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The Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season 2014/15 opens tonight with Kenneth MacMillan's ballet masterpiece Manon.
'Kenneth was an enormous film fan so would have been thrilled this was happening,' said the choreographer's wife, Deborah MacMillan.
'The cinema relays mean such a lot to us and it is amazing to see how they have grown,' said Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare. 'It is a particular pleasure opening with Manon as it is the 40th anniversary of Kenneth MacMillan's production, and it is a production that has really shaped The Royal Ballet.'
The new Season will feature 11 Royal Opera House productions broadcast to more than 1,400 cinemas in 30 countries worldwide.
Jette Parker Young Artists Kiandra Howarth, Rachel Kelly, Luis Gomez, Samuel Sakker at the 2014/15 cinema launch © ROH, 2014
Following Manon, the next live relay of the Season will see Verdi's early tragic opera I due Foscari, simulcast on 27 October. The Royal Opera production stars Plácido Domingo and is conducted by Music Director of The Royal Opera Antonio Pappano.
Three other new productions to The Royal Opera will also feature this Season: Giordano's French Revolution romance Andrea Chénier starring Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek; Brecht and Weill's impassioned satire Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny starring Anna Sofie von Otter; and Rossini's final opera and greatest masterpiece Guillaume Tell starring Gerald Finley.
Royal Opera productions of L'elisir d'amore, Der fliegende Holländer and La bohème will also be relayed live this Season.
As well as Manon, The Royal Ballet will present Christopher Wheeldon's family-favourite Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, followed in the New Year by Tchaikovsky's much-loved classic Swan Lake, and Frederick Ashton's Company classic La Fille mal gardée starring Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae.
'The Live Cinema Season is increasingly important as a way of sharing the artists of Covent Garden with the rest of the world,' said Chief Executive of The Royal Opera House Alex Beard.
View the full list of productions for the 2014/15 Season, find a cinema near you and sign up to our mailing list.]]>
Our 'How to Stage an Opera' series offers different perspectives on the practicalities of staging an opera, from the initial research through to the final performance. Here we see how the director and designer of La bohème intensify the reality of the story on stage.
John Copley's production of La bohème is the longest-established production in The Royal Opera's repertory. It had its premiere on 6 February 1974, and right from the start audiences and critics noted the detail used to create the stage image. And a very particular image it is too.
Julia Trevelyan Oman designed the sets and costumes with her usual forensic approach for accuracy; the opera is set in Paris in 1830, and so that is exactly what we see. As the curtain rises for each of the four acts we see a tableau of lifelike clarity. The attic of the students in Acts I and IV has bare floors, a stove, basic wooden furniture; and the bohemians huddle against the cold that you can almost feel whistle through the pokey windows. Act II splendidly uses three levels and a split across the stage to give a panoramic sense of a Parisian bustling street outside and the inside of the Café Momus – complete with waiters, food and billiard table. Act III outside the Barriere d'Enfer (a gateway into Paris) has the railings, a parked cart with its load – and snow for a cold morning at dawn.
All through the opera props are needed – a manuscript for burning, food to eat, a shoe to scream about, toys for children. The list is seemingly endless and gives stage management much to prepare. Each prop relates directly to the libretto, which includes so many specific points of movement and use of objects – although, that said, Act IV's memorable cricket match using bread and a coal shovel is Copley's own invention.
Why make everything so busy, so complicated? The first reason is simple. It is the same approach as a television period drama – think the BBC and Jane Austen! The creation of the whole picture draws us into a very specific world so that it becomes believable. Even in the theatre, that underlying sense of naturalism in appearance can support the sense of 'realness' of the characters and the story. Puccini and his librettists worked hard to bring the characters alive in consistent and believable ways, so a detailed approach to production matches their intentions well.
As with a period drama in film or on television, the completeness of the period imagery helps an audience concentrate on the characters and the emotions within the stage landscape. From this there can be a sense of time travel through the comparisons it invites with our own times. What of the people we are watching and their society is different from us and ours? And what is still the same? In particular the emotions of the human condition – love, anger, grief, joy – become clear as common to every age.
There are also practical aspects with such a set-and-prop-heavy production. Copley consciously uses the different levels of the set of Acts I and II in particular to create movement. With the need for props to handle, the performers are obliged to pick them up, use them, even throw them. They have to climb up and down stairs, sit on chairs or move them aside, carry baskets, eat food. But you'll notice too that in the strong emotional moments between the principal characters, such as the seductive conclusion to Act I and the traumatic quartet in Act III, nothing in the staging distracts. Action and stillness play off each other, like the wide shot and the close-up in film. Physical motion propels us through the plot, while a slowing or suspension of physical action becomes intense and emotional through the contrast.
Not all opera librettos and scores provide as many naturalistic cues as you can find in La bohème. But when they do, the observing of such minutiae can create an engrossing and believable world. It is artificial to re-create so precisely a time and place that no longer exists, yet paradoxically the result feels so lifelike. At the heart of all great theatre is the creative use of the boundary between the unreal that we know is really artificial, the unbelievable that we choose to believe. When done with the level of care as in this classic production of La bohème, a naturalistic style of production can draw the audience into the completeness of a convincing, onstage world: you feel that you are really there.
Read other posts in our 'How to Stage an Opera' series.
La bohème runs until 19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
The production returns for the last time in the 2014/15 Season, running 23 May–16 July 2015. Tickets go on general sale on 31 March 2015.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. Original Production (1974) supported by The Linbury Trust.]]>
Utterly loved #LaBoheme tonight in London's Trafalgar Sq. Such a wonderful atmosphere! Thanks @RoyalOperaHouse #BPbigscreens #PicnicsGalore
— Anthony Harris (@AntoineDingDong) July 15, 2014
First taste of opera with La Boheme was #fantastic - even worth the blue fingers by 2220! Thanks BP and @RoyalOperaHouse #BPbigscreens
— Sheilann (@Sheilann765) July 15, 2014
Watching Puccini's 'La Boheme' at Trafalgar Square. My lord, the emotion is unreal. A true genius. @RoyalOperaHouse #BPbigscreens
— Lucy Hall (@LucyHallmusic) July 15, 2014
Charles Dickens statue enjoying the opera in Guildhall Sq Portsmouth. pic.twitter.com/L08Vm5HwKc
— Simon Heartfield (@simonheartfield) July 15, 2014
Glorious evening of the fine arts at Millennium Square in Bristol #BPBigScreens #LaBoheme pic.twitter.com/gDJTKpijU6
— Jon Hull (@clemph) July 15, 2014
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress have joined us in Bradford #BPbigscreens @BigScreenBrad @bcbradio @visitBradford pic.twitter.com/0RrYL58XKq
— BradfordCity of Film (@bfdcityoffilm) July 15, 2014
.@RoyalOperaHouse felt special to be in the ROH with thousands watching nationwide. A wonderful production & a triumph for opera #ROHboheme
— Sam Lear (@SamuelLear) July 15, 2014
Full house @yourcanarywharf for @RoyalOperaHouse #BPBigScreens La boheme live onscreen in Canada Square Park pic.twitter.com/aYmC5mQIJl
— Canary Wharf Group (@yourcanarywharf) July 15, 2014
@RoyalOperaHouse, it's a beautiful evening @TrentBridge for La Boheme #lovenotts pic.twitter.com/lDxeSEKzKH
— Emma Lee (@emmy_oukins) July 15, 2014
Beautiful evening for some free opera in Trafalgar Square @royaloperahouse #bpbigscreens pic.twitter.com/5P7HNEwvN2
— The Weekendist (@wkndist) July 15, 2014
Emotional finale
Bring it on Act IV, we're ready for you! @RoyalOperaHouse @bpbigscreens #ROHboheme pic.twitter.com/BVklLy72x7
— Polly Jackman (@jackmaninoff) July 15, 2014
#BPbigscreens Dropping a little cool in Nottingham, but I'm sure the fourth act will warm us up! pic.twitter.com/ukhEN1acJm
— Richard Kightley (@rkphotouk) July 15, 2014
Winner of our photo competition
#BPbigscreens my son taking in some outdoor opera in Lyric Square, Hammersmith pic.twitter.com/jJbjFApyTO
— Melissa Monologues (@MelissaMono) July 15, 2014
And others enjoying themselves
#Laboheme in #Swindon with my Mum and Sis for our first bit of opera with #BPbigscreens and my Dad. pic.twitter.com/T79dw3gBlD
— Dave (@DaveVespa5) July 15, 2014
#BPbigscreens My first ever opera. Accompanied by bubbles & Lord Admiral Nelson in Trafalgar Square. Not a bad start. pic.twitter.com/PkvpGs01lu
— Kelly Wheeler (@kellywheeler8) July 15, 2014
Here we are! @RoyalOperaHouse student ambassadors in Trafalgar Square ready for #ROHboheme! #ROHstudents pic.twitter.com/WHr1Z5IXS1
— Birkbeck Ambassador (@ROHBirkbeck) July 15, 2014
And some picnic food and drink
Big screen @RoyalOperaHouse in Trafalgar Sq. @eleanorbanks ready with her cakes for birthday tomorrow! #bpbigscreen pic.twitter.com/m4tuXu2jJ4
— Sofie Vilcins (@Sof_v) July 15, 2014
I'll swap you a piece of Malteser cake for a blanket #BPbigscreens #aberdeen pic.twitter.com/NN9LZ4Gdd7
— Sheila Graham (@sheesh1987) July 15, 2014
La Boheme. Live from Royal Opera House. It's even better here since you can't drink beer at #opera :)… http://t.co/geIg88hB5R
— Mirjana (@MiricKrompiric) July 15, 2014
La bohème runs 9–19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
The performance on 15 July 2014 will be streamed live to free, outdoor venues around the UK as part of BP Big Screens. Find a screening near you.
The production is given with generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. Original Production (1974) supported by The Linbury Trust.]]>
In the mid-1840s Henry Murger (1822–61) was living in poverty in the Latin Quarter of Paris. No one wanted his verses or dramas, and his only earnings came from hack journalism. His friend Jules Fleury told him that there was a market for contemporary stories about the lives and loves of struggling young artists. Murger therefore decided to write about his own experiences and between 1847 and 1849 published some twenty-three tales of bohemian life.
Murger might have been surprised to see his fiction become the inspiration for Puccini's La bohème, often termed 'the most romantic of all operas'. Murger's stories are far from romantic – the dominant tone is cheerful satire. He has great fun mocking the appearances and artistic aspirations of his four bohemians.
The poet Rodolphe, based on Murger himself, is 'a young man whose face could hardly be seen for a huge… many-coloured beard' with a 'premature baldness that had stripped his temples as bare as a knee'. The burly painter Marcel has submitted his Crossing of the Red Sea to the Louvre so often that 'if it had been put on wheels it could have gone by itself'; it ends up as a grocer's shop sign. The musician and painter Schaunard has a voice 'like a hunting horn', a nose 'aquiline in profile and snub in full face' and is endlessly revising a symphony named On the Influence of Blue in the Arts. The bibliophile philosopher Colline has a mouth that 'looked as if it had been drawn by an elementary art student whose elbow had been jogged', and is perpetually in quest of a publisher but never getting published.
For all their dreams, none of the men work particularly hard, and they are singularly useless with money. Whenever one of them earns anything, all four down tools to enjoy Pantagruelian banquets until they are poor again. In one story, 'The Waters of Pactolus', Rodolphe earns 500 francs and declares that he and Marcel will practise 'strict economy'. This includes dining out lavishly (to save the cost of supper) and hiring a manservant (to give them more time to work). Needless to say, the money has gone within a month.
