Intermezzo

Edita Gruberova, Gran Coloratura

Lucrezia Borgia - Nationaltheater Munich, 25 July 2011

Created two years ago as a star vehicle for the eternal Edita Gruberova, Christof Loy's production is well-known to those interested in such things via the DVD which appeared soon afterwards. Loy's latterday predilection for monochrome, minimalist sets is manifested in a stage that remains resolutely bare except for the occasional chair. But then who goes to the opera to admire the furniture (apart from Amazon reviewers)?

ENO's heap of hype

 
ENO has managed to scoop up a pile of publicity with its latest move, a live broadcast of its widely-panned new Lucrezia Borgia on Sky 3D TV tonight.  

The idea of 3D TV is tempting. But it hasn't enjoyed a huge takeup to date, partly because of the cost, and partly because there's so little 3D programming currently available.

Here's the cost of watching the opera on Sky HD 3D:

• 3D TV - from £625
• 3D glasses - from £60 per viewer
• Sky TV pack including 3D channels - £52 per month (you have to buy all the other channels to get 3D)
• Sky+ HD box - free ( I should jolly well think so)
• HD pack  - £10.25 per month
• bonus - all that technology will allow you to enjoy a few kids' movies and the odd sports match

Alternatively you could watch the opera live at the Coliseum tonight for what suddenly seems a bargain price: £21 to £85.

The ENO's John Berry apparently believes "the production is a further example of ENO’s ventures into unknown territory which he believes is attracting new audiences for opera. “There is so much here in which you can smell the personality of the organisation,” he says." (FT)

What sort of 'new audiences'? Premiership footballers and hedge fund managers? And what sort of 'smell'? My guess - it's the sort that makes you hold your nose.

ENO's Lucrezia Borgia? Me too

Lucrezia Borgia - English National Opera, 5 February 2011

 

For the latest round of their long-running series Celebrity Operanovice, ENO challenged movie director Mike Figgis to produce a bel canto classic with a budget of just six figures.

let the sales begin - Hansel & Gretel and Lucrezia Borgia more than 50% off

At last - a children's opera you can afford to take the kids to. A Travelzoo offer on the Royal Opera House's Hansel & Gretel cuts prices on amphitheatre seats from £22.50-£28 to £18 and stalls seats from £97-£115 to £40. It's valid for performances on Friday, 31 December, at 12.30pm; Monday, 3 January, at 7.30pm; Tuesday, 4 January, at 7.30pm and Friday, 7 January, at 7.30pm.

Tickets must be booked by 17 December on this link only.

And the inevitable reductions on ENO's new Lucrezia Borgia begin with dress circle tickets for most dates reduced to £25 via the Get Into London Theatre scheme.