The last I heard, the 2011-12 Royal Opera House season was scheduled to be announced on 14 April (same day as the Proms, so it might get 'rethought').
But there's no harm in a little informed speculation beforehand. Here's what may be turning up at Covent Garden next year. All comments welcome.......
Il Trittico (part new)
Sep 2011
Richard Jones directs all three parts. Two new productions will be added to the existing Gianni Schicchi with different designers for each. Eva Maria Westbroek, Anja Harteros, Aleksandrs Antonenko, cond Antonio Pappano
Faust (revival)
Sep/Oct 2011
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rene Pape, Vittorio Grigolo, Angela Gheorghiu//Malin Byström (or more likely just Malin Byström....), cond Pido
Die fliegende Holländer (revival)
Oct/Nov 2011
Anja Kampe, Endrik Wottrich, Falk Struckmann, Stephen Milling, cond Jeffrey Tate
La traviata (revival)
Oct 2011 - Jan 2012(!)
3 casts & conductors
1) Poplavskaya, Valenti, Nucci
2) Perez, Beczala, Keenlyside
3) mixed cast including Netrebko/Jaho and Grigolo
Placido Domingo 40th anniversary gala
27 & 30 Oct 2011 (with gala dinner on 27)
"Not quite" the three final acts of Rigoletto, Boccanegra and Otello "with old friends and rising stars" including Antonio Pappano
La Sonnambula
Nov 2011
Eglise Gutierrez
Die Meistersinger (revival)
Dec 2011/Jan 2012
John Tomlinson as Pogner, Emma Bell as Eva, Wolfgang Koch as Sachs, Simon O'Neill as Walther, Peter Coleman-Wright as Beckmesser, Toby Spence as David cond Pappano
Mozart cycle:
Don Giovanni (revival)
Jan/Feb 2012
2 casts / 12 shows including Gerald Finley, Erwin Schrott, Matthew Polenzani, Pavol Breslik, cond Colin Davis
Così fan tutte (revival)
Jan/Feb 2012
Tom Allen as Don Alfonso
Le nozze di Figaro (revival)
Feb/Mar 2012
Aleksandra Kurzak, Kate Royal, Simon Keenlyside, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, cond Pappano
Mar 2012
New opera by Judith Weir, will premiere at Bregenz in July 2011. Director Shi-Zheng Chen, who directed Damon Albarn’s dodgy Monkey. With Emma Bell, Jacques Imbrailo
Other shows include a 10th anniversary Jette Parker Young Artists gala in July 2012 where Il viaggio a Reims will be performed by current and former JPYA's including Poplavskaya, Ailish Tynan and Matthew Rose (with ENO Orchestra).
'Meet the Young Artists' week in Autumn 2011 includes Le Portrait de Manon with ZhengZhong Zhou as Des Grieux.
There will be an extra week at the end of the season to tie in with the Olympics, featuring special performances and galas.
I don't think the season could be any duller if they tried. Really, a Mozart Da Ponte cycle? "Salome" is the most modern and cutting edge opera apart from (maybe) the Judith Weir piece? No Britten leading up to the centennial in 2013? Wow. Kasper Holten can't get there soon enough.
At least the Royal Ballet season looks interesting.
On the plus side, I won't have to deal with the Covent Garden ticketing nightmare.
Posted by: Henry Holland | 25 March 2011 at 02:12 AM
I'm completely STAR STRUCK! OMG! Finley, Keenlyside, Polenzani, Kampe, Harteros, Kaufmann, Pape, and on and on!
Posted by: laddie | 25 March 2011 at 03:38 AM
Thanks!
Rusalka and Les Troyens are super-appealing, and Mis Fortune too.
OTOH scheduling Sonnambula on a major operatic scene circa 2010 is really bad (I doubt there there can be an opera as dumb as that one)
Posted by: Opera-Cake | 25 March 2011 at 05:18 AM
Press launch is 13 April as 14 April also coincides with the first night of the Tsar's Bride.
