper Slips seats for sale for the performance of Traviata, at the relatively unusual (but potentially appealing) time of 12.30pm on Saturday 6 November 2021. I wouldn’t normally comment on a repertoire show many of us will have seen lots of times, but this cast: Oropesa!!! Christian Gerhaher!!!!!

 

Or else this is all yet another mistake by the clunky website and the tickets aren’t really for sale. Which would be a pity. 

 

[Bluebird]

10 hours ago, Geoff said:

Just to say, I have only just noticed that there are lots of the better Upper Slips seats for sale for the performance of Traviata, at the relatively unusual (but potentially appealing) time of 12.30pm on Saturday 6 November 2021. I wouldn’t normally comment on a repertoire show many of us will have seen lots of times, but this cast: Oropesa!!! Christian Gerhaher!!!!!

 

Or else this is all yet another mistake by the clunky website and the tickets aren’t really for sale. Which would be a pity. 

 

 

This performance was originally listed as a Welcome Performance and tickets weren't on sale to the general public.  It looks as if something went very wrong and they forgot to do anything about it.  Virtually the whole house now appears to be  on sale, including most of the stalls circle standing tickets!

[Lizbie1]

1 hour ago, Bluebird said:

 

This performance was originally listed as a Welcome Performance and tickets weren't on sale to the general public.  It looks as if something went very wrong and they forgot to do anything about it.  Virtually the whole house now appears to be  on sale, including most of the stalls circle standing tickets!

 

On behalf of someone else, I looked into Welcome Performances a month or so ago and all digital roads led either to an error page or a "due to Covid we're not currently processing applications" message or similar.

 

I agree this would be well worth seeing for Oropesa alone.

[alison]

Thanks, Geoff - booked

[Mary]

Good tip, thank you.

Shame the website does not seem to be working at all at the moment.....

[Timmie]

This seems as good a thread as any to piggy back on.

I’m planning to go to ROH La Traviata (not yet seen one) and I’ve been looking at the way tickets have been selling. A few days ago there were loads of Orchestra Stalls tickets for many performances, now they’ve nearly all gone but there’s loads of amphi tickets. Have I missed a bargain buy somewhere? Or is this the normal dynamics for opera tickets?

And, is the Oropesa cast the best one? Currently thinking about the 6^th November matinee.

[Lizbie1]

38 minutes ago, Timmie said:

This seems as good a thread as any to piggy back on.

I’m planning to go to ROH La Traviata (not yet seen one) and I’ve been looking at the way tickets have been selling. A few days ago there were loads of Orchestra Stalls tickets for many performances, now they’ve nearly all gone but there’s loads of amphi tickets. Have I missed a bargain buy somewhere? Or is this the normal dynamics for opera tickets?

And, is the Oropesa cast the best one? Currently thinking about the 6^th November matinee.

 

I've noticed this too and my best guess is that they've put out an offer to students and so on or some other groups, who've taken the more expensive tickets at a very big discount. There may be publicly available offers out there, though ROH tend not to do this.

 

Oropesa is IMO not to be missed.

[Timmie]

8 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I've noticed this too and my best guess is that they've put out an offer to students and so on or some other groups, who've taken the more expensive tickets at a very big discount. There may be publicly available offers out there, though ROH tend not to do this.

 

Oropesa is IMO not to be missed.

 

Thank you. I quite like it that ROH don't do offers that much, but I would hope they'd email us if they did. Oropesa it is then.

[Scheherezade]

I was at the general rehearsal with the Oropesa cast and, Timmie, you will not be disappointed. If anything, Oropesa’s Violetta even capped her recent Gilda and I have never seen such a convincing death scene as hers. She alone is most definitely worth the price of your ticket but she is ably supported by Avetisyan, who was on good form vocally, if a tad park and bark on the dramatic front. Superb as Gerhaher is, I wasn’t totally convinced by his Germont but that’s a minor quibble in what were superb performances all round. 

[alison]

4 hours ago, Timmie said:

 

Thank you. I quite like it that ROH don't do offers that much, but I would hope they'd email us if they did. Oropesa it is then.

 

Ah, no.  I've come to the conclusion that they don't email their regulars, simply because they'd be worried about annoying all those people who had paid full price, and booked early.  Remember the long-gone days when Friends actually got their own offers?

 

Another possible offer is "company rush", or whatever the ROH equivalent of it is.  ROH Rush?

[Timmie]

12 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

I was at the general rehearsal with the Oropesa cast and, Timmie, you will not be disappointed. If anything, Oropesa’s Violetta even capped her recent Gilda and I have never seen such a convincing death scene as hers. She alone is most definitely worth the price of your ticket but she is ably supported by Avetisyan, who was on good form vocally, if a tad park and bark on the dramatic front. Superb as Gerhaher is, I wasn’t totally convinced by his Germont but that’s a minor quibble in what were superb performances all round. 

 

Thanks, booked for Saturday matinee. But, Violetta dies...?

[Timmie]

9 hours ago, alison said:

 

Ah, no.  I've come to the conclusion that they don't email their regulars, simply because they'd be worried about annoying all those people who had paid full price, and booked early.  Remember the long-gone days when Friends actually got their own offers?

 

Another possible offer is "company rush", or whatever the ROH equivalent of it is.  ROH Rush?