None of Murger's four friends are particularly successful as lovers. Marcel and Musette are genuinely devoted to each other, but Musette's love of luxury leads her regularly to leave Marcel for wealthier men. Rodolphe has several lovers. His relationship with Mimi (based on Murger's own mistress Lucile Louvet) is largely unhappy. Mimi, whose face 'could assume an appearance of savage brutality', feels only 'the lukewarm attraction of habit' for Rodolphe. She drives him to distraction with her temper and coquetry, and eventually leaves him for a viscount.
Only rarely does Murger strike a note of romantic tragedy. A story seemingly unrelated to the others, 'Francine's Muff', describes the love affair between a talented sculptor, Jacques, and a seamstress, Francine. Jacques and Francine meet by chance one evening. They live blissfully together for several months, but Francine suffers from consumption and dies at the end of the autumn. Her final wish, granted by Jacques, is for a muff for her cold hands. Jacques subsequently dies of grief. Puccini and his librettists Giacosa and Illica drew as heavily on Murger's Francine as on his Mimi when creating the character of Mimì in La bohème.
Jerrold Seigel describes Henry Murger as 'a mediocre writer and in some ways a not very admirable person'. This is perhaps unfair. Murger was sometimes observant, and could be very funny, but he was uneasy outside the realm of satire. Puccini and his librettists, all skilled men of the theatre, realized that for La bohème to be a success the audience must sympathize with the main characters. They gave the two couples in the opera, particularly Rodolfo and Mimì, articulacy, enthusiasm and a capacity for strong feeling. While maintaining some of Murger's wry humour and sharp portrayals of Paris life, they added an element lacking in his stories and plays: tenderness.
This is an extract from Kate Hopkins's article 'From Satire to Romantic Tragedy', which can be found in full in the red programme that accompanies The Royal Opera's production, available from Front of House staff during the performances and from the ROH Shop.
La bohème runs 9–19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
The performance on 15 July 2014 will be streamed live to free, outdoor venues around the UK as part of BP Big Screens. Find a screening near you.
The production is given with generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. Original Production (1974) supported by The Linbury Trust.
@royaloperahouse Enchanting pairing @ErmonelaJaho & @charlietenor brought a breathtaking freshness to the 40 year #ROHboheme See them in it! — Jonathan Coulton (@JonathanCoulto1) July 9, 2014
This #ROHBoheme was all love & tenderness & intimacy! So special thanks to @CharlieTenor and @ErmonelaJaho for musical <3 story — Hariclea Darclee (@Hariclea) July 9, 2014
So #ROHBohème leaves me in two minds. Never heard a better Mimi than in Jaho, and I enjoyed Castronovo. The rest was fine. — keval shah (@KevalSShah) July 9, 2014
#ROHBoheme beautifully cast and very moving revival. Outstanding Mimi @ErmonelaJaho and Rodolfo @CharlieTenor two superb actors and singers — Michael Llewellyn (@michael456789) July 9, 2014
The least zestful performance of Copley's #ROHBoheme I have seen - so much telling detail was missing from the ensemble scenes. — Attila (@attilalondon) July 9, 2014
My word, my goodness, my my, Mimi @ErmonelaJaho Simply fabulous. 'I am a poet, she is poetry.' #ROHBoheme — Paul Lee (@pclee27) July 9, 2014
A good, not stellar, #ROHBoheme , though Jaho was very fine in Act 4, which plays to her strengths. Curiously unaffecting evening though. — Jamie Henderson (@jsdhenderson) July 9, 2014
Wonderful performances on all fronts for young cast at #ROHBoheme — Lilly Evans (@Alheri) July 9, 2014
#ROHBoheme sated all my opera cravings beautifully. As well as my hanky from act 3 onwards. Jaho was just heart breaking — sandra (@bicoated) July 9, 2014
What did you think of La bohème?
Jonhmin Park as Colline, Markus Werba as Marcello, Jeremy White as Benoît, Daniel Grice as Schaunard and Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo in La bohème © ROH / Catherine
Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo, Markus Werba as Marcello, Ermonela Jaho as Mimì, Daniel Grice as Schaunard, and Jongmin Park as Colline in La bohème © ROH / Catherine Ashmore
Donald Maxwell as Alcindoro, Simona Mihai as Musetta, Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo and Ermonela Jaho as Mimì in La bohème © ROH / Catherine Ashmore
Daniel Grice as Schaunard, Jongmin Park as Colline, Markus Werba as Marcello and Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo in La bohème © ROH / Catherine Ashmore
Simona Mihai as Musetta, Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo and Ermonela Jaho as Mimì in La bohème © ROH / Catherine Ashmore
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo, Lauri Vasar as Schaunard, Jeremy White as Benoît and Massimo Cavalletti as Marcello in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo, Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì, Massimo Cavalletti as Marcello, Lauri Vasar as Schaunard and Gábor Bretz as Colline in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Massimo Cavalletti as Marcello, Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo, Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì, Lauri Vasar as Schaunard and Gábor Bretz as Colline in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Massimo Cavalletti as Marcello and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Lauri Vasar as Schaunard, Massimo Cavalletti as Marcello, Gábor Bretz as Colline, Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo, Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì and Irina Lungu as Musetta in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo and Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì in La bohème, The Royal Opera © ROH / Catherine Ashmore 2014
Last night's performance commemorated the 40th anniversary of John Copley's production, and four decades of John and Anya Sainsbury's generous support of the Royal Opera House through the Linbury Trust. La bohème runs until 19 July 2014. Some tickets are still available. It will be relayed live for free on BP Big Screens on Tuesday 15 July. Find out more. Next Season, the production runs 23 May-16 July 2015.]]>
John Copley's much-loved production of Puccini's La bohème will be shown free on outdoor BP Big Screens across the UK on 15 July 2014.
The production, which opened tonight, stars Angela Gheorghiu and Vittorio Grigolo in the title roles, conducted by Cornelius Meister.
A heart-wrenching love story set in Bohemian Paris, La bohème has captivated audiences around the world. One of opera's greatest romances, it has been performed at Covent Garden more than 500 times.
The Story
Loosely based on Henri Murger's Scènes de la vie de bohème, Puccini's La bohème tells the story of penniless artist Rodolfo and seamstress Mimì, who fall passionately in love when they first meet in Rodolfo's attic. However, Mimì is gravely ill with consumption. Find out more in our Opera Essentials series.
The Music
La bohème is well known for its glorious arias and duets, which express Mimì and Rodolfo's love, from their first meeting in Act I to their poignant reunion in Act IV. It also contains some wonderful evocations of Parisian life, including the hustle and bustle of the street outside the Café Momus and dawn on a winter's day on the outskirts of the city. Watch an extract of Act IV performed by Dmytro Popov and Maija Kovalevska.
The Production
John's hugely popular production of Puccini's La bohème has been in The Royal Opera's repertory for forty years, premiering in 1974 and since revived 25 times. The production re-creates Paris in the 1830s, from the lively trade of the Latin Quarter, to a drafty attic where impoverished artists live hand-to-mouth.
Listen to John Copley on La bohème:
Find a BP Big Screen near you.
La bohème runs until the 19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. Original Production (1974) supported by The Linbury Trust.
As Puccini completed the final scene of La bohème, he was so moved that, as he later wrote, 'I had to get up and, standing in the middle of the study, alone in the silence of the night, I began to weep like a child. It was as though I had seen my own child die.' Many opera lovers consider the death of Mimì to be one of the most poignant scenes in opera. What makes it so moving?
One factor is Puccini's realistic depiction of death by consumption. Mimì's joy at being reunited with Rodolfo and her brief sense of recovery (spes phthisica, a well documented experience of dying consumptives) contrast poignantly with her failing strength. Her death is both understated (her final words are marked pppp) and quietly impressive; the simplicity of her end is more effective than a big farewell aria.
Puccini was also a master of timing. The scene's moments of lyricism are all the more moving for being so brief, as Mimì struggles to express her love for Rodolfo in the short time she has left. The bohemians' rapid parlando (speech-like) passages highlight the urgency of the situation; but there are also moments of tenderness – listen to the slowing pace and warm string accompaniment as Musetta gives Mimì the muff she has longed for. And the low-key nature of Mimì's death makes Rodolfo's ensuing anguish all the more heartrending.
Perhaps most effective of all is Puccini's use of 'reminiscence motifs', recalling earlier music (mostly from the lovers' first meeting in Act I) and combining it with new material. As the other bohemians leave Rodolfo and Mimì alone together at the start of the finale, we hear in the orchestra a delicate version of their Act I duet 'O soave fanciulla' (Oh sweet girl). This becomes significant in Mimì's following 'mini-aria' 'Sono andati?' (Have they gone?): the ecstatic Act I music contrasts poignantly with the solemnity of Mimì's final avowal of her love. 'Sono andati?' begins in a minor key, with falling phrases in the voice, but grows increasingly intense and shifts to warmer major harmonies as Mimì declares in a soaring phrase 'You are my love and my whole life!'. Puccini conveys her frailty, dignity and passion in less than three minutes of music.
A montage of motifs from Act I follows as the lovers seek comfort in their memories. Tiny fragments from Mimì's Act I aria 'Mi chiamano Mimì' (I'm called Mimì) resolve into music associated with the search for Mimì's lost key in their first meeting. As Mimì recalls Rodolfo taking her hand, she sings a simple, lyrical recollection of the first phrase of his aria 'Che gelida manina' (This cold little hand), to an accompaniment of clarinets and shimmering strings. But the past cannot provide a lasting refuge, and we are forced brutally back into the present by an outburst from the orchestra as Mimì collapses.
Mimì's love for Rodolfo and memories of their first meeting sustain her up to her death. When Musetta hands Mimì her muff we hear fragments of 'Che gelida manina' reiterated quietly in the orchestra as, in broken phrases, Mimì thanks Rodolfo (believing the muff is from him) and reassures him again of her love. 'Che gelida manina' continues to accompany her weakening voice as she drifts into unconsciousness. The motif evaporates with her death, marked by an icy horn chord – but the bohemians, unaware of what has happened, continue to confer agitatedly.
Schaunard and Marcello realize that Mimì is dead. Rodolfo suspects from his friends' behaviour that something is wrong, and, moving from song to stark, unaccompanied speech, demands, 'Why are you looking at me like that?' As he realizes the truth, the orchestra bursts in fortissimo with the melody of 'Sono andati' – Puccini shows us Rodolfo remembering Mimì's love as, overcome with grief, he is only able to cry out her name. The funereal cadence of Colline's aria 'Vecchia zimarra', his shy tribute to the old coat he pawned in one of the bohemians' futile attempts to help Mimì, closes one of the most tender and dramatically effective of operatic death scenes.
La bohème runs 9–19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
The performance on 15 July 2014 will be streamed live to free, outdoor venues around the UK as part of BP Big Screens. Find a screening near you.
The production is given with generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. Original Production (1974) supported by The Linbury Trust.
The final animation in our Opera Shorts series, created by students Dahye Kim and Alice Cui, is set to La bohème's 'O soave fanciulla', the sumptuous Act I duet during which Rodolfo and Mimì fall in love.
'We fell in love with the romance of La bohème: Paris by candlelight, the searching for lost keys, the moonlight, and the touch of hands,' says Dahye, 'and so we chose to set our animation to 'O soave fanciulla'. The most important elements of the opera seemed to be the music and body language, and so we show the narrative of the opera using silhouettes of the characters, drawn to appear like soundwaves.'
