Intermezzo

Royal Opera House 2009/10 season - all the details

Here first! - a full list of all the Royal Opera House's main stage productions for the 2009/10 season.

The 2009/10 Covent Garden season opens with neither bang nor whimper but with a credit-crunching concert performance on 7 September (repeated on 14 September). Makes a change from last year's Sun readers' special I suppose.

The opera in question is Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix, and the conductor is bel canto genius Mark Elder. The cast includes potential Next Big Things Stephen Costello, Eglise Gutierrez and Luciano Botelho, plus the incomparable Alessandro Corbelli, the first of several welcome appearances this season.

The first staged opera of the season is Nicholas Hytner's lego-loving Don Carlo, with - OMG!- Jonas Kaufmann !!! in the title role. John Tomlinson joins him as the Grand Inquisitor, and the rest of the cast is lifted straight from the first run - Marina Poplavskaya, Simon Keenlyside, fans' favourite Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sonia Ganassi and Pumeza Matshikiza.The conductor is Semyon Bychkov.

This season's contribution to the 2013 Wagnerversary is a new Christof Loy production of Tristan und Isolde. Antonio Pappano conducts Ben Heppner, Nina Stemme, Matti Salminen, Michael Volle and Sophie Koch.

Neigh! Francesco Zambello's ghastly Carmen returns in October, with the latest Covent Garden favourite Elina Garanca back for the title role, fighting off Roberto Alagna, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, and a farmyard full of furry friends. Bertrand de Billy conducts. It's resuscitated again in June 2010 with a distinctly 'B' cast.

October also sees one of Richard Jones's more subtle and effective efforts back on stage - and attractively cast. The shouldn't-work-but-it-does double bill of Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole (Christine Rice, Yann Beuron, Christopher Maltman, Andrew Shore and Bonaventura Bottone) and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (Thomas Allen, Maria Bengtsson and Stephen Costello) is conducted by Pappano.

Francesco Zambello steps into Tchaikovsky's The Slippers in November. The new production will be conducted by Alexander Polianichko and features some serious talent fresh from the Mariinsky - Olga Guryakova, Vsevolod Grivnov, Larissa Diadkova, Vladimir Matorin and Maxim Mikhailov.

John Schlesinger's elderly Der Rosenkavalier is dusted off in December. Kirill Petrenko conducts and the cast includes Soile Isokoski, Sophie Koch, Thomas Allen and Lucy Crowe.

Littering the December and January schedules is the inevitable La Bohème. This time Andris Nelsons conducts most of the double-cast performances, which begin with Piotr Beczala and Hibla Gerzmava and end with not a few tbc's.

Robert Lepage's intermittently effective Rake's Progress returns in January 2010. Ingo Metzmacher, Toby Spence (a Tom Rakewell tdf), Kate Royal, Kyle Ketelsen and Stephanie Blythe promise much on the musical side.

Female conductor alert! Top Lisboan Julia Jones wields the baton over Jonathan Miller's Cosi fan Tutte in January. The cast includes Charles Castronovo and Sally Matthews.

A new Richard Jones production of Prokofiev's The Gambler in February is conducted by Pappano, with a cast including Roberto Sacca, Angela Denoke, John Tomlinson and Jurgita Adamonyte.

Plácido Domingo's first appearance of the season is as a tenor. Graham Vick's acclaimed production of Handel's Tamerlano (recorded in Madrid and available on DVD con Plácido) makes its first visit to Covent Garden in March with Christianne Stoijn, Sara Mingardo and Christine Schäfer. Baroque specialist Ivor Bolton conducts.

Bill Bryden's family-friendly The Cunning Little Vixen returns in March with Emma Matthews, Christopher Maltman and Emma Bell, though the presence of Charles Mackerras on the podium has to be the main draw.

Caurier and Leiser's lovely Il Turco in Italia is back in April, with Maurizio Benini conducting, and Aleksandra Kursak, Colin Lee, Alessandro Corbelli, Thomas Allen and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo in the cast.

Aida is subjected to the David McVicar magic in April. His new production is conducted by Nicola Luisotti and features Micaela Carosi, Marcelo Alvarez and Luciana D'Intino. Bare nekkid elephants?