 

I do remember getting some very cheap La Fille Mal Gardee Stalls seats once, that was nice. I guess the full price payers will be surrounded by students now... Nothing against students but they do add a different atmosphere when they're en-masse 😄.

[Timmie]

While everyone's here. Pretty Yende or Angel Blue for next year?

[Lizbie1]

I'm not familiar enough with Pretty Yende to judge but my sources say, definitely Angel Blue.

[Geoff]

Hm, I won’t be rushing to either. But have just booked a repeat visit to Oropesa. Her cast has got pretty solid Twitter comments/reviews so far.

[Lizbie1]

I went to tonight's performance and agree with everything Scheherezade said, except that I think she's far too generous about Gerhaher - I thought he butchered Di Provenza il mar, among lesser crimes.

[Timmie]

I’m just back from the matinee La Traviata and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for pointing me in the direction of Lisette Oropesa. I enjoyed it so much, very happy for that to have been my first live La Traviata 😄.

[Lizbie1]

So pleased you enjoyed it - she's that very rare thing: a singer who combines beauty of timbre, technical mastery, real musicality and fine acting (and as a bonus she looks the part).

 

I can't praise her higher than to say that she's on my auto-book list of three, the others being Joseph Calleja and Lise Davidsen.

 

And it's a pretty great opera!

Edited November 6, 2021 by Lizbie1
Typo

[alison]

Yes, thank you very much, Geoff - much appreciated.

[Geoff]

Just a comment on Gerhaher, whose performance has received a variety of responses, from raves (including from at least one critic, though not at all of them by any means) to “embarrassing” (from a confirmed Gerhaher fan). My own view - after yesterday’s matinee - is that he probably should not have accepted this job.
 

However what he did was at least not ugly, unlike the time an old man who couldn’t sing the part (Domingo, sad to say) made indistinct sounds across the sublime Jaho, a once-in-a-generation wonder hopelessly trying to make music. One of the worst scenes I ever saw at Covent Garden.

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Geoff

[Lizbie1]

I agree that Gerhaher would probably have been wiser not to sing this role (though I can understand why he did, as the there aren't many roles suitable for his particular gifts), but I differ in thinking that his lack of legato is, in this role, indeed ugly.

 

(And don't get me started on Domingo...!)

[Scheherezade]

22 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I can't praise her higher than to say that she's on my auto-book list of three, the others being Joseph Calleja and Lise Davidsen.

I wouldn’t argue with that list in the least, Lizzie.

[Scheherezade]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

I agree that Gerhaher would probably have been wiser not to sing this role (though I can understand why he did, as the there aren't many roles suitable for his particular gifts), but I differ in thinking that his lack of legato is, in this role, indeed ugly.

 

(And don't get me started on Domingo...!)

Entirely from the perspective of my personal reaction to the said performances, Gerhaher’s Germont left me with the oddest sensation of feeling more than a little uncomfortable. Geoff’s aside of “… sad to say” sums up my reaction, regretfully, to most of Domingo’s more recent performances. 

[Timmie]

I’ve just been listening to the Radio Three stream of La Traviata with Lisette Oropesa. Some interesting insights and comments from Oropesa (and others) before and during the intervals. Probably nothing new for you old hands but it’ll help me enjoy next year’s performances a bit more.

 

Available on BBC Sounds.

[Timmie]

Second part of the La Traviata run coming up! I had decided to go and see both Pretty Yende and Angel Blue. ROH have now added Hrachuhí Bassénz. I only want to go twice, any recommendations?

[Lizbie1]

5 hours ago, Timmie said:

Second part of the La Traviata run coming up! I had decided to go and see both Pretty Yende and Angel Blue. ROH have now added Hrachuhí Bassénz. I only want to go twice, any recommendations?

 

Of the three I'd definitely put Angel Blue first. (I have reservations about the other two.)

[alison]

More Traviatas, when the first lot didn't sell that well?  

[Lizbie1]

10 hours ago, alison said:

More Traviatas, when the first lot didn't sell that well?  

 

I know - it's very unimaginative, but I imagine the margins are high on most of the tickets that they do sell. The production must be about 30 years old now (and it shows) and most seasons are considerably less starry than this one, but the tickets prices are near the top of the scale.

 

I love the opera but I'll only go if there's someone I particularly want to see in it. I think many regulars probably feel the same.

[Timmie]

20 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Of the three I'd definitely put Angel Blue first. (I have reservations about the other two.)

 

Thanks, I'll go for Angel Blue then and probably whatever dates suit best for the other  - though I may stretch to three in the end.

 

I’ve only seen the one live performance so far so I’m more than happy with more La Traviati. I’m not too impressed by the ballet options this next booking period either so more opera bookings for me!

Edited February 3, 2022 by Timmie

[CCL]

My first ever opera post…I’ve booked for Angel Blue on Wednesday 6th. I’m really looking forward to it!

[alison]

It's a great production - I hope you enjoy it.

[Timmie]

Thanks Lizbie. I've only seen Jaho on the La Traviata ROH recording which I enjoy so much.

 

(Note to Admin - I meant to post this question on the opera Newbie thread - any chance of a move please?)

Edited April 9, 2022 by Timmie