ROH Tosca

[JennyTaylor]

I attended the rehearsal of Tosca at the ROH purely to take advantage of my Friends’ allocation of rehearsal tickets and to give myself the opportunity to see this world famous opera. I admit total ignorance of opera though I’ve tried it a few times with little success. This proved a turning point because instead of being somewhat bored and wondering if I should stay for the 3rd act, I loved it! I didn’t know the story apart from “they all die” and I don’t know the music apart from the sections featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, but it didn’t seem to matter. I was fascinated and although not familiar with any of the singers, knew and felt I was seeing something rather special. I came out on a big high, and have now downloaded all the music to listen to again. A proper opera 

presented in a traditional manner with no messing with costumes, trying to be clever etc etc. Sadly I got more from it than the recent RB Diamonds celebration bill. 
 

Talking of costumes I was totally distracted by the train on Tosca’s dress and I really think she was too, as she dragged it around the stage. Also very concerned that she would fall down the vertiginous steps at the front of the stage in Act 3, with the train. She even struggled with it in the curtain calls. Please could someone from the costume department do something before disaster strikes. 
 

I will now be seeking to book more opera rehearsals as well as ballet, but will choose carefully in terms of productions. Also still not tempted to spend eye watering amounts on seeing a proper performance. I’ve just booked all my Cinderella tickets so that is enough!

Edited November 26, 2022 by JennyTaylor
Typo

[JohnS]

Friends general rehearsal tickets are incredibly popular. I must have clicked on 4 or 5 seats for Il Trovatore before I could put one in the basket on Tuesday as soon as I’d successfully ‘queued’. I managed Wozzeck with one click. With opera rehearsals singers may mark their parts and drop an octave. I know dancers may also mark their parts but I think that’s unusual or perhaps I’ve been very lucky.
For opera performances I’m happy to stand or go for Balcony Stalls A33 or A53 as these are slightly restricted by the safety rail and are discounted (up to 50%). 

[Lizbie1]

It does help that you can offset the higher prices for opera with a worse view than you'd put up with for ballet. The one thing I'd be wary of is overhang from higher tiers - if you're not in the first row or two below this can deaden the sound.

 

I nearly always sit in the slips for opera (the sound is very good, the comfort less so) but would not do so for ballet. With recent price rises for ballet this means that my opera tickets are now cheaper than my ballet tickets.

[JennyTaylor]

Ah, the Slips. They were the location of one of my disastrous earlier forays into Opera. I bought a £5 ticket for Don Giovanni just to try on the off chance. It was Thomas Allen (and I have heard of him!).  When I got up there, I suffered such bad vertigo I had to cling onto my seat and shut my eyes. Not terribly good for overall experience!  I think I managed to see the subtitles but couldn't bring myself to look down on the stage.   

 

In general, though I agree with you. being close to the stage is nothing like as important in an opera, and I suspect that a seat in any part of the auditorium would be absolutely fine - unless you suffer from vertigo.  I'm not keen on parts of the amphi for that same reason. 

[CCL]

I agree with Jenny re the Upper Slips - way too vertiginous for me! I’d sit in the lower slips if I could get those tickets but by the time I come to book for operas they’re usually gone. I’ve sat happily in the Amphi around rows M to L for opera but, like Lizbie, I’d want a better seat for ballet. On the other hand, when I went to the Coliseum recently to see Tosca, I sat in a stage box - quite a restricted view but thrillingly close to the action! 

[Dawnstar]

Actually the opera prices aren't always higher than the ballet ones. The prices for ballet have gone up so much recently that for the row C side stalls circle bench seats where I usually sit my ticket for Tosca next month at £63 is actually cheaper than the forthcoming Nutcrackers at £64 and the Sleeping Beauties & Cinderellas both at £70. Given the view restriction is, by in large, more of an issue for ballet than for opera, and that the top prices are higher for the opera than for the ballets, I find it extremely annoying & unfair that the cheaper side stalls circle pricing is now like this.

[art_enthusiast]

On 26/11/2022 at 22:26, JennyTaylor said:

I was fascinated and although not familiar with any of the singers, knew and felt I was seeing something rather special. I came out on a big high, and have now downloaded all the music to listen to again. A proper opera 

presented in a traditional manner with no messing with costumes, trying to be clever etc etc.

 

Indeed, I saw it on Monday, brought tears to my eyes frequently throughout. Extremely gripping performance from Malin Byström, Gwyn Hughes Jones and Gabriele Viviani. I found Act 2, and the interactions between Byström and Viviani, particularly strong. Frequent applause throughout for Hughes Jones in particular, he is superb.

[AnneL]

On 26/11/2022 at 22:26, JennyTaylor said:

I attended the rehearsal of Tosca at the ROH purely to take advantage of my Friends’ allocation of rehearsal tickets and to give myself the opportunity to see this world famous opera. I admit total ignorance of opera though I’ve tried it a few times with little success. This proved a turning point because instead of being somewhat bored and wondering if I should stay for the 3rd act, I loved it! I didn’t know the story apart from “they all die” and I don’t know the music apart from the sections featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, but it didn’t seem to matter. I was fascinated and although not familiar with any of the singers, knew and felt I was seeing something rather special. I came out on a big high, and have now downloaded all the music to listen to again. A proper opera 

presented in a traditional manner with no messing with costumes, trying to be clever etc etc. Sadly I got more from it than the recent RB Diamonds celebration bill. 
 

Talking of costumes I was totally distracted by the train on Tosca’s dress and I really think she was too, as she dragged it around the stage. Also very concerned that she would fall down the vertiginous steps at the front of the stage in Act 3, with the train. She even struggled with it in the curtain calls. Please could someone from the costume department do something before disaster strikes. 
 

I will now be seeking to book more opera rehearsals as well as ballet, but will choose carefully in terms of productions. Also still not tempted to spend eye watering amounts on seeing a proper performance. I’ve just booked all my Cinderella tickets so that is enough!

I agree that Tosca is a terrific opera - it has long been a favourite of mine, great story telling, music, not overlong. The current ROH production is very good and it was a treat to see Freddie de Tomasso in it last year. For the first time I really felt the emotion as I would in a tragic ballet. 
I am also branching out into more opera now since I became a Friend. my daughter and I went to the Barber of Seville yesterday evening and really enjoyed it. Comedy not tragedy this time!