Dahye and Alice created different textures of lines in Photoshop, before syncing the music and background in After Effects.
'Once we had decided on a concept and finalized the storyboard, we used long-line drawing animation to create one long image that appears like a soundwave,' says Dahye.
The Opera Shorts series is the result of a collaboration with Kingston University, in which the Royal Opera House invited students on the Illustration and Animation course to immerse themselves in opera and then create an animation.
We have published six animations on the ROH blog and the ROH YouTube channel. View other Opera Shorts.
To see more footage like this, subscribe to the Royal Opera House YouTube channel:
Kingston University's Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture Degree Show runs from 1-6 June 2014 at the University's Knight's Park campus.]]>
One of the defining features of Puccini's musical settings is how he portrays the geographical settings for the stories of his operas. He was not the first to do this, nor the last, but Puccini's works are notably well-travelled. The scores' set descriptions themselves make the point – for example:
Puccini's aim was to create a realistic world on stage that included the specific locale of the drama, so he included in his music sounds that give this sense of a real place. One of the most famous is the opening of Act III of Tosca. The final part of the story takes place on top of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, just before dawn. The points of starlight in a black sky provoke condemned hero Cavaradossi to recall a romantic night spent with Tosca – this is the famous aria 'E lucevan le stelle'. Paul Brown's designs for Jonathan Kent's Royal Opera production re-create the scene beautifully, but Puccini provided the lead through the music.
The opening creates the sense of quiet over a sleeping city: a shepherd leads his flock out to graze – we don't see him, but hear his song and the ringing of the sheep's bells, and then the church bells start to chime the call to matins. It is a lovely evocation of peace and calm, a world on the brink of awakening. This was one of the first sections of the opera that Puccini began composing, and indicates his desire to get an accurate sense of place right at the start of his work on the music. He had visited Rome and had local help to notate the sound of the Roman bells so that he could include the pitch and rhythm of their tolling into the music with some precision. It's detail like this that makes the atmosphere so convincing.
It was harder to draw on such literal sounds for the landscape of the American West of the Gold Rush. But Puccini's ear for colour and texture brilliantly conjure up that sense of the sublime that was captured in the art of the American Hudson River School, with painters such as Thomas Cole, Frederic Church and Albert Bierstadt: the majestic power and scale of nature untamed in a barely explored New World.
The short orchestral prelude that begins La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) uses sweeping chords, tremolo strings and big changes of dynamics to evoke with the orchestra the idea of huge spaces subject to the elements, the wind through great redwoods, the swaying of their branches (a wind machine is used later in the opera to convey such a soundscape literally).
The last act of Manon Lescaut opens with an equally haunting, if more contracted, effect of expansive chords to represent the wide barren expanse outside New Orleans (geographical licence is part of opera!) in which Manon will perish.
Puccini's time allowed him to bring the pictorial quality of 19th-century Romantic music into opera with a purpose beyond the decorative. Puccini wanted to make you feel as though you were there, alongside the characters in the story. His music evokes the power of their emotions, but it also brings alive the landscapes in which they live and die.
Manon Lescaut runs from 17 June to 7 July 2014. A limited number of tickets are still available.
There will be a live cinema relay of the production on 24 June 2014. Find a showing near you.
Find out more about Puccini's use of local colour in John Snelson's article in the Manon Lescaut Digital Guide
Tosca runs from 10 May to 26 June 2014. Tickets are still available.]]>
The fourth animation in our Opera Shorts series, set to the duet 'O soave fanciulla' from La bohème, was created by Michael Parkin, Edwood Burn and Jacob Read, students on the Illustration and Animation course at Kingston University.
'When we listened to La bohème, we were struck by the instantaneous yet powerful declaration of love between Rodolfo and Mimì,' said Edwood. 'We wanted to play with this by using a tongue-in-cheek narrative, synced with the heartfelt vocals. As such, we have an exaggerated narrative that is stripped back to a very simple visual language, which helps to highlight the tunnel-vision effect of falling in love.'
Prior to starting work on the animation, students on the Illustration and Animation course were invited backstage at the Royal Opera House to immerse themselves in opera and how it is performed and staged.
'As part of the project we had a peek in at rehearsals at the Royal Opera House. Having never been to a performance before, it was an overwhelming experience. We were mesmerized by the emotionally driven drama, the swelling music and the epic staging. The theatrical devices used were so impressive,' said Edwood.
To produce the animation, the students used paper cut-outs to create a stop-motion animation, before moving on to post-production.
'It got pretty fiddly at times – there were many hold-your-breath moments for fear of parts blowing out of place! After a few test runs, we got to the final version. It was a long but enjoyable process, and we're all really happy with the outcome,' said Edwood.
The Opera Shorts series is the result of a collaboration with Kingston University, in which the Royal Opera House invited a group of students to immerse themselves in opera and then create an animation. We're releasing one animation each Friday lunchtime on the ROH blog and the ROH YouTube channel. One or two will also be shown at our free outdoor BP Big Screen events this summer.
View the other films in our Opera Shorts series.
What do you think of the films and which moments from opera do you think would work well as animations?
To see more footage like this, subscribe to the Royal Opera House YouTube channel:]]>
The Opera Machine, the second film in our Opera Short series, was created by Doug Hindson, a student on the Illustration and Animation course at Kingston University.
'I was interested in finding a way to visually record an opera performance and so I began working on a machine that would be able to record audio information in a physical form,' says Doug. 'I was particularly inspired by the waveform visualization of sound, as well as methods of recording music over the ages. However, I have very little engineering knowledge and so I turned to Lego to help me prototype ideas. This allowed me to focus on the outcome rather than the technicalities.'
'The final result involved a plotter device which sat atop a rotating record player. The machine tracked slowly across a piece of paper on the turntable, while two ink brushes translated the vocals of the music into spiralling lines of varying widths. This created a waveform pattern of the song,' he explains. ''O Soave Fanciulla' from La bohème was perfect as the male and female vocal tracks could each be assigned to a different brush.
'I haven't had much experience of opera, which I suppose has helped me look at it from a different angle, hopefully this project can foster someone else's interest in it too!'
Opera Shorts are the result of collaboration with Kingston University in which the Royal Opera House invited a group of students to immerse themselves in what opera is and how it is made, and then create an animation inspired by an opera.
We will release one animation each Friday lunchtime on the ROH blog and the ROH YouTube channel. You may also spot one or two of these films if you come along to one of our free outdoor BP Big Screen events this summer.
View the other films in our Opera Shorts series.
What do you think of the films and which moments from opera do you think would work well as animations?]]>
Opera is a hybrid art form; embracing music, text, movement, image and – increasingly – film too.
Over several months, The Royal Opera has been collaborating with Kingston University's acclaimed Illustration and Animation course under the inspired leadership of Geoff Grandfield.
We invited a group of students into the Royal Opera House to immerse themselves in what opera is and how it is made.
The resulting films are sometimes about the art form and sometimes about a specific opera but they all exude a refreshing and playful enthusiasm for opera's potential to tell transformative stories.
We're delighted to be publishing these short films while we have La traviata on stage, and La bohème opening in a couple of months, and plan to release one each Friday lunchtime here on our blog and on the ROH YouTube channel. You may also spot one or two of these films if you come along to one of our free outdoor BP Big Screens.
We will be publishing a blog post on each of the students who have completed films for this project, investigating their creative process.
Let us know what you think of the films. We'd also be interested in which moments from opera you think would work well as animations.
BP Big Screens open with La traviata on Tuesday 20 May 2014. If you are a university student, find out more about the ROH Students scheme – offering discounts and special events.]]>
Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor and Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
With its story of family feuds and romantic rivalry, The Bride of Lammermoor is particularly appropriate for opera. Donizetti and his librettist Cammarano streamlined the drama, omitting complicated subplots, political references and many of the characters (such as Lucy's tyrannical mother) to focus on the lovers Lucia and Edgardo. Donizetti heightened Lucia's plight by writing her an extended mad scene in Act III (not included in Scott's version), and provided Edgardo with a suitably operatic suicide, rather than Scott's ignominious fall into quicksand.
Abbé Prévost's L'Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut and Jules Massenet's Manon/Giacomo Puccini's Manon Lescaut, among others
Abbé Prévost's tale of a young man who sacrifices everything for love hasn't been out of print since its first publication in 1731. The novel has inspired several operatic adaptations – all markedly different from Prévost's original. Massenet focussed not on the hero Des Grieux but on the hedonistic, tender Manon, depicting her volatile character in arias ranging from the mournful 'Adieu, notre petite table' to the flamboyant 'Obéissons'. Puccini concentrated on the 'desperate passion' of the lovers, giving them music of Wagnerian intensity that makes their love seem far nobler than that of Prévost's ill-matched couple.
Alexandre Dumas fils's La Dame aux camélias and Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata
Alexandre Dumas fils's first 'hit', the novel and subsequent (1852) play La Dame aux camélias, have gained lasting fame in Verdi's operatic setting. Verdi makes his heroine Violetta more impressive than Dumas' Marguerite, minimizing the character's vulgar aspects to concentrate on her moral dignity and tenderness. His hero Alfredo is far more likeable than Dumas' rather priggish hero Armand, and his one act of cruelty to Violetta is impetuous rather than calculated. His, and his father's, reconciliation with Violetta in Act III is one of Verdi's most moving scenes. Small wonder the opera is now far more popular than Dumas' novel.
Prosper Mérimée's Carmen and Georges Bizet's Carmen
Mérimée was inspired to write his popular novella after his 1830 visit to Spain, where he studied gypsy culture. Bizet and his librettists set Part III, detailing the tragic love affair of the soldier Don José and the seductive gypsy Carmen. They slightly softened the story, enhancing its romantic elements by adding the dashing torero Escamillo (based on a minor character in Mérimée) and the innocent young Micaëla; so creating two love triangles. Bizet brilliantly conveys the Iberian atmosphere of Mérimée's novella through his music, particularly Carmen's sensual Habanera, Séguidille and Danse bohemienne.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Die Leiden des jungen Werthers and Massenet's Werther
Goethe's epistolary novel about a young man who falls hopelessly in love with a woman betrothed (later married) to another was a runaway success – so much so that the book later embarrassed him. Massenet turns Goethe's examination of obsessive passion into a romantic tragedy. He gives his heroine Charlotte two arias in Act III that reveal her genuine love (never confirmed in the novel) for Werther, and provides his hero with an ecstatic death scene in which he is united with Charlotte – in stark contrast to the literary Werther's lonely, botched suicide.
Aleksandr Pushkin's Eugene Onegin and Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
Tchaikovsky loved Pushkin's verse-novel, which was already a literary classic when he began his great opera. To some degree he stuck close to Pushkin when constructing his libretto, sometimes barely altering the original text. However, he avoided the dry, witty tone that predominates in the verse-novel and instead sympathized wholeheartedly with the romantic passion of Tatyana (expressed movingly in her Letter Scene) and the melancholy of Lensky (in his aria 'Kuda, Kuda').
Henri (Henry) Murger's Scènes de la vie de bohème and Giacomo Puccini's La bohème/Ruggero Leoncavallo's La bohème
Henri Murger's satirical autobiographical tales of bohemian life in 1840s Paris brought the struggling writer to public attention and international acclaim. Puccini's opera is only loosely based on Murger. He concentrated on the few genuinely romantic and tragic elements in the novel to create a work often called 'opera's greatest love story'. Leoncavallo tried to stick closer to the episodic, black-comic tone of Murger's novel. The result was a more fragmented drama that vacillates between farce and tragedy, and which has never gained a firm hold in the repertory.