Mmmm. Rusalka - at last, and about time and Les Troyens should be amazing and the completion of Il Trittico ought to be good especially with Anja Harteros as Suor Angelica.
But a Mozart 'cycle'? Maybe if we were getting something dramatically exciting like the Claus Guth Salzburg staging of DG it would be worthwile but that hideous Zambello staging was well past its sell-by date when it was new. And with Davis conducting? Zzzzzzzzz And 'Cosi' AGAIN?
No Janacek or Britten?
Well let's see what's unveiled on the 13th...
Posted by: keithyboy | 25 March 2011 at 08:12 AM
Wel their Falstaff will no doubt show us how not to do ours later in the summer :-)
Posted by: Mike Volpe | 25 March 2011 at 08:59 AM
Die Meistersinger (revival) ..hmm - more an exhumation.
At least it is by Graham Vick before he went completely mad !
Otherwise it looks the usual fayre of "stocking filler" revivals, interestingly cast revivals and new prods.
Posted by: amac | 25 March 2011 at 09:28 AM
Agree - Rusalka and Troyens look most appetising (though why no Fleming in the former? When's this rumoured Arabella meant to be coming?), though will look forward to Falstaff too. Obviously the Strauss is still great, but also disappointed that no rareties, no Janacek, nothing modern.
And OMG Rene Pape makes a return to the ROH.
The cycles thing is such a poorly imagined theme (cycles, rings, olympics, geddit? Sigh). Partly because there are hardly any actual operatic cycles. Les Troyens is not a cycle. The Mozart ones aren't either. Why not a Janacek cycle? The five (or even seven!) mature operas? Box office suicide, I know, I know.
Why not do the other mammoth cycle? - Licht! Obviously that's a joke.
When is the ENO and Glyndebourne's next season announced? I only know that Glyndebourne are doing Boheme.
Posted by: Capriccio blog | 25 March 2011 at 10:42 AM
Woops missed the Weir. OK something modern. But the next most modern is 1905.
Posted by: Capriccio blog | 25 March 2011 at 10:46 AM
Congrats IM - you are the Brad Wilbur de nos shores! So have both Alvarez AND Harteros dropped out of the Otello revival?
Apparently a new (or borrowed) Makropulos for Mattila is in the plans for a later season and they have Gloriana for the Britten year, with Vepres (Herheim) the Verdi representative and new Parsifal (c. Pappano) for Wagner.
The RO seems happy for ENO to have declared itself the UK's Britten house par excellence. Harder to sell to the corporates who pay 200 quid than multi-cast Traviatas (I mean THREE series of performances with, at best, one must-see singer in each cast, unless Nebs and Grigs are on the same bill) Henry H has a point. Denoke again as Salome! Did she sell the house last time round?
Posted by: Nikolaus Vogel | 25 March 2011 at 10:53 AM
Will that (possibly) be Pape's house debut?
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Intermezzo replies - nope, he was König Heinrich in the last but one Lohengrin.
Posted by: Deb | 25 March 2011 at 12:15 PM
2013 will be the big year for BB as it is his centenary. Gloriana, but which aging prima donna will grace the title role?
Hardly think a new Falstaff is a priority much as I embody suave Sir John.
Again 2013 is the a big Verdi year so it would be great to get those pieces which never made it when they tried the whole opus - Ernani.
Little R.Strauss on offer yet again.
Posted by: Vecchio John | 25 March 2011 at 12:25 PM
Il trittico dates from 1918.
Posted by: Vecchio John | 25 March 2011 at 12:34 PM
Pape also appeared rather appropriately as the Pope in Palestrina, back in January 1997.
Posted by: Miriam | 25 March 2011 at 12:45 PM
Siurina as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi...
Posted by: alfredo | 25 March 2011 at 01:05 PM
I don't think it looks that interesting to be honest!! It would be nice if Fleming was doing Rusalka! Hopefully it will be! :)
Posted by: Matthew | 25 March 2011 at 01:15 PM
I know for a fact that there is a new production of Marriage of Figaro at glyndebourne next season with Sally Matthews as Countess and Robin Ticciati conducting.
