Proms Operas 2011 - a fallow year?

[Flosshilde]

Of course, the ROH used to have its very own Proms, which involved taking all the seats in the Stalls out. I s'pose those days have gone now?

I think when that first happened it was as part of the Proms season; subsequently the ROH did it as part of their own season (possibly sponsored by Paul Hamlyn?).

Holland Park Opera was mentioned - perhaps their production of La Wally would fit the 'rarity' criterion? & I've just seen Die frau ohne schatten at the Edinburgh Festival - perhaps that could be considered a rarity suitable for the Proms?

[Al R Gando]

I think when that first happened it was as part of the Proms season; subsequently the ROH did it as part of their own season (possibly sponsored by Paul Hamlyn?).

Holland Park Opera was mentioned - perhaps their production of La Wally would fit the 'rarity' criterion? & I've just seen Die frau ohne schatten at the Edinburgh Festival - perhaps that could be considered a rarity suitable for the Proms?

I didn't realise that the ROH Proms had begun under the umbrella of the BBC Proms. I would be in favour of seeing a return to something like that? So much is lost in the transfer from fully-staged production to the dingy stage of the Albert Hall.

Do you think Holland Park performances would be up to the standards of other Proms? I've seen three operas there over recent years - they all seemed to fit that old Abbey-Opera genre of "we might be a bit wonky, but it's yer only chance to see Pfitzner's Palestrina, so don't complain". The orchestral playing in particular struck me as very Dulux Economy White - clearly competent players, but all pulled together on about two rehearsals? As a Schnorrer's Glyndebourne - with picnic opportunity etc - it's a pleasant enough way to pass a summer evening, but I fear they'll suffer by comparison with any of the other Proms operas, and shorn of the dramatic action there might not be enough left to make a broadcast? Although actually the same can really be said of Garsington, for all their fancy prices.

How was Die Frau? Jonathan Kent's production has come in for some stick, but I would imagine the Mariinsky cast were The Right Stuff? More so than HPO, I mean

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

ROH summer season productions are Salome & Troyens.

And I understand that Les Troyens will indeed feature at the Proms...

[NickWraight]

Chris Newman, I don't recall a year where Glyndebourne FO came to the Proms more than once since the 70s - from where my Prom prospectus collection starts. However, looking on the Proms Archive the Glyndebourne Chorus (probably in effect the same as the Festival Opera but not necessarily...) came twice in 1963, 65, 71, 72 and 94 (the latter is probably an error on the database which I can check at home).

[Chris Newman]

I didn't realise that the ROH Proms had begun under the umbrella of the BBC Proms. I would be in favour of seeing a return to something like that? So much is lost in the transfer from fully-staged production to the dingy stage of the Albert Hall.

Do you think Holland Park performances would be up to the standards of other Proms? I've seen three operas there over recent years - they all seemed to fit that old Abbey-Opera genre of "we might be a bit wonky, but it's yer only chance to see Pfitzner's Palestrina, so don't complain". The orchestral playing in particular struck me as very Dulux Economy White - clearly competent players, but all pulled together on about two rehearsals? As a Schnorrer's Glyndebourne - with picnic opportunity etc - it's a pleasant enough way to pass a summer evening, but I fear they'll suffer by comparison with any of the other Proms operas, and shorn of the dramatic action there might not be enough left to make a broadcast? Although actually the same can really be said of Garsington, for all their fancy prices.

How was Die Frau? Jonathan Kent's production has come in for some stick, but I would imagine the Mariinsky cast were The Right Stuff? More so than HPO, I mean

The ROH Proms were an offshoot of the BBC Proms. Boris Christoff sang some bits of Boris Godounov at the 1970 Proms and liked the audience so much he pleaded with Colin Davis (who was just taking over at Covent Garden) to bring the complete opera to the Proms. They decided instead in 1971 to take the Proms to Covent Garden for that opera. The later ROH Proms were successful whilst they were heavily subsidised.

I remember sitting in the queue for Boris G in Wellington Street watching Alfred Hitchcock(who sat in his Rolls most of the time) on the opposite side of the road filming a scene from "Frenzy" with Jon Finch and Barry Foster. After doing it for several hours he crossed the road and thanked us all for being so quiet and "well behaved".