Nikolai Leskov's Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District and Dmitri Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Nicolai Leskov's chilling novel explores the boredom of provincial life and the suppression of women. Shostakovich focussed on the second theme in his operatic masterpiece. He depicts his heroine Katerina as an intelligent, lonely, passionate woman surrounded by brutes: the cowardly Zinovy, the macho Sergey and the bullying Boris. He made Katerina a warmer, more sympathetic and less vicious woman than in the novel, and gave her some of the opera's most beautiful music, such as the aria 'Zherebyonok k kobïlke toropitsya'.
Henry James's The Turn of the Screw and Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw
Henry James's ghost story has fascinated readers and critics for generations –not least for the ambiguity of whether the ghosts seen by the Governess really exist. By giving his ghosts voices and having them participate on stage, Britten seems to imply that they are 'real' – though a degree of uncertainty remains. But certainly his ghosts have more definite personalities than in James, particularly Peter Quint, with his eerie celeste accompaniment and seductive speech. The scene in which the ghosts summon the children at night is particularly spine chilling.
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Poul Ruders's The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood had worried about how her award-winning dystopian novel, with its internal monologues, multiple locations and fragmented chronology, could be turned into an opera – but she was very impressed when she saw the premiere of Poul Ruders's opera. Although Ruders and his librettist Paul Bentley cut some of the characters and reduced the number of flashbacks, they remained remarkably faithful to the novel's plot and tone. Many critics saw the opera's message as particularly relevant to the conflict-ridden early 21st century.
We recently asked what books you'd love to turn into an opera or ballet, with suggestions offered as diverse as Winnie The Pooh and The Bell Jar.
La traviata runs from 19 April–20 May 2014. Tickets are still available. Manon Lescaut runs from 17 June–7 July 2014. A small number of tickets are available, and there will be 67 tickets available on the day of each performance. The production will be broadcast live around the world on 24 June 2014. Find your nearest cinema here. La bohème runs from 9–19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
Soprano Ermonela Jaho is soon to return to Covent Garden, singing the role of Mimì in John Copley's Royal Opera production of La bohème.
'Mimi is a simple girl and every woman can recognize themselves in her,' says Ermonela of her character. 'She falls in love with Rodolfo and sees the world of a poet, with its energy and without limits, and she's captivated.'
'She's a woman that loves totally and chases after love until the end, even when she knows that she's dying.'
'It's such a human story - everybody has loved, sacrificed, laughed and lost. La bohème touches our souls.'
La bohème runs from 9-19 July 2014. Tickets are still available.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.
The 2014/15 Live Cinema Season will see a total of 11 Royal Opera House productions relayed to more than 1,500 cinemas in over 40 countries. The screenings include seven Royal Opera and four Royal Ballet productions:
Manon, 16 October at 7.15pm
The Royal Ballet
By Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Jules Massenet, orchestrated by Martin Yates
I due Foscari NEW, 27 October at 7.15pm
The Royal Opera
Giuseppe Verdi
Dir: Thaddeus Strassberger
Cond: Antonio Pappano
Cast includes Plácido Domingo, Francesco Meli and Maria Agresta
L'elisir d'amore, 26 November at 7.15pm
The Royal Opera
Gaetano Donizetti
Dir: Laurent Pelly
Cond: Daniele Rustioni
Cast includes Lucy Crowe, Vittorio Grigolo and Bryn Terfel
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 16 December at 7.15pm
The Royal Ballet
By Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Joby Talbot, orchestrated by Christopher Austin and Joby Talbot
Andrea Chénier NEW, 29 January at 7.15pm
The Royal Opera
Umberto Giordano
Dir: David McVicar
Cond: Antonio Pappano
Cast includes Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek
Der fliegende Holländer, 24 February at 7.15pm
The Royal Opera
Richard Wagner
Dir: Tim Albery
Cond: Andris Nelsons
Cast includes Bryn Terfel and Adrianne Pieczonka.
Swan Lake, 17 March at 7.15pm
The Royal Ballet
By Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Music: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny NEW, 1 April at 7.15pm
The Royal Opera
Kurt Weill
Dir: John Fulljames
Cond: Mark Wigglesworth
Cast includes Anne Sofie von Otter, Willard W White and Christine Rice.
La Fille mal gardèe, 5 May at 7.15pm
The Royal Ballet
By Frederick Ashton
Music: Ferdinand Hérold, arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery
La bohème, 10 June at 7.15pm
The Royal Opera
Giacomo Puccini
Dir: John Copley
Cond: Dan Ettinger
Cast includes Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja
Guillaume Tell NEW, 5 July at 2.45pm
The Royal Opera
Gioachino Rossini
Dir: Damiano Michieletto
Cond: Antonio Pappano
Cast includes Gerald Finley and Malin Byström
Live opera is as much about enjoying the visual spectacle as listening. But some of the most striking effects in opera can come when composers place a singer offstage, so that we experience their presence through sound alone.
The offstage voice is used to magical effect in Act III of Verdi's Don Carlo. King Philip II has just ordered his son Carlos to be imprisoned, and commanded a grisly auto-da-fé (burning of heretics) to begin. As the crowd alternately acclaim him or lament, a single soaring soprano voice is heard, promising God's forgiveness – a ray of light in a bleak scene (from 3:50 in the extract below).
Verdi wasn't the only composer to use an offstage voice to offer celestial hope, however. Other radiant examples include the heavenly chorus who praise the Virgin Mary at the end of Puccini's Suor Angelica as the dying Angelica is reunited with her son, the choir of angels who pronounce salvation for Marguerite in Act V of Gounod's Faust, and the angels who come to the aid of Faust in the final scene of Boito's Mefistofele.
The effect of an offstage voice can convey a powerful sense of divine majesty. Is there anything more impressive than the bass Voice of Neptune in Mozart's Idomeneo, when the god commands Idomeneo to save his son? Our sense of awe is amplified by the fact he's heard but not seen. Prophets too are often rendered more impressive from being heard offstage. When we first see Jokanaan (John the Baptist) in Strauss's Salome, he is a wretched, dishevelled prisoner. But his powerful dignity is unequivocally stated when, at the opening of the opera, his voice booms from his cell, prophesying the coming of the Messiah.
Offstage voices can be as sinister as they can be consoling and awe-inspiring. The threatening cries of the unseen crowd as Grimes wanders the shore in Act III scene 2 of Peter Grimes instil a sense of menace. Verdi and Janáček both use offstage voices to eerie effect in the storm scene of Rigoletto and extensively throughout Kát'a Kabanová (where in fact the chorus only sing onstage once in the entire opera), the fragmented voices mirroring the heroine's gradual mental disintegration.
Puccini in particular understood the power of the offstage voice to create strong character impressions and he introduces three of his heroines – Mimì (La bohème), Tosca (Tosca) and Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) – through their voices alone. Before we've seen them, their music and vocal qualities tell us a lot: Mimì is gentle and shy, Tosca impetuous and ardent and Cio-Cio-San is a romantic dreamer. Even before they come on stage we are eager to learn more about them.
Richard Strauss uses offstage voices to particularly magnificent effect in Die Frau ohne Schatten. Throughout Acts I and II of the opera the Voice of the Falcon chillingly cries (to the rhythm of birdcalls): 'The woman bears no shadow, the Emperor must turn to stone'. In Act I the Voices of the Unborn Children make a heartbreaking lament as Barak's Wife determines to enter the Nurse's demonic pact, and later in the Act the voices of the Nightwatchmen who praise conjugal love move us to pity for the lonely Barak.
Offstage voices create sinister effects in the spirit realm of Act III – particularly the seductive soprano voice of the Guardian of the Threshold, who tempts the Empress to steal Barak's Wife's shadow. The Empress courageously resists – and the magical effect of the opera's jubilant ending is enhanced by the Voices of the Unborn Children, who serenely reassure their parents that happy days are ahead. Of the many elements that make Die Frau ohne Schatten a great opera, the power of the offstage voice is undoubtedly a crucial one.
Die Frau ohne Schatten runs from 14 March–2 April 2014. Tickets are still available.
Faust runs from 4–25 April 2014. Tickets are sold out, but returns may become available and there will be 67 day tickets available for each performance.
Tosca runs 10 May–26 June 2014. Tickets are still available.]]>
In 1914, as Europe slid inexorably towards war, the Royal Opera House's programme was reassuringly diverse: opera and ballet were staged alongside a range of other events including film shows, cabarets, lectures and dances.
A season of German opera in February and March, was notable for the first English performances of Wagner's Parsifal and Méhul's Joseph. On those Fridays when there was no opera performance the theatre opened at 11pm for lavish fancy dress balls.
The artistic focus on works from the continent continued from April until 28 July with a Royal Opera Season of French, Italian and German works. Even 100 years ago, Covent Garden was a major draw for the world's top operatic talent and Nellie Melba, Emmy Destinn, Enrico Caruso and Antonio Scotti all sang on stage here during this period. The Season opened with Puccini's La bohème, starring Melba as Mimi, and on 11 May a gala was held to mark the state visit of the King and Queen of Denmark, with the British Royal family also present. This performance was briefly and memorably interrupted by a suffragette who stood up and attempted to address King George V while a second began to distribute leaflets. Both were swiftly escorted from the building. Verdi's Aida was performed on the last night of the Season, the day on which the Austro-Hungarian Empire invaded Serbia, signalling the start of World War I.
When Britain entered the war, the Royal Opera House was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works, whose responsibilities included the conversion of buildings for wartime purposes. For much of the war, the theatre remained closed and was used as a furniture depository, though a small number of benefit performances took place in 1914, 1915 and 1916.
The Royal Opera House reopened as a full-time theatre in 1919 with a Grand Opera season in conjunction with Sir Thomas Beecham. The first performance saw Nellie Melba return as Mimi in Puccini's La bohème, echoing the last Grand Opera Season before the War, almost exactly five years before.
Find out more about the ROH in wartime at our current exhibition in the Box Office Link, opposite the ROH Shop.]]>
Friends of Covent Garden will be able to book Advance Booking Packages next week on Tuesday 4 March. Advance Booking Packages are available to all from 4 April.
Packages offer savings of up to 33% on ticket prices, giving patrons the chance to secure some of the best seats for the most in-demand performances at a discounted rate.
A wide range of packages – Total Opera, Total Ballet, Mini Packages and Family Packages – are available across the Summer Season for seats in the Orchestra Stalls, the Stalls Circle and the Amphitheatre.
Read our packages leaflets to find out full details:
Those who book an Advance Package also receive vouchers to exchange for a complimentary programme and a glass of champagne for one of their chosen performances. You can book by calling +44 (0)20 7304 4004
Total Opera
A choice of five packages allows you to enjoy all four Royal Opera productions in the Summer Season: Jonathan Kent's new production of Puccini's Manon Lescaut, starring Jonas Kaufman, Kristīne Opolais and Christopher Maltman; Christof Loy's production of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, in which Karita Mattila makes a role debut; Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser's new production of Donizetti's masterful Maria Stuarda, starring Joyce DiDonato; and John Copley's classic production of Puccini's La bohème, featuring two wonderful casts - Ermonela Jaho and Charles Castronovo or Angela Gheorghiu and Vittorio Grigolo.