Posted by: Rannaldini | 25 March 2011 at 01:19 PM
Susan Bullock will be Eliz i in Gloriana
Posted by: PLIMPTON | 25 March 2011 at 01:36 PM
Der Ring?
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Intermezzo replies - the Ring Cycle is planned for autumn 2012
Posted by: sub opera | 25 March 2011 at 01:53 PM
No Garanca, no Dessay? It will be a shame if this is the case...
Posted by: Rosina | 25 March 2011 at 02:01 PM
Lot of good stuff it seems to me but I agree it would be nice if ROH risked a season without Mozart-DaPonte, Traviata, Rigoletto or Boheme. I know they have to put bums on seats and obviously these are wonderful pieces but even so...
Posted by: opera fan | 25 March 2011 at 03:35 PM
@opera fan
No Mozart-DaPonte?!?!? For Shame?!?!?
Rigoletto, Traviata and Bheme can be dispensed with.
Posted by: marcillac | 25 March 2011 at 04:39 PM
Well, first impression is OMG!!! And after a second view my impression is OMG!!!! Absolutely great casts (almost perfect some of them, hehehe...) for a season which is far away of the terrible seasons that were announced in some places such as Madrid or Barcelona or even Paris. That Faust is superb, even discounting that Gheorghiu may sing only at some of the performances. Pape, Hvorostovsky and Grigolo are worthing enough. Of course performances with Gheorghiu would be a significant plus.
Netrebkoa nnd Grigolo in La Traviata can be superb!!! Let's see who will be Germont... Keenlyside as in Tokyo? Great!
And the Domingo Gala!!!!
Great the Mozart cycle too.
OMG!!!
Posted by: Carlos | 25 March 2011 at 06:18 PM
"La fille du regiment" with Patrizia Ciofi !
Posted by: alfredo | 25 March 2011 at 07:19 PM
snoozerama! About two things I want to see there...
Posted by: Will | 25 March 2011 at 08:29 PM
There have been rumours of La Donna del Lago in 2012 forever, with Flórez and DiDonato, so hopefully that'll turn up, otherwise a season without any of:
Florez, DiDonato, Damrau, Dessay, Garanca, Terfel, Voigt, Gehehar, Corbelli, Furlanetto, Kirchschlager, Stemme, Villazon (yeah, I know) and Fleming. For a big 2012, that's an awful lot of star names not to have, assuming the list is more or less complete. Maybe the cuts are beginning to bite?
Posted by: Michael | 26 March 2011 at 12:29 AM
You can add Celso Albelo as Elvino in La Sonnambula
Posted by: Spanish | 26 March 2011 at 12:31 AM
So: This season we had Kaufmann in the house singing, of all things, Maurizio, at exactly the same time Tannhauser was on. Next year, Enee, when Otello's running. How come he's always around, but cast in the wrong opera?
La Donna del Lago is a multi(but multi)co-pro, and we're the last on the list, in 2012/13.
With the probable exception of the Figaro, the "Mozart Cycle" has "Dead Turkey" written all over it.
As for the dread Denoke as Salome AGAIN !!!!
(and that's our Strauss ration for 2 years)
SJT
Posted by: sjt | 26 March 2011 at 01:51 AM
Gehehar ;)? Gerhaher ...
No Kwiecien either apparently.
Posted by: C.R. | 26 March 2011 at 11:00 AM
Daniele Gatti conducting "Falstaff" is great!
Posted by: Jeby | 26 March 2011 at 11:36 AM
La donna del lago will be a must see for me when it finally comes. Shame it doesn't look to be at the end of this coming season!
Anyway, as for 11/12... Trittico and Faust seems like a great start to the season for me. I might try and see the Figaro, if only for the cast, but that depends on individual dates and getting back down south for a weekend during term. I would see Falstaff (I haven't seen it live before and love the opera), but May is devoted to my exam period at uni, so that's out. Les Troyens fits in nicely date-wise, so I may attempt to get cheap seats for that.
