General booking opens soon for one of the least compelling Royal Opera House seasons since I don't know when. For the first time ever, I can probably live without the lot, though out of curiosity if nothing else I will be going to a few. Unusually, the Linbury season looks a lot more interesting than the main stage this time round.
In the main house:
Così fan tutte
The return of Jonathan Miller's lamentably passé production so soon after its last outing is necessitated by the ROH's September tour to Japan. With most of the orchestra living it up on sushi and sake, this minimal-forces work fills the gap nicely. Casting is not bad, though there's no-one I'd kill to see.
10 September 2010 to 24 September 2010 /// Director Jonathan Miller Conductor Thomas Hengelbrock /// Ferrando Pavol Breslik Guglielmo Stéphane Degout Don Alfonso Thomas Allen Fiordiligi Maria Bengtsson Dorabella Jurgita Adamonyte Despina Rebecca Evans
Don Pasquale
Another Miller production, another of Donizetti's desperately unfunny 'comedies', a great conductor wasted. Again, the cast sound as if they can do the job.
12 September 2010 to 21 September 2010 /// Director Jonathan Miller Conductor Charles Mackerras /// Ernesto Barry Banks Don Pasquale Paolo Gavanelli Doctor Malatesta Jacques Imbrailo Norina lride Martínez
23 September 2010 to 3 October 2010 /// Director Lukas Hemleb Conductor Thomas Hengelbrock /// Niobe Vèronique Gens Anfione Jacek Laszczkowski Oreonte Iestyn Davies Tiberino Lothar Odinius Clearte Tim Mead Nerea Delphine Galou Tiresia Bruno Taddia Poliferno Alastair Miles
Les Pêcheurs de perles in Concert
Hot on the heels of ENO's staged version in English comes this concert version in the original language. The superb and underrated American tenor John Osborn makes his ROH debut, and the reliable Gerald Finley is Zurga, though I've yet to hear Nicole Cabell do anything to justify the hype.
4 October 2010 to 7 October 2010 /// Conductor Antonio Pappano /// Leïla Nicole Cabell Nadir John Osborn Zurga Gerald Finley Nourabad Raymond Aceto
Although David McVicar usually directs his own revivals, he leaves this one to others, which speaks volumes about the uneven production and its botty-baring distractions. And although it's always a pleasure to hear him sing, Dmitri Hvorostovsky is not my idea of a Rigoletto. Eglise Gutiérrez promises to divide too with her strange, breathy, covered sound.
11 October 2010 to 6 November 2010 /// Director David McVicar Conductor Dan Ettinger /// Duke of Mantua Wookyung Kim Rigoletto Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Paolo Gavanelli Gilda Eglise Gutiérrez Sparafucile Raymond Aceto Maddalena Daniela Innamorati
Nicolas Joël's ghastly saccharine production is solidly though mostly uninspiringly cast, but I am looking forward to Nino Machaidze's Juliette.
26 October 2010 to 17 November 2010 /// Director Nicolas Joël Conductor Daniel Oren /// Roméo Piotr Beczala Juliette Nino Machaidze/María Alejandres Mercutio Stéphane Degout Tybalt Alfie Boe Duke of Verona Simon Neal Gertrude Diana Montague Frére Laurent Vitalij Kowaljow Count Capulet Darren Jeffery
Caurier and Leiser's darkly comic, unsuitable-for-children production returns with a less starry cast than its first outing.
23 December 2010 to 7 January 2011 /// Director Patrice Caurier/Moshe Leiser Conductor Charles Mackerras /// Hänsel Christine Rice Gretel Ailish Tynan Gertrud Yvonne Howard Peter Thomas Allen Witch Jane Henschel Dew Fairy Anna Siminska
And in the Linbury Studio:
In the Penal Colony, a Philip Glass chamber opera featuring two singers and a string quintet, is presented by Music Theatre Wales.
Pleasure’s Progress is a new stage work from choreographer Will Tuckett, described as "a rip-roaringly enjoyable journey to the lust and depravity of 18th-century London, which takes its cue from William Hogarth’s satirical and cynical portrayals". Text by Alasdair Middleton, music by Paul Englishby. The work is premiered in Ipswich in June, so it might be worth checking the reviews before booking.
Promised End is a world premiere, a new operatic adaption of King Lear by Alexander Goehr, presented by English Touring Opera. The opera "features an unusual orchestration of prominent wind, brass and guitar" and is conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth.