Total Ballet
Johan Kobborg as Walter Sickert, Alina Cojocaru as Mary-Jane Kelly in Sweet Violets © Bill Cooper/ROH 2012
With a choice of five packages, this summer you can enjoy both of the Royal Ballet programmes on dates to suit you: the world premiere of Alastair Marriott's new work performed alongside two comic masterpieces – Frederick Ashton's The Dream and Jerome Robbins' The Concert; and Balanchine's sublime Serenade performed with Christopher Wheeldon's exhilarating DGV and Liam Scarlett's dark and dramatic Sweet Violets.
Mini Packages
A choice of eight mini packages enables you to select your three favourite operas and/or ballets on set dates.
Family Packages
Let the whole family experience one of the greatest romances of all opera - Puccini's magical La bohème. Family Packages, which offer two adult tickets and up to four under-18s tickets, are ideal for a family treat.
Find out more on our Advance Booking Packages page.
Please note: Packages are not yet available to book online but we aim to make this available during the 2014/15 Season. To book, you can call the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000.]]>
Giacomo Puccini is one of the most popular opera composers of all time. Of his 12 operas, four – La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Turandot – are among the most performed operas worldwide. They're also regularly recorded: you can buy more than twenty DVD recordings of La bohème alone. Here are just a few of the reasons why we think Puccini is such an appealing composer:
First, there are his marvellous plots, full of attention-grabbing action and interesting character development. Puccini's sense of dramatic pacing is always immaculate (his operas never feel too long or too short) and he was a master of stagecraft. There's plenty of variety to enjoy as well: Puccini took a different dramatic approach with each opera. Tosca has all the elements of a thriller. Manon Lescaut is an iconic drama of doomed romance and La fanciulla del West has a cinematic grandeur. La bohème is a realistic, sometimes witty, sometimes very moving depiction of the life and loves of a group of poverty-stricken young artists. Madama Butterfly explores the dark side of colonialism through the story of an exploited Japanese girl, while Turandot transports us to a dark fairytale world where a mysterious stranger teaches the meaning of love to a cruel princess.
There are also Puccini's wonderful characters. Each of the bohemians in La bohème is a true individual, from the romantic dreamer Rodolfo to the bookish and taciturn Colline. Tosca's Scarpia is one of the greatest of operatic villains – while Tosca herself, with her jealousy, courage and passionate love for Cavaradossi, is one of the most complex of operatic heroines. In Madama Butterfly we watch Cio-Cio-San mature from an innocent young girl to a dignified, tragic woman. The cunning hero of Gianni Schicchi is one of opera's great comic creations. And in his final opera Puccini explores the nature of power and the survival instinct through the characters of Calaf, who knows no fear, Liù, who dies for love, and Turandot, the 'ice princess' who swears that no man will possess her.
Puccini had a knack for picking a good setting for his operas – Paris, Rome, Nagasaki, California, ancient Peking. And how well he brought these places to life! Even Debussy – not a Puccini fan – claimed no one had depicted 1830s Paris as vividly as Puccini in Act II of La bohème. For Tosca, Puccini went to great lengths to create a grand and – to some extent – historically accurate church service to end Act I, and he stood at dawn on the battlements of the Castel Sant'Angelo to find inspiration for the tolling bells that open Act III. Madama Butterfly transports us to Japan through the use of traditional Japanese songs. Puccini also studied Chinese music to create the oriental flavour of Turandot. And in every Puccini opera there's also a host of wonderful evocations of stage action, such as the 18th-century pastiche dances in Act II of Manon Lescaut, the out-of-tune barrel organ in Il tabarro and the falling snow at the opening of Act III of La bohème.
Finally, there's Puccini's glorious tunes. Not only are his arias and duets beautiful to listen to, but they also capture perfectly his characters' emotional states. What could more powerfully represent falling in love than Rodolfo's 'Che gelid manina'? Or sexual magnatism than Pinkerton's seduction of Cio-Cio-San in the duet 'Vieni la sera'? Or despair and desperate appeal than Tosca's 'Vissi d'arte'? And in Turandot there's a host of marvellous arias, including Turandot's fiery 'In questa reggia' and Calaf's heroic 'Nessun dorma'.
Do you enjoy Puccini's operas or are you immune to their charm? Let us know what you think.
The Royal Opera's production of Turandot runs from 17 February–10 March 2014. A limited number of tickets is available. Tosca runs from 10 May-26 June 2014. Tickets are available.
Manon Lescaut runs 17 June-7 July 2014. La boheme runs from 9-19 July 2014. General booking for both productions opens 8 April.]]>
Opera singers are asked to impersonate animals more often than you might imagine – think of the feisty heroine of Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen, the dragon and Woodbird in Wagner's Siegfried or the array of creatures in Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges. But real-life animals sometimes get their chance to star too.
Francesca Zambello's production of Carmen, which opens on 16 December, offers an animal acting bonanza, including parts for a clutch of chickens and the patient donkey Pollyanne (who also starred with Plácido Domingo in Pagliacci, where she tried a little karaoke!). But the best dramatic role goes to Louis, Escamillo's majestic black horse in Act II. Louis created the role in 2006 and has appeared in each revival; with the help of a few polo mints he even seems to enjoy the singing.
There's plenty of horsing around in both ballet and opera at the Royal Opera House, from the cob horses in Trevor Nunn's production of Kát'a Kabanová to the white Shetland pony Peregrine and his dainty cart in La Fille mal gardée. In 2012 a 15-year-old Irish draft horse named Rupert made national news in Robert Carsen's new production of Falstaff. Rupert had instant star quality, offering silent sympathy to Ambrogio Maestri (Falstaff) while munching on hay in Act III scene 1, and letting Maestri ride him round the stage in Act III scene 2. Maestri, a novice rider, described their relationship as 'love at first sight'.
Dogs are also notorious for their love of performing, and several Royal Opera productions have included parts for pooches. The Visconti production of Don Carlo equipped Philip II with two wolfhounds (though they had to be retired after one joined in the singing). Count Almaviva in David McVicar's production of Le nozze di Figaro shows his animal-loving side when he leads on a springer spaniel in Act II. So does Musetta in John Copley's beloved production of La bohème; she makes her striking first entrance with Puffin, a fluffy white German spitz endowed with saint-like patience. Alfie, the village dog in L'elisir d'amore has an even more challenging role, with two massive sprints across the stage in Act I. This young Jack Russell terrier stole the show in 2012, and even elbowed his way onto the website.
Cats are a little less stage-savvy than dogs, and we sometimes have to rely on model moggies – like the sleeping cat in Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier's production of Il turco in Italia. However, the real black cat Girlie bravely endured a full five minutes as the witch Ježibaba's cat in Act III of Jossie Wieler and Sergio Morabito's production of Rusalka, curled up on a sofa and seemingly impervious to the noise of several opera singers and a ninety-piece orchestra going at full pelt (as it were).
Birds have also had the odd walk-on part. Sadly, the eagle scheduled to appear in Graham Vick's production of Mitridate, re di Ponto got bored in rehearsals and so his contract had to be terminated, but in David McVicar's Die Zauberflöte Sarastro's majesty is enhanced by a handsome and very well-behaved falcon carried on by an attendant priest.
'Never work with children or animals', the saying goes. But our experiences at the Royal Opera House contradict it. Our animals perform before more than 2,000 people, cope with often very loud music and behave impeccably. They are indisputably stars.
Francesca Zambello's production of Carmen runs from 16 December to 9 January. Tickets are available now.]]>
An alert for all early-bird Christmas shoppers; the Royal Opera House Online Shop is holding a DVD sale, offering discounts on all Royal Opera and Royal Ballet titles.
Titles on offer include two of last Season's new productions: Kasper Holten's inventive staging of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Laurent Pelly's colourful production of Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable. Also included are Christopher Wheeldon's hugely popular Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Royal Ballet's Ashton Celebration, which includes Tamara Rojo and Sergei Polunin's acclaimed performance in Marguerite and Armand.
Kenneth MacMillan's 20th-century classic Romeo and Juliet - starring Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli - is reduced to just £12.99. A new run of Romeo and Juliet opens at the ROH tomorrow night, and all performances are sold out, aside from day tickets and returns.
DVD recordings of Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, La bohème, Ondine and the Chroma / Infra / Limen Royal Ballet Mixed Programme are also on offer. To browse other titles in the sale, visit the Royal Opera House Online Shop.]]>
Six Royal Opera House productions are now available via Digital Theatre, the on-demand platform which already offers performances from the RSC and Royal Court among others.
Four Royal Opera productions (Le nozze di Figaro, La bohème, Eugene Onegin and La traviata) and two Royal Ballet productions (Swan Lake and Sylvia) will be available through Digital Theatre's expanding range of platforms including iPhone, iPad, desktop player, Samsung Smart TV and the on-demand Digital Theatre channel on the YouView Talk Talk Player.
Alastair Roberts, Managing Director of ROH Enterprises, said: 'This is an exciting new partnership for us, making our productions available across the widest possible variety of digital platforms. It adds to the variety of ways in which people can see our work outside of the auditorium itself - such as our BP Big Screens and ROH Live Cinema Season, and our work on TV and DVD - enabling audiences to access our performances wherever they are in the world and whenever they want.'
The Royal Opera House Collection on the platform will continue to grow, creating an online catalogue of opera and ballet productions.
Also announced is a Digital Theatre partnership with Shakespeare's Globe. Four plays will be made available from the Bankside-based theatre.]]>
It's a deafening sound - nearly 2,000 young people aged 8-18 years old clapping, cheering and whooping in appreciation of a Taylor Family Foundation Schools' Matinee performance by The Royal Opera or Royal Ballet.
We're pleased to announce six performances special for schools during the 2013/14 Season: Le nozze di Figaro, The Nutcracker, Carmen, The Sleeping Beauty, a Mixed programme of The Dream/Alastair Marriott's new ballet/The Concert, and La bohème. All of these performances cost just £7.50 a ticket, and schools can also apply for a travel grant.
I would give it 10 out of 10
Student at a Schools' Matinee performance
Watch the film for a glimpse into these in-demand events through comments from students and teachers, and hear the thoughts of Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare, and Director of Opera Kasper Holten.
Applications for the three Autumn/Winter Taylor Family Foundation Schools' Matinees are now open and close on the 10 July.]]>
La bohème tells the story of a penniless writer, Rodolfo, who meets a young seamstress, Mimì. They fall in love at first sight, but as Rodolfo realizes that Mimì is gravely ill with consumption, will he stay with her or leave?
Puccini began to plan an opera based on the French writer Henri (known as Henry) Murger's popular novel Scènes de la vie de bohème in 1893. Unfortunately his friend Ruggero Leoncavallo was contemplating an opera on the same subject, and claimed he'd thought of the idea first. Puccini issued a challenge: the public could decide which opera they preferred. Although Leoncavallo's La bohème initially had better reviews, the public preferred Puccini's.
Henry Murger's Scènes de la vie de bohème is a series of short stories based on the author's poverty-stricken existence among young Parisian artists. The tone of the stories is generally satirical, only becoming tragic in the final section. Scènes de la vie de bohème was published as a book in 1851. Murger and his friend Théodore Barrière also wrote a successful rather melodramatic play, La Vie de bohème (1849) using some of the same characters. Puccini and his librettists drew on a limited amount of material from both Murger's stories and play, and made their principal characters more sympathetic than Murger's.
In designing The Royal Opera's production of La bohème – first performed in 1974 – Julia Trevelyan Oman meticulously researched Parisian life in the 1830s and 40s, with a focus on Henry Murger's circle. Highlights of this production include Marcello's painting in Act I (based in style on a painting by one of Murger's friends), the careful layout of the bohemians' attic, complete with four beds, and the brilliantly created Paris street scene in Act II, including a two-level Café Momus with an upstairs billiard room.