Posted by: Il_Comprimario | 26 March 2011 at 12:52 PM
Is the ROH aware that Verdi wrote 26 operas, Donizetti about 45, Bellini 6 (all masterpieces), not to mention Rossini? One would think that there would have been a little more originality on the Olympic Year!!!. I have had it with ROH, my money is going to ENO, they at least dare something other than Traviata and Rigoletto. Every house around the world has a Lucia. where's yours?
D. Lebel
didilebel@hotmail.ca
Posted by: Diane Lebel | 26 March 2011 at 01:09 PM
Daniele Gatti is currently conducting "Falstaff" in Zurich - also with Ambrogio Maestri and, if last night's performance is anything to go buy, you will be in for a real treat at Covent Garden next May. Yesterday's performance was also recorded for DVD.
Posted by: Neil | 26 March 2011 at 02:49 PM
"Is the ROH aware that Verdi wrote 26 operas, Donizetti about 45, Bellini 6 (all masterpieces), not to mention Rossini? One would think that there would have been a little more originality on the Olympic Year!!!"
Oh boo effing hoo, you poor underserved bel canto fans, I weep for your lack of opportunities to see obscure Donizetti crap! /sarcasm
Meanwhile, those of us who *don't* think opera ended with the death of Wagner & Verdi are once again screwed, with a grand total of 4 pieces being written after 1900, two of which are Il Trittico and Rusalka, hardly daring.
Posted by: Henry Holland | 26 March 2011 at 06:55 PM
"Is the ROH aware that Verdi wrote 26 operas, Donizetti about 45, Bellini 6 (all masterpieces)"
Probably not, not least because Verdi wrote 28, Donizetti well over 70, and Bellini 10 (not more than three of them "masterpieces")
But then, no-one looks to bel cantists for any awareness of the actual repertory they supposedly care so much about....
If I live to be 39, I might one day see Lakme, or La fiamma in Bow Street. Meanwhile, the ENO fans - both of them - should read the April Opera, wherein their Temple of Trash is told some stern home truths...
Posted by: sjt | 27 March 2011 at 03:37 AM
sjt,
Lakme has been done at OHP, and certainly La Fiamma is one for Mike Volpe?
I'm sure the ROH would schedule Norma tomorrow if they could cast it.
After Lucrezia & Lucia ENO please no more Bel Canto until they drop their English policy.
Posted by: vecchio john | 27 March 2011 at 12:34 PM
What about A Village Romeo and Juliet and Gloriana (Susan Bullock) which are both on the list for next season and Oberon? Nini Machaidze certainly thinks she is singing La Fille. Katarina Karneus is Donna Elvira.
And Marcelo Alvarez is supposed to be the Otello with Anja Harteros as Desdemona and Lucio Gallo as Iago.
And Piotr Beczala has definitely said in print that he is doing Ballo next season with Hui He as Amelia!
Posted by: John Bywater | 27 March 2011 at 03:46 PM
Yes well John Berry deserves to get his ass kicked after all the abysmal tripe that has passed as 'innovative' under his leadership these last few seasons. I think Sticky Figgis was probably the nadir - maybe things are a-changing in St Martin's Lane as next season Deborah Warner directs a new Eugene Onegin, Barrie Kosky makes his UK directing debut with Castor and Pollux and Richard Jones takes on The Tales of Hofmann, so providing Iggy Pop hasn't been asked to direct The Rape of Lucretia maybe someone has thought it might be innovative to invite some directors who a) know what they're doing b) want to direct opera and don't have to be bullied, sorry, persuaded into doing it in order to chase the ephemeral notion of 'breathing new life into the genre'.
Posted by: Keithyboy | 27 March 2011 at 05:00 PM
Not Alvarez in Otello! Maybe Machaidze in La Fille ... But I definitely prefer Ciofi!
Posted by: alfredo | 27 March 2011 at 05:26 PM
Great update! The start and end seem like the best parts of the next season. Check out our blog for more info and dates on the coming seasons at the Royal Opera!