The Duenna is the second offering from English Touring Opera. Written by the Thomas Linleys (father and son) and with a libretto by Richard Brinsley Sheridan it forebodes to be one of those eighteenth century English operas better left on the shelf, but who knows? An experienced cast of actor-singers includes Richard Suart, Nuala Willis and Adrian Thompson. Only three performances, and I suspect it will sell quickly, so get your skates on.
L'isola disabitata is a short Haydn opera, presented by the Jette Parker Young Artists.
Songs from a Hotel Bedroom is a new musical theatre work bringing together the songs of Kurt Weill (sung by Frances Ruffelle) and tango dancing.
Cannot imagine there is going to be a rush on Wednesday for any of these. I just hope Niobe is not another 4 hour baroque bore like Tamerlano.
I think I will be saving my money for Adrianna
and Tannhauser in the next booking period.
For once autumn at ENO seems a better bet.
Posted by: John | 31 May 2010 at 02:56 PM
Agreed, snoozerama. ENO's season looks great.
Posted by: Will | 31 May 2010 at 03:36 PM
Isn't that Don Pasquale of Miller's the one where singers are put into little boxes from which they emerge now and again to sing their "tunes"? I recall that at the end when Miller came on stage to be applauded, Florez, who was the lead tenor, simply refused to clap for him at all. A pointed, passive expression of dislike.
Posted by: Hal | 31 May 2010 at 04:39 PM
Doubt I will set the alarm clock for Wednesday, will try my look later in the morning. I might be proved wrong and be left without my desired location, but only 2 operas in this booking period are a would like to see for me and even those I could live without.
Posted by: Samuel | 31 May 2010 at 05:25 PM
Have you seen in the latest accounts that the top two salaries now add up, for the first time, to over £1m ?
Posted by: Dan Ceny | 31 May 2010 at 05:45 PM
How did they manage to produce such a lacklustre quarter? Opera 0, Ballet 3.
Posted by: Paul | 31 May 2010 at 07:17 PM
Who took a bite from the open sandwich (bottom left) - and what was on it?
Posted by: Manou | 31 May 2010 at 10:55 PM
@manou I'd ask him but he died shortly afterwards
Posted by: inter mezzo | 01 June 2010 at 01:14 AM
There's more life in the cast of 'Awakenings' singing 'la Donna e mobile' on a karoke machine quite frankly, than this dismal offering...
Posted by: Keith | 01 June 2010 at 08:38 AM
Instead of Miller's awful doll house production, ROH would be better of buying the Don Pasquale production of the National Opera in Bucharest, Romania. It is funny and lively even when singing is just average.
Posted by: Stelucia | 01 June 2010 at 09:27 AM
What infantile hang up does the dear Doctor have about Dolls' Houses? Didn't his equally dire ENO Barber take place in one too. Or am I missing some involuted Ibsenesque subtext.
Posted by: John | 01 June 2010 at 09:55 AM
Amongst all the ire and whingeing spare a thought for those of us who do not even have access to any live opera...
Posted by: mamascarlatti | 02 June 2010 at 12:42 AM
Based on what I have heard of Pavol Breslik he should be a top-notch Ferrando. Though you need more than a good Ferrando for an enjoyable Cosi, of course...
Posted by: mj | 02 June 2010 at 04:08 AM
All booked nice and quick ! No Terfel or Netrebko (or anything else for that matter) to bring the punters out in force.
was in and out by 8.20 - I record me thinks
Posted by: a mac | 02 June 2010 at 08:52 AM
Predictably easy booking this morning. Only near sell out so far is the Duenna, and the concert Pearl Fishers is going well.
Posted by: John | 02 June 2010 at 08:56 AM
Yes, I had the easiest booking experience ever AND I was booking for another Friend who is currently driving through France. Was this the first time that noone was able to log in before the appointed hour?
Shame about the OHP wash-out. Better weather for Carmen tonight?
Posted by: Sarah | 02 June 2010 at 11:21 AM
No, they started opening the box office strictly on the hour last booking period. I wasn't so lucky re my booking - I got almost straight in, but then my browser crashed (I couldn't work out whether the issue was at my end or theirs) and I had to start again, spending 45 minutes in the queue. Fortunately there was nothing that couldn't wait that long - and I've had above-average fortune with the website in the past, so I was due a glitch.
Posted by: Ruth | 02 June 2010 at 12:45 PM
Amazing that the ROH salary story was here in May!!
Posted by: anonymous | 31 October 2010 at 05:02 PM