La bohème is well known for its glorious arias and duets, above all Mimì and Rodolfo's arias and duet in Act I. It also contains some wonderful evocations of Parisian life, including the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve in the street outside the Café Momus and dawn on a winter day on the outskirts of the city.
La bohème runs from 16 February to 12 March 2013. Tickets are still available.]]>
It's a familiar cliché: as death approaches, your life flashes before your eyes. If you live in the world of opera, you could be mistaken for thinking this isn't a cliché but a simple matter of fact. In a significant number of operas, including La bohème, the death of a heroine is accompanied by a musical montage of key moments from her life. Consider just a few of these memorable, operatic death scenes:
In the final act of Verdi's La traviata, the dying heroine, Violetta, sings a long and haunting duet ('Parigi, o cara') with Alfredo, the lover with whom she has – only just in time – been reunited. The brass go on to announce her imminent death in funeral-like rhythms, but Violetta finally expires after a few sentences spoken over the sounds of an ethereal solo violin. It is playing the major-key tune of her Act I showstopper 'Ah! fors'è lui' (Ah, perhaps he is the one), the point when she realized she loved Alfredo, Her dying musical memory is a beautiful tune, poignant because the theme recalls the start of her love affair.
Wagner adopted the same approach as Verdi. Isolde dies singing a solo version of her love duet with Tristan in Act II of Tristan und Isolde. He has just died, and she is about to follow him. As with Violetta, it is the return of music from
a great love scene earlier in the piece that generates the emotional charge: past elation meets grim present. If the big event in your life was that one great passion, then maybe it is exactly to that your last conscious thoughts turn. Although revisiting one event is not quite the same as a whole life flashing before one's eyes.
We get much nearer the 'flashing life' cliché at the end of Wagner's Ring cycle with Brünnhilde. As she prepares for death she recalls not just her own life but runs back through the story, motivation and music of all four of the Ring's operas. It is one very big flashback indeed for her as she contemplates what has brought her to the point of sacrificial suicide – it's also the culmination of a theatrical marathon for the audience!
Puccini does something similar in his first major opera success, Manon Lescaut. There are only two characters in Act IV: Manon and her lover Des Grieux. The title of Manon's famous Act IV aria says it all: 'Sola, perduta, abbandonata' (Alone, lost, abandoned). Stuck in a desert outside New Orleans – it's opera, the geography isn't always perfect! – the end is nigh for Manon. The act is full of musical themes from the previous three, which have shown us Manon's life from her meeting as a naive young girl with Des Grieux, through to her time as a Paris courtesan and her deportation to New Orleans for theft and prostitution – taking the besotted Des Grieux with her. In effect, the act compares the innocent girl of the start of the story with the dying figure at the end of an unhappy, unfulfilled life. The use of familiar music literally plays out elements of the story for the audience as Manon's life gradually seeps from her worn-out frame.
For the death of Mimì in La bohème, Puccini takes the idea further. The first and last acts both take place in the same cold, poorly furnished student garret, and Act IV is a montage of earlier melodies, mostly taken from Act I. However, Act I is the bright optimistic, joyous start of the story: the introduction of the lively bohemians, their carefree and colourful life and the beginnings of the romance of Mimì and Rodolfo. The music describes this atmosphere. So in Act IV, these optimistic and melodious sounds seem on first impression out of step with the darkening drama as Mimì succumbs to the final stages of tuberculosis. But Puccini intends to create this tension. The lightness of the sounds throws into relief the darkness of what is fast becoming inevitable, and it is the friction between the two that creates the tension and hence the emotion. Act I and Act IV are two sides of the same coin: one ends with lovers united, the other with lovers parted. It is the flashback of memory and its reminder of a happier past that heightens in Act IV the tragedy of a life dramatically – and operatically – cut short.
Do you have a favourite operatic final moment?
La bohème runs from 16 February - 12 March 2013.]]>
Storified by Royal Opera House· Wed, Jan 16 2013 08:45:53
Unfortunately, due to a technical fault involving new equipment at some cinemas, a small number of venues had no subtitles. We're sorry for this and are working with the cinemas affected to resolve the issue for future broadcasts.
Storified by Royal Opera House· Tue, Jan 08 2013 04:00:08
Upcoming productions recommended for newcomers include La bohème in cinemas around the world on 15 January and The Minotaur, top price tickets to which are just £65.]]>
Since moving to London 14 months ago, Korean bass Jihoon Kim has performed alongside the likes of Plácido Domingo and John Tomlinson, and is currently singing the role of the Priest in Laurent Pelly's production of Meyerbeer's epic Robert le diable.
'When I was in high school, I was a member of an ensemble, but it was always a hobby. I never dreamt I'd sing at an opera house,' he explains.
Jihoon is also in his second year of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme (JPYA), The Royal Opera's scheme for young singers and creative team members. After studying at the National University of Seoul, he completed a diploma at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan before joining the Royal Opera's Programme in September 2011.
'The Programme has been one of the best experiences of my life,' he continues, 'you learn everything you need to be an opera singer, and work with very famous conductors, directors and singers.'
The JPYA programme offers artists daily coaching in all opera disciplines, including musical style and interpretation, languages and stage technique, all of which are tailored to the individual. Jihoon has weekly sessions with Royal Ballet First Soloist Johannes Stepanek to help with the theatrical aspects of stagecraft.
'In Korea, our culture is very closed and very polite - normally we don't move a lot – so for me, movement is difficult. When I was in Italy, I found it particularly hard to move my body and act. Here, I have lessons with Johannes almost every week and work with the Alexander Technique. These stagecraft sessions are really important as now I have much more confidence.'
Throughout the two-year programme, the Jette Parker Young Artists are employed as salaried singers of The Royal Opera. In addition to daily coaching, they study every phase of rehearsal and production of major operas, give regular recitals, sing small roles and cover roles in Main Stage productions. Last season, Jihoon performed in five Royal Opera productions including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Les Troyens, as well as the Domingo Celebration, a concert performance of Il Viaggio a Reims and Plácido Domingo's Operalia Gala.
'Singing the role of Hector's ghost in Les Troyens was a real highlight,' he explained, 'my scene was really difficult as I had to crawl in from under the stage and couldn't always see the beat of the conductor. Every performance I was really nervous, but that made it special.'
David McVicar's epic production of the opera, which assembled one of the largest casts ever seen on the Covent Garden stage and featured sets for the ancient cities of Carthage and Troy as well as a monstrous, fire-breathing metal horse, was enormous in every sense of the word.
'I didn't think about being part of a huge production on a huge set as it would have distracted me,' said Jihoon. 'I had to focus on the role and the character – that of the ghost that had died extremely painfully!'
Alongside performances of Robert le diable, Jihoon is also rehearsing for John Copley's much-loved production of La bohème, in which he will sing the role of Colline in the final two performances of the run. He already has some experience of the role, having sung Act II on the main stage last spring in the finale of the BBC's 'Maestro at the Opera' series, in which the cast were conducted by winner Craig Revel Horwood.
'Robert le diable is a fun, colourful, almost cartoon-like production,' he says, 'whereas La bohème is a love story which really touches the audience emotionally. It's great to be singing it here.
'A lot of people have said that I am a natural Verdi bass, but of course I am still too young for most of his bass roles, so Colline is just right for me now.'
Jihoon is currently performing in Robert le diable, which runs until 21 December and La bohème which runs from 17 December 2012 - 12 March 2013. Next year he will perform in Simon Boccanegra which opens on 27 June 2013. The JPYA Scheme is supported by the Oak Foundation.]]>
Royal Opera House Restaurants have introduced an enticing range of menus to complement Royal Ballet and Royal Opera productions over the Christmas season with bar and food inspired by the various works on stage.
The matinee performance of Peter Wright's Christmas classic The Nutcracker, for example, is accompanied by a magical afternoon tea.
Laura Irving, Royal Opera House Restaurants, explains:
"Our own culinary Sugar Plum Fairy, world-renowned pastry chef Claire Clark, has created a fantasy-filled menu that will delight adults and children alike. It features Christmas trees of chocolate fudge cake, nutcracker-illustrated macaroons, and pecan tarts topped with a curl of edible sheet music."
A range of classic sandwiches - including Severn & Wye smoked and a cheese and ham option for the kids – also provide a savoury option, alongside scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, a selection of premium teas and coffees, and champagne.
Find out more about Claire Clark and her range of Royal Opera House desserts.
Smoked Salmon belinis served as part of a Russian-inspired menu © Royal Opera House Restaurants 2012
A heart-shaped Pavlova with chocolate and vodka mousse served to complement L'elisir d'amore © Royal Opera House Restaurants 2012
A Nutcracker Christmas Lunch and Sugar Plum Fairy Afternoon Tea © Royal Opera House Restaurants 2012
The evening Nutcracker menu also features seasonal treats, including beetroot-cured smoked salmon, pheasant, cranberries, brussel spouts and plum pudding, while Laurent Pelly's production of Robert le diable is accompanied by an enticing menu of festive flavours, including 'sauce diable' to accompany confit free-range pork belly.
John Copley's classic production of La bohème features a luxurious menu that includes a selection of very special French wines and a decadent choice of desserts, while the mixed programme of The Firebird, In the Night and Raymonda Act III features, fittingly, a Russian-inspired spread that includes blinis with smoked salmon.
Laura continues,
"With prices on some of the matinee menus starting at only £5, it's like Christmas has come early. A combination of dinner and ballet really does make the perfect Christmas gift!"
For the 2012/13 Season, Royal Opera House Restaurants launched a tantalising range of new menus designed to complement each production on the Royal Opera House stage. Find out more about the new dining options.]]>
Laurent Pelly's production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore returns to Covent Garden on 13 November, starring Roberto Alagna in the role of Nemorino. A playful love story set in a sun-drenched Italian village, it is the most frequently performed of all Donizetti's operas.
For the revival, Roberto will sing the role of the naïve but loveable peasant besotted with beautiful landowner Adina (sung on this occasion by Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak). Roberto first performed the role at the Vienna State Opera in 1992.
Listen to Alagna sing the famous aria "Una furtiva lagrima".
We recently caught up with him ahead of his forthcoming performance to find out what he enjoys about the role of Nemorino and how he feels about returning to both the piece and The Royal Opera.
Roberto's career was launched following his acclaimed performance as Roméo in Nicolas Joël's Royal Opera production of Roméo et Juliette in 1994. Since then the tenor has sung to acclaim at the world's major opera houses, forging a reputation as one of opera's top artists. Earlier this year, Roberto sang the role of Rodolfo in John Copley's much-loved production of La bohème, appearing alongside his wife Angela Gheorghiu to celebrate their 20th anniversary of meeting.]]>
There may be no productions on stage in Covent Garden this August, but things are as busy as ever at the Royal Opera House. The Costume Department, in charge of preserving and fitting the thousands of costumes that appear on stage at the Royal Opera House, is already hard at work getting ready for the forthcoming season.
The team is currently preparing for The Nutcracker, re-making skirts for 36 snowflake ballerinas. Each skirt will be double-layered and decorated with more elaborate detail. At a rate of one skirt per day, it is already over a month's work. In addition, the costumes for John Cranko's Onegin and the dresses for the 40 swans that will dance in Swan Lake are being altered and adjusted.
Working on five to six opera and ballet productions at a time, carrying out around 6,000 fittings per season, it pays to plan ahead. Mal Barton, Costume Department Manager, explains:
"At the end of the season we tend to fit the first three or four productions of the next season so that the costumes are ready to go in September. Every production revival involves a refit, and each production can have some 500-600 costumes."
