Intermezzo

Royal Opera House Summer Season 2010

And so 2009/10 draws to a close with the usual tourist-friendly summer fare from the Royal Opera House.

The highlight (especially since he had to cancel Tamerlano) is Plácido Domingo's appearance in and as Simon Boccanegra (29 June to 15 July). We've all found out by now that he's not exactly a perfect fit - but then these days, who is? And it might be his last appearance at Covent Garden. And WTF he's Plácido Domingo. That's enough to make it essential. A cast that includes Marina Poplavskaya, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Joseph Calleja with Maestro Pappano himself conducting should compensate for Elijah Moshinsky's tired production.

Running it close is a new Laurent Pelly production of Massenet's Manon (22 June to 2 July) with Anna Netrebko in the title role. Pappano conducts again, and gorgeous Vittorio Grigolo makes his Covent Garden debut.

David McVicar's slightly fussy but intelligent Le Nozze di Figaro (31 May to 17 June) makes a swift return, with Erwin Schrott and a delightful springer spaniel vying for the cuteness award. As if that's not enough, Sir Colin Davis conducts most dates, making it a must-see.

Another McVicar, Salome (3 July to 16 July), has its first revival, with Angela Denoke in the title role and Hartmut Haenchen conducting. "Contains scenes of nudity and violence" - but not where you'd think.

Angela Gheorghiu lovers will be flocking to La Traviata (8 July to 17 July), though it may be James Valenti and Zeljko Lucic who make it worth seeing. Richard Eyre's production is a fine and thoughtful one, though anyone who catches it in May with Ermonela Jaho doesn't really need to see it again.

A swift resuscitation of Francesca Zambello's godawful Carmen (5 June to 26 June) has little to recommend it this time round apart from perhaps Christine Rice in the title role.

In the Linbury Studio, George Benjamin's Into the Little Hill (23 July to 26 July), here coupled with Berio's Recital I, comes highly recommended.

The Bolshoi visit in August, with a critically-acclaimed production of Eugene Onegin the only opera amidst endless nights of ballet (which to be honest, is probably a safer bet).

Friends' booking opens on 3 March and general booking on 6 April.

Lights out at the Royal Opera House! Into the Little Hill premieres in bar after power cut

Into the Little Hill / Down by the Greenwood Side - Royal Opera House, 14 February 2009

***now updated with review links - scroll down***

Oh yus! Just one week after a snow-bound Die Tote Stadt was cancelled, disaster shunted another Covent Garden performance off stage. But this time, thanks to the iron will and smart thinking of composer/conductor George Benjamin, this Show Went On.

First up was a glitch-free performance of Birtwistle’s brief Down by the Greenwood Side, a burst of twisted musical and physical aggression that's long on the spoken word, short on musical incident, more like soundtracked theatre than opera. In John Fulljames's vagrant Punch and Judy show the violence was elevated to ritual status. Excellent performances from actors, singer (Claire Booth) and the London Sinfonietta.

Ten minutes into the London premiere of Benjamin's own Into the Little Hill, the Linbury lighting fizzled away into blackness, followed swiftly by the music.  A 'technical problem' which they hoped to fix 'soon' was announced. After a long, long wait in the gloom, punctuated by increasingly resigned updates, we were finally released into the fully lit Linbury bar to enjoy a drink on the house and await further instruction.

People started melting away. The CCTV screen showed a still-dark stage. The singers, Claire Booth and Susan Bickley, joined us. Not promising. But George Benjamin had an idea. The oldest one in the book maybe, but don't knock it, it works. If you can't get the audience in to the show, bring the show to the audience.

And thus it came to pass, at 10.30, more than an hour after the performance should have ended, it began -- in the bar of the Linbury Studio. A hefty chunk of the audience had already disappeared. No problem, more space for the rest of us. We took our seats on the floor, on the steps and around the scattered tables. George Benjamin shoehorned the London Sinfonietta into a semicircle, with the two singers leaning against the bar behind.

the singers
 

the audience
 

the band

................ but wut happened next .................?