Intermezzo

La traviata live online from Covent Garden

The Royal Opera House is to stream the 20 May performance of La traviata live online. This is not the first opera to be streamed from Covent Garden but it is the first to go out as it happens. It will also be shown free on various outdoors screens around the country.

According to the oddly-worded ROH statement, the event "will mark 25 years of support from BP" - does that mean they've paid for it, or not? Whatever, it's unlikely that the ROH will want to cut into their cinema revenues by making a habit of free streaming, so catch it while you can.

 

Royal Opera House spring season 2014

The Royal Opera House's spring season opens for Friends booking tomorrow (11 December), with public booking starting on 14 January 2014.

First stop for many ticket buyers will be Jonas Kaufmann's Winterreise on 6 April.  Not the most obvious choice of repertoire, either for Kaufmann or for the venue, but any Jonas is better than none. Tickets are likely to go quickly.

Behind the scenes at Konwitschny's La traviata

The current ENO La traviata was first seen in Graz back in 2011. Ioan Holender (yes that one) secured a peek at rehearsals and an interview with director Peter Konwitschny for his Austrian TV show kulTOUR mit Holender.  Watch above - in German with English subtitles.

And for those who can't get to the London performances, or just want a preview/reminder, here's the finished show in full:

More ENO half price offers

My blog runneth over with ENO discount deals.  Right now they seem even more plentiful than usual - no doubt the recent financial revelations have increased the pressure to fill seats.

The Ambassador Theatre Group are the latest organisation to join the merry band of cut-price ticket providers, with half price offers on the new Peter Konwitschny La traviata and the revival of Jonathan Miller's The Barber of Seville.

All seating areas are included in the offer (even stalls), and all dates after 21 February. Seats are picked for you on a 'best available' basis, but you are shown exactly which seat numbers have been picked before you pay. It appears ATG have been given a limited allocation, as not all areas are available on every night.

Thanks to reader Alex for spotting.

ENO traviata offer

Upper circle tickets for 2 - 9 Feb shows of ENO's La traviata are half price (£31-£33) with this TimeOut offer.  Seats are only allocated on the night, by the way.

The seats in the offer all have a view of the subtitles. If you don't mind doing without (remember, it's sung in English), seats in the back two rows are even cheaper at £25 (weekday shows only) when you book direct with ENO (no code required).

Brothel Traviata

Andrea Breth's new production of La traviata for La Monnaie places Violetta in a brothel, the victim of Eastern European sex traffickers. There's an orgy in Act 2, and plucky servant Annina (the redoubtable Carole Wilson) has to give Dr Grenvil a blow job to secure his services.

It's all about the commodification of sex reckons Manuel Brug of Die Welt, who was impressed.

See for yourselves between 5 and 25 January 2013, when the show will be streamed FREE on La Monnaie's web site. Those in continental Europe can catch it a bit sooner; it's shown on Arte Live Web on 15 December.