However, despite such planning, unavoidable last-minute cast changes for The Royal Ballet can lead to the department starting refits at 5.30pm, for a performance at 7.30pm. Soraya Parsa, who has been working with the Costume Department for eight years, explains:
"Fittings can take anything from five minutes to two hours. Towards the end of the season, there are always lots of last minute re-fits to do and we often have to make adjustments just before performances or from the side of the stage."
The Costume Department is focused on heritage, as well as performances, and works hard to maintain costumes true to their original designs. Faded colours are re-dyed, worn darning is repaired, and shapes and patterns are revised to ensure that costumes can stay in use for decades.
Tailors work from a "costume bible", a hefty volume that meticulously details original designs and subsequent revivals, to make sure that costumes stay accurate to their original design. The oldest costumes still in use include those from La bohème, which date back to 1974, and Swan Lake, which are from 1986.
Find out more with a look at Soloist Claire Calvert's Lilac Fairy costume from The Sleeping Beauty.
The Royal Opera House is home to the largest collection of theatre costumes in the UK, a selection of which is available to view online. The earliest opera item in the collection is a pair of shoes worn by Italian soprano Adelina Patti from her debut in 1861. The earliest ballet item in the collection is a single pointe shoe worn in the 1930s by Royal Ballet Founder Ninette de Valois.]]>
Hundred of you responded to our Royal Opera season review competition, which closed yesterday. Congratulations to Benjamin, who won a pair of tickets to next season's La bohème and thanks to everyone who took part.
Understandably, many of you struggled to pick just one production. However, a few productions stood out as highlights of the repertory.
It came as no surprise that Puccini's romance La bohème was a favourite. Set in the bohemian Paris of the 19th century, John Copley's much-loved production has been enjoyed by Royal Opera House audiences for over 35 years. This year, it was screened live for free across the UK as part of BP Big Screens. Read people's reactions to the live screening. This season's production was marked by a memorable performance from opera's golden couple Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu. The duo, who first met at Covent Garden in 1992, performed together in the leading roles to celebrate their 20th anniversary of meeting. Blog commenter Aditi Kar wrote, "Gheorghiu and Alagna were extraordinary, the sets were beautiful and the performance, overall, was spectacular!"
Puccini's Il Trittico, a trio of one-act operas - Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and, Gianni Schicchi - was another popular choice. Richard Jones's acclaimed production was shortlisted for both the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards and the Olivier Awards. Blog reader Laura Simpson described it as, "a transfixing production amalgamating both [the] technical brilliance of performers and a unique art direction". Watch an introduction with Music Director Antonio Pappano to find our more about the triptych. The trio was broadcast in weekly installments on BBC Four. For those of you who missed out, there is now a DVD of the production, available to buy from Opus Arte.
Ekaterina Siurina as Lauretta and Lucio Gallo as Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi © ROH / Bill Cooper 2011
Rebecca Evans as Nella, Alan Oke as Gherardo, Francesco Demuro as Rinuccio, Robert Poulton as Marco, Elena Zilio as Zita, Gwynne Howell as Simone, Marie McLaughlin as La Ciesca and Jeremy White as Betto Di Signa in Gianni Schicchi © ROH / Bill Cooper 2011
Francesco Demuro as Rinuccio, Alan Oke as Gherardo, Robert Poulton as Marco, Gwynne Howell as Simone, Lucio Gallo as Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi © ROH / Bill Cooper 2011
Rebecca Evans as Nella, Lucio Gallo as Gianni Schicchi and Marie McLaughlin as La Ciesca in Gianni Schicci © ROH / Bill Cooper 2011
Ermonela Jaho as Sister Angelica, Gillian Webster as Alms Sister, Elizabeth Woollett as Nursing Sister, Elizabeth Sikora as Mistress of the novices in Suor Angelica © ROH / Bill Cooper 2011
Otello had a hard act to follow coming hot on the heels of the epic Les Troyens. However, many of you raved about the remarkable performances by Aleksandrs Atonenko and Anja Harteros as Otello and Desdemona, as well as Antonio Pappano's electric conducting. Elijah Moshinky's engrossing production, described on our blog as, "breathtaking, beautiful, alarming, stunning, perfect," was a fitting close to the season. Read the reactions from the opening night.
Other favourites include David McVicar's dark production of Strauss's Salome. Electrifying and dramatic, the opera is noted for its final scene, in which the titular character passionately caresses and kisses a severed head. We followed the Royal Opera House props department to find out just how they made it so grisly and realistic. Tweeter Chichi Parish summed it up her feelings after watching it: "[A] sublime seven veil severed head snogging psycho drama. Gasp factor 100." Read more reactions to McVicar's staging.
The epic Les Troyens came top for many. Another David McVicar production, it was an Olympian feat in every sense of the word, featuring an acclaimed performance from Bryan Hymel. Blog reader Tina Starmore noted, "it was in keeping with the magnitude of effort made for all Olympic related productions and did ROH proud." We followed the creation of the set, which featured both the cities of Carthage and Troy as well as an enormous fire-breathing horse, from the initial designs to its construction on stage. For those of you who missed out, the opera will be shown in cinemas in November.
La traviata was also selected by many. Richard Eyre's production of Verdi's romance was described on our blog by Brooks as, "an artistic triumph on every level… Love, tragedy and passion at its best." McVicar's production of Verdi's Rigoletto, which was screened worldwide in a live cinema relay, and Don Giovanni, starring Erwin Schrott as the seductive lothario, were also high on the list of favourites.
Barbara Senator as Ascanius, Ashley Holland as Panthus, Bryan Hymel as Aeneas and Fabio Capitanucci as Coroebus in Les Troyens © Bill Cooper/ROH 2012
Vittorio Grigolo as Alfredo Germont and Bernarda Bobro as Violetta Valéry in La Traviata © Catherine Ashmore/ROH 2012
Vittorio Grigolo as Duke Of Mantua, Zhengzhong Zhou as Marullo and Pablo Bemsch as Matteo Borsa with the chorus in Rigoletto © Johan Persson/ROH 2012
Some of you went against critical opinion to name productions that met with less than universal acclaim when they were staged. Edward Morris commented on the blog that Judith Weir's new opera Miss Fortune, "mixed tradition and a hip hop culture, kebab and the orient... and brilliant performances."
Rusalka, whose staging earned one star, five stars and everything in between, was a highlight for blog commenter Jonathan Meldrum who praised Bryan Hymel as, "the most sonorous baritone one-flippered chav water-goblin I've ever heard." [Updated 17:15 - Hariclea Darclee noted on Facebook that "the indeed splendid water-goblin was the bass-baritone Alan Held :-D Bryan was the prince and equally wonderful i thought :-)". Thanks for the correction.]
As you can tell, choosing a definitive favourite proved impossible for many. Susheel Kokarakonda managed to sum up his views on the season in a succinct poem:
La Trav stunned with a sumptuous display,
Jaho's Violetta, the clear star of the day.
A brave effort, Cosi to modernise,
Braver still, for Alfonso's understudy to deputise!
Les Troyens' jewel, betrayed Dido,
Another triumph for McVicar and Pappano.
Fine performances all, none far astray,
My favourite opera, it's hard to say!
Thanks to everyone who got involved in our Royal Opera review competition. Unfortunately, we've not been able to reflect all of your comments. They do however, make for some interesting reading. You can read all the comments on the original article and via the Twitter hashtag.
Next season, in which Director of Opera Kasper Holten and Associate Director John Fulljames both make their directorial debuts, promises to be even busier. It opens with a full staging of Der Ring des Nibelungen, and includes a new production of Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable and a new work by George Benjamin. Read more about the forthcoming 2012/13 season highlights.]]>
From September, those dining at the Royal Opera House will be able to select menus designed to complement the production they will see on stage.
From Black Swan Bellinis and Italian Prosecco to Spanish tapas and steamed sponge puddings, Royal Opera House Restaurants and Bars have developed a tantalizing selection of menus that will change according what is being performed at the ROH.
Smoked Salmon belinis served as part of a Russian-inspired menu © Royal Opera House Restaurants 2012
A heart-shaped Pavlova with chocolate and vodka mousse served to complement L'elisir d'amore © Royal Opera House Restaurants 2012
A Nutcracker Christmas Lunch and Sugar Plum Fairy Afternoon Tea © Royal Opera House Restaurants 2012
Highlights include a selection of Spanish wines and tapas-style menu on offer to accompany performances of Kenneth MacMillan's Las Hermanas, a work based on Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba. Las Hermanas is performed in a mixed bill with Concerto and Requiem. A selection of French wines and a luxurious menu have been chosen to complement La bohème, while a menu that includes Greek lamb kofte and mint yoghurt will offer a taste of the Mediterranean to accompany Harrison Birtwistle's The Minotaur, an opera based on ancient myth and set in Crete.
In the Winter Season, the mixed bill of The Firebird, In the Night and Raymonda Act III will be complemented by a Russian-inspired menu, including blinis with smoked salmon, sponge pudding with autumnal fruits and vodka cocktails.
The menus have been designed to reflect the variety of audiences who attend the performances and suit all budgets. Dining options range from a three-course dinner in the Balconies Restaurant to sandwiches, salads and snacks in the Amphitheatre Bar, with prices from £15 up to £80.
Find out more about our restaurants and bars and discover our full range of menus on the dedicated area of our website. You can book tables online and manage all aspects of your visit through your Account page on the ROH website.]]>
The hour is approaching - that moment when all the hard work comes together and the stage fills with 150 young people all eager to put on the show of their lives. Before then however, we have the final weeks of rehearsal.
Over the last fortnight the Hot House company have come together for the first time, and what a company they are. For me, a trained singer, it's always impressive to watch dancers in action. The dance ensemble has been drawn from the various schemes that the Royal Opera House been involved with in the three years building up to this project. They're exceptional and it's easy to forget just how young they are because they are so utterly focussed. Dancers from The Lowry in Manchester are also involved and I can't wait to see them join forces with DanceEast from Ipswich and The Place in London for the fire dance.
The production is exciting vocally as well with the ROH Youth Opera Company are becoming ever more experienced in stage craft - and they'll need it because the Covent Garden auditorium is big. Many of the performers were recently in the ROH mainstage production of La bohème and it shows in their confidence during rehearsals where they watch conductor Geoffrey Paterson with a ferocious intensity. As they'll be on stage during most of the performance, we're working to build their stamina so that their performance level remains high throughout.
The score is now embedded in most of our brains and Julian Grant's notes are forming the soundtrack to our lives but I'm always amazed how much young people can retain.
As for the production's look, we've had designers in to explain the intricacies of the set while over in Thurrock, local people of all ages have been busying themselves creating the staging and costumes. Seeing what a piece will look like is always an exciting moment for any performer and I'm pleased to say that I too will have a costume. I've asked for it to be extra flash but I'm not sure if that request has been taken on board by the production team - I hope so!
Being able to put together a production like this, involving so many people to create a real variety of work, is only made possible thanks to the generosity of the Royal Opera House's supporters; see the production page for a full list of those involved.
Hot House gets its premiere on Sunday 22 July and until then it's all hands on deck for all those involved. Until then, those coming should warm up their vocal chords as there's a good old fashioned sing song at the piece's climax.