Posted by: Classicalify | 27 March 2011 at 07:29 PM
"Lakme has been done at OHP, and certainly La Fiamma is one for Mike Volpe?"
But the glory of both Delibes and Respighi's operas is in their fabulous orchestral writing, and their exceptionally demanding vocal parts. With respect to OHP, I want as big a band as can be fitted into a peacock- and aircraft-free environment, and the likes of Dessay in the one, and Harteros in the other, under Pappano & Muti.
(A boy can dream, can't he?) With big sets.
"I'm sure the ROH would schedule Norma tomorrow if they could cast it."
Meade/Kaufmann/Garanca/Anastassov.
(And don't think Netrebko isn't working her way around to it, slowly but surely: and she'll be electric when she gets there, too)
Next "impossible" task?
I'm sure the ROH would schedule Norma tomorrow if they could cast it.
Posted by: sjt | 28 March 2011 at 01:02 AM
SJT,
Can't do anything about the lanes. We can get 54 in our pit (and it is deeper now) and I can assure you that makes a he'll of a noise when not sunk into the ground!
As for Norma.....a real failing that it is not in the rep at ROH. When we did it with Nelly M, she told me that they had said to her that they couldn't get an audience for it! Honestly. It is still the rarest selling show we have had, and we have had some fast sellers! We are looking at it for 2013.
We do Lucia in 2012 as well...
Posted by: Mike Volpe | 28 March 2011 at 08:31 AM
I thought OHP's Lakme was pretty good, but I was rather disappointed that the peacocks were so quiet the night I went as they would have been rather appropriate in this work!
Posted by: Miriam | 28 March 2011 at 10:17 AM
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (as Quickly presumably) in Falstaff (according to her bio from Saturday's Orlando at Barbican)
Posted by: Kit | 28 March 2011 at 11:49 AM
I read somewhere that there will be a full Ring Cycle next year, because the ROH will be performing works related to the theme of Olympic Rings.
Posted by: William | 28 March 2011 at 06:38 PM
3 cycles, Sep/Oct 2012. Who knows, Meatloaf might even sing the Wanderer this time....
(and they're re-filming the whole thing)
They should of course have staged Vivaldi's L'Olimpiade, and sir Arthur Bliss' The Olympians.
By the way, what's the Royal Ballet up to for 2011/12? The suggested link to ballet bag only discusses the Birmingham outfit, and if it's north of Watford, it doesn't exist.
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Intermezzo replies - you didn't move quickly enough - they've taken down the RB details now. Apart from the staples, there's La Sylphide, Gloria, Requiem, Song of the Earth & Les Noces. Only 2 new works on the main stage, 1 Scarlett, 1 McGregor.
Posted by: sjt | 29 March 2011 at 04:01 AM
William,
The Ring Cycle (revival of the Keith Warner production) isn't next season, it's the start of the season after. Though I hear booking will open later this year (as was the case last time).
Posted by: Ruth | 29 March 2011 at 02:21 PM
Any guesses /hopes as to Ring casting. Susan Bullock does one cycle at least as Brünnhilde.
Hochdramatisch sopranos and heldentenors will need to do overtime in 2012/2013.
Posted by: Vecchio John | 29 March 2011 at 03:51 PM
A couple of operas mentioned in 'forthcoming engagements' are Die Frau ohne Schatten and Delius' A Village Romeo and Juliet. Does anyone know if and when these are coming?
Posted by: Owen Bywater | 30 March 2011 at 10:35 AM
Don't disparage ENO for at least trying new things!
I prefer somebody missing the mark trying rather than somebody else missing the mark for not daring.
OHP and ENO are always intriguing, ROH has complete seasons playing it safe. What about reviving Minotaur or other modern successes, or *gasp* a new version of Nixon in China lets say. Whne was the last time they did Billy Bud for crying out loud!
Posted by: J M | 30 March 2011 at 12:06 PM
JM - I think they are waiting for Billy to flower...
(Last done in 1982 with the late lamented Robert Tear : http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=15725&row=5)
Posted by: Manou | 30 March 2011 at 01:17 PM