Royal Opera Season 25/26

[Ein Heldenleben]

Maybe I'm just being cynical, but I couldn't help wondering whether the players actually enjoyed that, or whether some of them might have grumbled about having to hang around a few more minutes when they could have just packed up and gone home.

I guess they could always leave early .
At the recent Berlin Tristan I went to the Cor Anglais player got a bow at the end as did the Holztrompete player which was interesting as I’d never seen one. The principal clarinet of the ROH has a habit of playing his solos, in for example Forza Del Destino and Tosca , so superbly that he richly deserves one as well.

[Darkbloom]

I think I heard it in interview with the BPO’s timp player ..

Well that sounds pretty authoritative! I think I read my version in one of those books that are a digest of various anecdotes. It was a long time ago now so I either got it mixed up with another one, or it's one of those stories that change according to who's telling it.

[Darkbloom]

I guess they could always leave early .
At the recent Berlin Tristan I went to the Cor Anglais player got a bow at the end as did the Holztrompete player which was interesting as I’d never seen one. The principal clarinet of the ROH has a habit of playing his solos, in for example Forza Del Destino and Tosca , so superbly that he richly deserves one as well.

I think, in the past, Pappano had the orchestra come up on stage at the end of the Ring itself, but this must be a new idea because I haven't seen it before. Quite often, by the time all the singers have taken their bows and the conductor has been led on stage, when he gestures to the orchestra pit the players have mostly all gone home.

[LHC]

When I saw the English National Opera's Magic Flute last year the ENO Orchestra was brought on stage to take a bow en masse at the end of the performance.

Mind you, as I recall this was one of their last performances before the ACE cuts to the Orchestra and Chorus were due to take effect and so for many of the orchestral players this would have been their last performance before being made redundant. Understandably they were given the biggest and longest ovation of the evening by the audience.

[Darkbloom]

I spent a fairly mind-numbing evening at Ariodante last night. I'm sure seasoned Handel-fanciers will find much to enjoy in it, but the constant procession of formulaic arias, particularly in the first act, with the occasional moment when you feel the old boy was really engaged and switched on made this a frustrating experience. I wish I could tell myself that his work isn't for me, but there's so much about his work that blazes up and makes you realise that he was a genius, that those long periods when he's pottering along in second gear make it harder to take. I read Jane Glover's book about the operas a few months ago and I keep going back and hoping that this time the penny will finally drop but it hasn't happened yet. A couple of notable things from last night: I can't help suspecting that the villain, Polinesso, was dressed up to look like David Daniels (a sly Baroque opera cognoscenti in-joke, perhaps?) and the conductor not only conducted from the harpsichord but brought his violin into the pit with him and frequently picked it up and played along. That's a first for me, and I'm not sure whether it actually added anything or it was just showing off. Despite starting at 6.30 we didn't get out until 10.30 so if anyone's going make sure you have enough time to get home afterwards.