The last of the Big Three, Richard Eyre's subtly intelligent La Traviata, makes its annual appearance in May and July. This time her name's in the programme - Our first Lady of the Camellias is the fabulous former Netrebko sub Ermonela Jaho. Joining her in her long-awaited return to Covent Garden in May are Saimir Pirgu and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. July's 'B' Violetta is Angela Gheorghiu, who makes do with James Valenti and Zeljko Lucic. Yves Abel conducts.

Laurent Pelly's now-legendary La Fille du Régiment returns in May with the unbeatable original cast of Juan Diego Flórez, Natalie Dessay, Alessandro Corbelli and Felicity Palmer back in place. Bruno Campanella conducts.

What would tempt Sir Colin Davis back into the pit? How about David McVicar's Le Nozze di Figaro? Erwin Schrott, Camilla Tilling, Maruisz Kwiecen. Annette Dasch, Soile Isokoski and Christine Schäfer head the strong cast.

Antonio Pappano conducts Laurent Pelly's new Manon, coming to Covent Garden in June with the announced cast including Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón. Anyone fancy a bet?

In one of those rare operatic fairy stories, June sees a baritone with less than a year's experience thrust into a leading role at Covent Garden. Yes, it's Plácido Domingo again, and this time he's Simon Boccanegra. Antonio Pappano conducts a strong cast including Marina Poplavskaya, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Joseph Calleja. It's the 1991 Elijah Moshinsky production by the way, not the Ian Judge one seen last year.

The season ends in July 2010 with the first revival of David McVicar's controversial Salome. Angela Denoke takes the central role, with Johan Reuter as Jokanaan. Hartmut Haenchen conducts.

No link yet, but more details expected on the Royal Opera House website sometime next week.

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*******UPDATE 22/4*******

The Royal Opera House's press releases are now available on their website. Go here for the summary, here for the opera details and here for the ballet.

Il trovatore test run

I don't usually write about rehearsals because you don't necessarily get 100%-honed performances, and its not really fair to make public comment in those circumstances. But yesterday's general rehearsal for the ROH's latest run of Trovatore was so superb I feel a duty to spread the word. (And just in case Monday's opening night doesn't reach the same heights - but let's not go there yet).

We all know what Caruso said - that all Il Trovatore needed was the four best singers in the world. And with this cast - Roberto Alagna, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sondra Radvanovsky and Malgorzata Walewska - it came as close as you could hope for.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky's Luna has been the highlight of previous runs of this production. Well, this time he's got stiff competition, but once again he sang with nobility and distinction. Just like he always does. And was it wishful thinking, or have his acting skills taken a dramatic (ha!) turn for the better? In recital, his natural exuberance is as memorable as his leather pants. But stick him in an opera, and he often looks as if he's reading from an autocue. Not in this show. Even the Egli era tuo fratello! at the end was, for once, not remotely tittersome - his quale orror!  sent a jolt through the auditorium.

And here's my profound rumination of the week. Dima's snowy hair is absolutely perfect for every role he plays, whatever the character, whatever the period. So why do production designers neverever duplicate it for other singers? Does he have copyright hair or something?

The Angela-less Alagna seems back on top form. He sounds healthy, he even looks a bit slimmer. Manrico is a real test of his abilities, and while you never feel there's a millimetre to spare, ultimately there's no audible strain whatsoever. He just grabs every note and hurls it forth heroically. So much for his plans to chicken-out from half of the murderous Di quella pira, as the Daily Telegraph's recent interview claims. He belted out both verses like the champion of the tenor Olympics. If he naughtily slipped out of character to acknowledge the applause, who can blame him? And in the tender, lyrical moments that are more his home territory, wooing Leonora or soothing his dear old mum, the natural beauty of his voice shone through to heart-melting effect.

Sondra Radvanovsky wobbled a bit to begin with, but her supreme technical control soon became apparent. She spun her long lines out silkily and crested even the highest notes with liquid ease. Every note and every syllable was shaped and coloured in minutely-nuanced detail. Inevitably, it lacked the thrill of spontaneity - she's a sort of earthy Renee Fleming in that respect. I wasn't always convinced she was living the part either - her dedication to crafting the beautiful line often distanced her from the heart of the role. But I can't think of anyone right now who could sing Leonora better.

