ROH: Ring 2018

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

"Siegfried"; Opera on 3, Sat 17/11/18; 5:00pm

Broadcast of this production continues this weekend:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00016rn

(So that everyone fully understands and appreciates the composer's work, Act Two will be followed by Tristan & Isolde and Die Meistersinger before Act Three.)

[Flosshilde]

(So that everyone fully understands and appreciates the composer's work, Act Two will be followed by Tristan & Isolde and Die Meistersinger before Act Three.)[/QUOTE]

The reality is almost as bad/good - Siegfried is followed by Ariadne auf Naxos, then something from the Met - Hooray! - and then something else possibly also from the Met, before we get to Gotterdammerung . A four-week gap is a bit ridiculous.

[Keraulophone]

I’ve been marvelling for many days at the extent to which RW’s genius expanded exponentially between acts two and three of Siegfried. As for the next instalment... well... it’s simply mind-boggling, and presently has me in thrall (via the recent Naxos blu-ray edition).

[doversoul1]

(So that everyone fully understands and appreciates the composer's work, Act Two will be followed by Tristan & Isolde and Die Meistersinger before Act Three.)

The reality is almost as bad/good - Siegfried is followed by Ariadne auf Naxos, then something from the Met - Hooray! - and then something else possibly also from the Met, before we get to Gotterdammerung . A four-week gap is a bit ridiculous.

Very good to see you. I thought we’d lost you.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Very good to see you. I thought we’d lost you.

[Flosshilde]

Very good to see you. I thought we’d lost you.

That's very kind of you, and of Ferney. I've been rather taken up with other things, and got rather fed up with much of the petty bickering (which still goes on - cf early posts in this thread about Bryn Terfel), so I've not participated in discussions, but have 'looked in' now & again to see what people have said about a particular performance. Which reminds me - I must see if there was any discussion of the BBCSSO's performance of Langgaard's staggering 'Music of the spheres'. A remarkable piece, and a remarkable performance.

[Belgrove]

Another opportunity to hear these performances from 2018 as of 17/2/21 on four consecutive nights. I guess R3 knows we’re not going anywhere, so there’s no excuse for binging, although it does commence on the first day of Lent....

[Chris Roberts]

Hello. Does anyone know which of the four cycles from 2018 (Sept to November) these broadcasts come from? Good to revisit them. Thanks.

[Belgrove]

Welcome Chris.

I’ve not been able to find any information on which performances were recorded. Unusually, they were first broadcast over a two month span.

Listening last night, the orchestral detail seemed obscured. Apparently Pappano changed the orchestral placing, with harps in the pit rather than the usual side box, that place occupied by the timps. The harps certainly seemed subdued, which is a pity. The BBC’s recording at Covent Garden never sounds characteristic of the acoustic in that venue. The tempi were fast, which kept the action moving. The villains of the piece performed by Johannes-Martin Kranzle and Brindley Sherratt made the most positive impression. John Lundgren’s big test comes tonight.

[DracoM]

Poor stuff. Turned off after half an hour. Panto claptrap. Deeply, deeply disappointed.
Does not bode well for rest of the cycle.

[Cockney Sparrow]

......... Listening last night, the orchestral detail seemed obscured. Apparently Pappano changed the orchestral placing, with harps in the pit rather than the usual side box, that place occupied by the timps. The harps certainly seemed subdued, which is a pity.

I've been to two Ring Cycles at the ROH and the last cycle cast were more uniformly up to the task. I might be getting confused, I do remember rows of harps in the stalls circle boxes beside the stage but couldn't say for sure it was the performance in question.

Overall the last cycle was a wonderful experience but then I'm a lightweight and unlikely to see it performed outside the UK (didn't even manage to get to Opera North's).

...........The BBC’s recording at Covent Garden never sounds characteristic of the acoustic in that venue.

I've pretty much given up listening to radio broadcasts of opera performances. I admit, I've been lucky to be able to experience them live in some quantity in the last 10 years - given the current circumstances I might have limited opportunities in the future. The cinema relays are a pretty good experience close to being in the House - I can forgive imperfections where the drama carries one forward.... It must be very difficult to capture good sound within the limitations of setting up in an auditorium like the ROH, capturing live performance.

I would prefer a good recording / DVD iteration. The only exception I make is if I have a particular interest in a performer - for example I admire certain artists greatly so occasionally listen to live recordings, often with significant limitations - Jussi Bjorling, for example.

[Belgrove]

...Panto claptrap...

Oh no it wasn’t.

[DracoM]

[Ein Heldenleben]

Welcome Chris.

I’ve not been able to find any information on which performances were recorded. Unusually, they were first broadcast over a two month span.

Listening last night, the orchestral detail seemed obscured. Apparently Pappano changed the orchestral placing, with harps in the pit rather than the usual side box, that place occupied by the timps. The harps certainly seemed subdued, which is a pity. The BBC’s recording at Covent Garden never sounds characteristic of the acoustic in that venue. The tempi were fast, which kept the action moving. The villains of the piece performed by Johannes-Martin Kranzle and Brindley Sherratt made the most positive impression. John Lundgren’s big test comes tonight.

I went to Siegfried cycle one and Gotterdamerung cycle two (or poss cycle three) and you are right about the harps / timps placement . The latter were right next to the seating in stalls circle right and if I’d bought a ticket there I would have been very annoyed. From what I remember Vinke was superb in Siegfried - probably the best I’ve heard live since Remedios in his prime. I’ve been unlucky with Siegfrieds at Covent Garden though. Vinke had tired a bit by the Gotterdamerung. I’m not sure the cycles were sufficiently spaced. Lundgren sang well as Wotan but I wonder whether his voice needs more bass heft. The star was Stemme - magnificent throughout. Did not like the production at all...Although I disagree with DracoM on the singing panto is a reasonable description of aspects of the production were Panto to have gratuitous nude Rhinemaidens that is..