Opera by the yard - why Parsifal is Covent Garden's bargain of the year

Covent Garden's forthcoming Parsifal boasts what I think are the priciest tickets ever flogged by the Royal Opera House. So how can anyone justify shelling out up to £190?

Well, if you consider you're getting 5 hours 15 mins of music, a £190 top price ticket works out at £36 an hour, probably less than an hour's cab ride, and certainly less than the hour I spent with the dental hygienist earlier today.

Compare this with La Traviata - 3 hours 25 mins for £175 top whack, which is £51 an hour - or Die Zauberflöte - 3 hours for £165 or £55 an hour, and Parsifal is starting to look cheap.

And it really scores against Salome - a measly 1 hour 40 mins for £110, or £66 per hour. Parsifal is only half that. A positive bargain. Relatively speaking.