Malgorzata Walewska was a bit of a find as Azucena, with a rich lower register and a winning line in dramatic venom that more than compensated for some insecurities on top.

OK, that's your four best singers, but this production is immaculately cast top to toe. Mikhail Petrenko, a mahogany bass in the classic Russian style, has great presence as well as a fabulous voice - what a terrific Ferrando. Monika-Evelin Liiv's Ines more than held her own against Sondra Radvanovsky. And Haoyin Xue, who never made much of an impact on me when he was in the ROH's Young Artist programme, has matured into a fine, solid singer.

Despite the best casting it's ever had, and despite fine 19th century set and costume designs, the production is still as dire and inert as it ever was. It looks like some dredged-up '70's relic even though it can't be more than ten years old, and it makes the legendarily-'difficult' storyline even more incomprehensible and absurd. But more on that after the opening night.

And the audience weren't just the usual riff-raff. What a surprise to see sitting in a private box - Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott. She wore a loose beige geometric-patterned shift, chatted and signed autographs for her neighbours on either side, and applauded enthusiastically along with everyone else. A lousy phonecam shot:

Schrott out; Calleja in

Thanks to reader Georgiana for pointing out that Cadogan Hall has scheduled new artists for the June 11th concert which Erwin Schrott cancelled.

They're tenor Joseph Calleja and his wife, soprano Tatiana Lisnic.

Calleja's last appearance in London was an impressive one, opposite Renee Fleming in the Royal Opera House's Thaïs. And he'll be back partnering la Renay at Covent Garden next year in La Traviata.

So £12 at Cadogan Hall sounds like a bargain.

Donde está Erwin Schrott ?

O noes!!! I am devastated by Jessica Duchen's latest lid-blowing news - Erwin Schrott has cancelled next month's Cadogan Hall recital.

Contract busting? The words "hearsay", "lawyers" and "bargepole" flutter so noisily between my ears they drown out speculation.

But I note with interest that the future Mrs Schrott, Anna Netrebko, is expected at the Paris Opera on the night in question, June 11.

Erwin Schrott replaces Carlos Alvarez on bari-go-round

I go away for a few days and look what happens.  The advertised recital of baritone Carlos Alvarez at Cadogan Hall on 11 June has been replaced without explanation by an Erwin Schrott concert.

No foul play suspected - presumably Alvarez has sensibly decided that it's not smart to perform in London while in the middle of a taxing Verdi run at the Vienna Staatsoper.

Whether Erwin is as impressive in recital as he is on the opera stage remains to be seen. Even though the Cadogan Hall aircon is authentically English, i.e. non-existent, a shirt is customary on its stage.

No programme announced yet, but he'll have a full orchestra with him, so Bits of Opera Stuff would be a safer bet than Winterreise.

Netrebko (are they, aren't they?) is unlikely to turn up - she's getting down to some Bellini in Paris that night.

Erwin Schrott - "I don't see any secks in Don Giovanni"

Erwin Schrott, the Royal Opera House's current Don Giovanni, today spoke to Radio 3's In Tune programme, which will be available for 7 days on their Listen Again facility from around 7.30pm tonight.

He had a lot of fun at yesterday's Don Giovanni first night but was sad Anna Netrebko wasn't there. He thinks the cast is very balanced without a weak link, but it was a pity director Francesca Zambello wasn't there for rehearsals, as he appreciates the opportunity to discuss things. When the interviewer suggests DG is a v.secksy character, ES responds 'I don't see any secks in Don Giovanni'. [what was he smoking this time - SEE PIC !!!11] He views it more as a buffo role - DG is looking for 'something else'.

In rehearsal he likes to really let himself go - he nearly knocked a wall down in rehearsal fighting with Masetto. In his spare time he plays piano, guitar and drums - he particularly loves playing Brazilian music and going back to Montevideo to relax with his daughter and family. Oh, and he's booked up to 2012.

And proving he's not just a great set of pecs, interspersed with the interview are some rather nice clips of ES singing Don Giovanni, Figaro and L'Elisir d'Amore.

