Behind the scenes of British opera

Tomorrow (Saturday) you can enjoy four hours behind the scenes with the UK's top opera companies: the ROH, ENO, ETO, Northern Ireland Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera and WNO.

The live and recorded footage includes interviews, rehearsals and performance. Watch above or on YouTube from 2pm. The whole thing will be available on demand for 48 hours after the event.

The target audience is newcomers to opera,  but there's a reason Nando's would rather show you sauce-dripping chicken wings than poultry farm videos. I suspect a lot of the content will appeal more to seasoned operagoers who know enough to place it in context.

Full schedule:

2:00pm INTERVIEW: Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera Oliver Mears, Director of The Royal Opera Kasper Holten, General Director of Opera North Richard Mantle, Michael Rosewell, Music Director English Touring Opera and Alex Reedjik, General Director of Scottish Opera 

2:10pm FILM: The making of La bohème from Opera North

2:30pm INTERVIEW: Conductor and Assistant Director of Opera North's production of La bohème, Ilyich Rivas and James Hurley

2:40pm INTERVIEW: Michael Rosewell, Music Director for English Touring Opera

2:45pm FILM: Opera that Moves from English Touring Opera

3:05pm LIVE LINK: English Touring Opera on stage at Warwick Arts Centre

3:10pm FILM: Irish Premiere of Importance of Being Earnest from Northern Ireland Opera

3:25pm INTERVIEW: Northern Ireland Opera's Artistic Director Oliver Mears

3.35pm INTERVIEW: Alex Reedijk, General Director of Scottish Opera

3:40pm LIVE LINK: Scottish Opera in Edinburgh

3:45pm FILM: The Costumes of Donna Elvira from Scottish Opera

4:10pm LIVE LINK: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with baritone Gerald Finley

4:15pm FILM: Meet the Company from Welsh National Opera

4:30pm FILM: The Get In from Welsh National Opera

4:35pm INTERVIEW: Kasper Holten, Director, The Royal Opera

4:40pm FILM: Becoming Zerlina from The Royal Opera

5:15pm LIVE LINK: Welsh National Opera in Wrexham 

5:20pm INTERVIEW: Sky Ingram and Duncan Rock from Opera North's production of La bohème 

5:25pm LIVE LINK: English National Opera with Music Director Edward Gardner, at the London Coliseum

5:35pm LIVE LINK: Soprano Julia Sporsén, principal singer in Thebans, from the London Coliseum 

5:40pm FILM: Behind the Scenes at English National Opera

5:50pm LIVE LINK: Northern Ireland Opera in Armagh 

5:55pm LIVE PERFORMANCE: Errollyn Wallen's aria, written in just four hours and performed by baritone Dawid Kimberg

Comments

[Serenity]

Very nice!

[yvette]

This is a real attempt to show the diversity of this art form according to where it is done. I wish something similar could be done in France, from South to North, East, West and Center!

[Diane]

This is a Europe-wide initiative and France has participated for the last 8 years. This year,no less than 26 French opera houses joined in "Tous à l'opéra" by opening their doors to the public this past weekend - more than any other European country - Clermont-Ferrand, Nancy, Montpellier, Lyon, Dijon to name just a few ...

[Diane]

@ yvette:

More on European Opera days - you can check out France's contribution - as well as all the other participating countries ...

http://www.operadays.eu/

[yvette]

Diane, I am aware of this OPERA EVENT Europe wide,I used to participate to the event in Marseille operahouse.( One year France Musique came to us.) On the British side I can read 'live link' almost eveywhere which means it is possible to have a survey of what is going on almost everywhere. Of ourse it is great to be able to tour the House which is the nearest to where some one lives like we do in France, and visit the' behive', but it is also important to see how some other places work by means of interviews and visits on line. That is what I meant, because what we do here is 'local'. I am be able to tour Britain opera life on Youtube! (I have started, thanks for the Link Intermezzo!) I cannot tour France the same way, that is what I meant... well grass is always greener..... !!!

[Diane]

Ouf! Silly me! I misunderstood you. I was in Marseille recently; unfortunately there were no performances at the opera during my visit. Loved MUCEM though ...

[yvette]

Not at all Diane! Like that I pointed out an aspect of the event which is more 'modern' in GB! Do come in Autumn for the Rossini event with Mariella Devia and Annick Massis ! Gorgeous belcanto is becoming a yearly Marseille Opera house special treat! And I am glad you discovered this site by the sea... yes it is quite amazing, with the Fort next to it opened to visitors !