Don Giovanni - live and topless at the Royal Opera House

Don Giovanni - Royal Opera House, 11 June 2007 (First Night)

Tonight I did something I haven't had the energy to do for a long time. But the opportunity came up and I thought I'd give it a go - after all lots of people do it regularly and come to no harm. I stood up for an entire 3 1/2 hour opera!

My place was right at the back of the amphitheatre, the top level of the Royal Opera House, and so I was about half a mile from the stage, or it seemed that way. I'd brought proper binoculars to make sense of the doll sized figures below, but even they weren't quite up to the task - really, only astronomical instruments would have cut it.

Anyway, it didn't matter too much, because this evening was all about superb music. Starting with the titular Don, played by Erwin Schrott. As if his physical perfection weren't enough, his black velvet voice exquisitely embodied the seductive charisma of the serial seducer. The gratuitious shirtlessness of the second act was a cheap but effective trick that just nudges his rating up to #1 on my crushometer.

Covering at short notice for an indisposed Anna Netrebko, Marina Poplavskaya as Donna Anna was, Schrott aside, the star of the evening. She has poise, presence, a crystal pure tone and solid projection. Her voice paled a little in its upper reaches, but she stunned otherwise. If the dark roots in her blonde hair were just an unhappy consequence of the short notice of Netrebko's sick note, they coincidentally underlined the determination and backbone beneath the sweetly feminine exterior of her Donna Anna.

In the relatively thankless role of Don Ottavio, Michael Schade rightly drew some of the biggest applause of the evening for his two arias, though he did seem to be holding his fire  in between. Kyle Ketelsen's Leporello was inevitably overshadowed by Erwin Schrott, but with his superb comic timing he was the perfect foil, neatly bringing out their symbiotic relationship. Matthew Rose brought a big solid voice and a credible lumpkin dimness to his Masetto.

Although the orchestra parted company with the singers somewhat during a few of the trickier arias, it wasn't hugely noticeable, and Ivor Bolton motored them on with terrific verve, keeping enough in reserve for a final exhilirating burst of power in Don Giovanni's death scene.

Although I've seen this production before, a few years back, the design still left plenty of questions unanswered. Why did half the action take place in a giant urinal with a life size Madonna pinioned halfway up the wall? Why did Don Giovanni's dinner (and the Commendatore) appear from a Japanese hot tub? Where did the giant burning wicker man appear from and why? In a musically less accomplished performance, these details might matter more, but it was easy to ignore them. The overall design was easy on the eye, the colours made sense even if the objects didn't, and by lighting the production well and keeping most of the action centre front (simple but crucial details overlooked in the ROH's current Fidelio), most of the audience could see most of the performance.

And there were a few idiosyncrasies which really did work - Donna Elvira's wedding dress in her final showdown with was a great touch. And best of all - the final glimpse of a smirking and unclothed Don Giovanni in hell, laydee in his arms.

Ivor Bolton, Erwin Schrott, Kyle Ketelsen, Ana Maria Martinez

Michael Schade, Marina Poplavskaya

Sarah Fox, Matthew Rose

Marina Popslavskaya, Erwin Schrott

Erwin Schrott - stoner baritone ?

Erwin Schrott, due to pair with Anna Netrebko in Mozart's Don Giovanni next week at the Royal Opera House, tells Time Out's Martin Hoyle in this week's issue:

'Once I had a crazy idea - I must have been smoking pot - that the opera's the vision of a dying man'

A figure of speech, a misplaced metaphor from a non-native speaker no doubt.

But now it's out there, just hope the poor lamb remembers to allow time for the inevitable full body cavity search at Heathrow......

Yet another freebie! - Netrebko in Don Giovanni

The Royal Opera House present another of their Big Screen events next Wednesday 13 June at 7pm when Mozart's Don Giovanni will be relayed to outdoor screens around the country, including the Royal Opera House's back yard, aka Covent Garden Piazza. La Netrebka, if she turns up (and there are rumours...), will be Donna Anna, and Erwin Schrott the Don.

Sadly I'm already spoken for with Anne Sofie von Otter at the Wigmore Hall, but she's another serial canceller, so who knows?