Gareth first worked with the Royal Opera House nine years ago in 2003, leading a workshop with students on Strauss's Elektra. In the years since he has regularly led educational projects and workshops for us, at both at Covent Garden and in schools across the country. He has also worked as a presenter, introducing Family Performances on the mainstage and fronting broadcasts of our BP Big Screen performances of opera and ballet in Trafalgar Square.]]>
Due to an inflammation of the shoulder, Italian conductor Maurizio Benini has withdrawn from conducting The Royal Opera's performances of La bohème on 19 and 23 June. Canadian conductor Jacques Lacombe will now conduct both performances.
His operatic appearances include Werther and Die Fledermaus for the Metropolitan Opera, New York; Ariadne auf Naxos for Bavarian State Opera; Turandot and Les Contes d'Hoffmann in Monte Carlo; Roméo et Juliette for Vancouver Opera and many productions with Deutsche Oper Berlin including Der fliegende Holländer, Eugene Onegin and Ballo in maschera.
Jacques Lacombe was Music Director of the Philharmonie de Lorraine in France (1998–2001), Principal Guest Conductor of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra (2002–6) and has been Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra since September 2010 and Music Director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières, Québec, since 2006.
The conductor has previously performed Tosca with The Royal Opera in 2009.
The Royal Opera House Design Challenge came to a close on Friday 4 May following the matinee performance of La bohème.
The competition, now in its second year, was based around the iconic Royal Opera production. It challenged students to bring the Paris of the 1830s to the stage by creating their own designs for the opera, choosing from one of five different categories: costume, marketing, make up and wigs, set design and online educational resources for Royal Opera House repertory.
The competition offered entrants the chance to discuss their work with leading industry experts and the judges, all design specialists from the Royal Opera House, included Les Troyens set designer Es Devlin.
The challenge, designed to give students an insight into the realities of the design industry, attracted high quality entries from eight founder colleges from the National Skills Academy. All 161 entrants attended the afternoon performance, before viewing an exhibition of their work and hearing feedback from the judges at an awards ceremony. The overall winners were:
Debbie Norman, Fashion Tutor at Grimsby Institute, said of the competition:
"The opportunity for our Costume students to design for such a renowned company as the Royal Opera House really is once-in-a-lifetime. The feedback they've got from these experienced professionals has motivated and inspired them, and now they can envisage what it would really be like to work with world-renowned companies as professional designers."
With performances of La bohème well underway on the Royal Opera House main stage, we're now looking ahead to the BP Summer Big Screens relay on 17 May. The event will see the production beamed live from Covent Garden to 22 screens around the UK where thousands will be able to see the opera for free in squares and piazzas from Aberdeen to Plymouth.
If the weather's good, why not pack a picnic basket and enjoy an early summer's evening in the company of Puccini's masterpiece?
The relay will showcase one of The Royal Opera's best-loved productions to a national audience and ROH Insights recently interviewed John Copley about his production, in the company's repertoire since 1974. Listen to an extract featuring amusing anecdotes from the seasoned director.
The role of Mimi is one of the most famous in opera, and this production of La bohème has seen some of the world's greatest singers in the role - including Angela Gheorghiu who returns to the part in June. We recently caught up with Italian soprano Carmen Giannatassio and asked her about stepping in. Watch our interview with Carmen.
Kasper Holten, Director of The Royal Opera, recently told us why he loves the piece, and why it deserves its tag as a classic:
There's also the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes with our gallery of rehearsal pictures, taken by Yuri Vorobiev who will sing the role of Colline for the relay performance. Alternatively, if since watching BBC Two's series of Maestro at the Opera you're after a conductor's view of preparations, Entartete Musik's Gavin Plumley followed Semyon Bychkov for his enlightening six week 'Stalking Semyon' series.
If you're a Twitter user and will be watching one of the big screen relays, tweet us your thoughts and pictures during the event by using the hashtag #ROHboheme.
La bohème is followed on BP Summer Big Screens by Falstaff (30 May) and Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 (16 July).]]>
Comedian Josie Lawrence, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, DJ Trevor Nelson and Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood put their musical abilities to the test at the Royal Opera House in the second series of Maestro, which begins tonight (Friday 4 May) on BBC Two at 9pm.
Over the three-part series the contestants take a crash course in conducting opera, competing to lead the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in a live performance at Covent Garden. Each trainee conductor will be mentored through various trials and will meet with operatic experts, such as Royal Opera House Music Director Antonio Pappano, to learn about the complexities behind staging the art form.
Of the series, Director of The Royal Opera Kasper Holten said:
"This challenge will probably be the most difficult any of the contestants will ever face in their professional lives, but I really hope it will be one of the most fulfilling experiences they ever have."
Their performance on the podium will be judged each episode by members of the orchestra. The grand finale, in which the winner will conduct a repeat of the second act of Puccini's La bohème,to be filmed this Saturday.
The first series of Maestro aired in 2008, and saw comedian Sue Perkins beat DJ Goldie to conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra at Proms in the Park.]]>
Squares, piazzas and parks around the country will once more showcase world class opera and dance for free this summer with the return of BP Summer Big Screens, celebrating their 25th year.
La bohème (17 May), Falstaff (30 May), and Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 (16 July) will be screened for free in live broadcasts from The Royal Opera House at 27 venues, from Aberdeen to Plymouth. Last year, thousands enjoyed a trio of productions, spending the evening soaking up the atmosphere and indulging in some tasty-looking picnic spreads.
As well as the action on stage, the relays will also offer exclusive glimpses behind the scenes at the Royal Opera House with a number of interval films.
The locations of this year's BP Big Screens:
Ahead of the first screening - John Copley's production of La bohème, familiarise yourself with Puccini's masterpiece through our collection of production photos, as well as hearing Director of Opera Kasper Holten on why the piece is such a classic.
We'll be covering the action from London's Trafalgar Square via Twitter during all broadcasts so if you're going, tweet us your thoughts and pictures on the day. Time to dig out the picnic basket...]]>
Royal Opera House's Head of Friends Susan Fisher is particularly excited about seeing Carmen's Royal Opera debut:
"Over the last few years I have read some amazing notices of Carmen, as well as hearing a particularly good recording of her performance of La Donna del lago from Edinburgh, and wondered when we at the Royal Opera House would have the opportunity to see her. I am absolutely delighted that we now have the opportunity to catch up. It is unfortunate that this is because of a cancellation of another artist, but it is a big gain for us."
Carmen sings the role of Mimì for performances until 17 May, including for the BP Summer Big Screen relay around the UK on this date.
View a gallery of production photos featuring Carmen alongside Joseph Calleja as Rodolfo:
The first night of La bohème closed with a tribute to director John Copley in celebration of his 50th anniversary at the Royal Opera House as a director.
John's hugely popular production of Puccini's La bohème has been in The Royal Opera's repertory for nearly 40 years, premiering in 1974 and since revived 25 times. Other productions by the director have also had impressive longevity - his Così fan tutte and Le Nozze de Figaro remained in the repertory for 24 years and 21 years respectively.
John first appeared on stage in 1948 as a fresh-faced 15-year-old, playing a walk-on role in Aida. He subsequently began work in stage management before becoming a director in 1960. His first production with The Royal Opera was a revival of Robert Helpman's Madama Butterfly in 1962. He has since witnessed two Royal Opera House rebuilds, directed 15 new productions and worked with most of the greats of the opera world.
Dame Janet Baker wrote a tribute to John on the programme of La bohème's opening night:
"The core of his genius is rooted in his utter respect for the music, and his whole approach revolves around it. Hidden within his lightness of touch is the wisdom which comes when natural gift is allied to the most painstaking work. Performers all over the world acknowledge a huge debt to him, because we know that with him we are in the hands of a master. He has our indescribable gratitude and love on the occasion of this anniversary."
The first night of La bohème also marked the debut of Italian soprano Carmen Giannatassio, singing the role of Mimì. Visit our Flickr gallery for more images of the anniversary celebration.
Listen to John Copley on La bohème:]]>
We're getting tremendously excited about Europe's first ever opera sleepover, taking place here at the Royal Opera House on Friday 11 May 2012. The ballot for tickets has now closed, but if you didn't manage to secure one, don't despair! Why not hold your own opera sleepover for friends or family? Send us photographs of your event (firstname.lastname@example.com) and we'll post the best ones along with pictures from our own sleepover.
To help you get started, we've put together 10 top tips for holding an operatic sleepover, inspired by some of our favourite works:
1. Draw up a guest list. Inviting former lovers and rivals will ensure everyone's talking about your party for weeks. Follow Violetta's lead in La traviata, Act II scene 2, where she is confronted with both Baron Douphol and Alfredo. If you can get your ex-boyfriends gambling against one another, so much the better. Everyone loves a scandal.
2. Decide what to wear. Turning up in disguise is a great way of gatecrashing parties or causing mischief. Take inspiration from Don Giovanni Act I, where Ottavio, Anna and Elvira infiltrate a party by wearing masks, or in Act II when Leporello tries to seduce a girl by pretending to be the Don. Very shady behaviour! You might like to look at our costumes online here for inspiration.
3. Prepare some food. Consider the many delicacies on offer from street vendors in Act II of La bohème: oranges, dates, hot chestnuts, sweets and coconut milk.
4. Draw up a playlist. Select tracks that are sure to get everyone singing along. A Brindisi (a drinking song) is sure to be popular, as is a Seguidilla. Try 'Il segreto per esser felice' from Lucrezia Borgia or 'Près des remparts' from Carmen, where Carmen sings about dancing and drinking. There's also a brilliantly rousing drinking song in praise of beer in The Bartered Bride.
5. Sort out some activities, to make sure your party goes with a swing. Flirting and dancing are good fun, but beware! This kind of behaviour can lead guests to quarrel, renounce their friendship and challenge one another to a duel. Read up on Act II of Eugene Onegin for how not to organize a party.
6. Have a singing contest. Less Eurovision Song Contest, more Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Contestants must sing a song of their own composition, following an agreed set of rules. When a contestant breaks a rule, mark his or her mistake noisily on a chalkboard.
7. Compose a piece of music yourself. Don't have a symphony orchestra at your disposal? Don't despair! In Le Grand macabre Ligeti writes for a huge variety of domestic items, such as saucepans, trays of crockery, paper bags, alarm clocks and greaseproof paper… Explore the musical potential of everything in your house!
8. Tell a good bedtime story. With magic musical instruments, a prince, his comic sidekick and the Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) has all the perfect ingredients. If you want a ghost story, try The Turn of the Screw – but don't count on having sweet dreams.
9. When it's time to go to sleep, listen to a nice lullaby. In Hänsel und Gretel, the Sandman sprinkles sleeping dust in the children's eyes, then they sing their 'evening prayer'. Ever so soothing.
10. Not able to sleep? Lament with 'Oh sleep, why dost thou leave me?' from Semele. Or, if you're feeling calmer, try the humming chorus from Madama Butterfly. This is the music that accompanies Butterfly's night-long vigil as she waits for Pinkerton's ship to come it. Just don't think about what happens next…
Our sleepover is being held as part of European Opera Days 2012, in association with English National Opera.]]>
Due to health reasons, Irish soprano Celine Byrne has withdrawn from singing the role of Mimì in The Royal Opera's upcoming production of La bohème. The role will now be sung by Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio, making her Royal Opera debut.
Carmen Giannattasio has previously sung Mimì in Berlin and Toulouse. Her recent appearances include Violetta Valéry in La traviata in Berlin; Leonora in Il trovatore for Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse; Salomé (Massenet's Hérodiade) for De Vlaamse Opera; and Vitellia (La clemenza di Tito) in Aix-en-Provence.
Her future roles include the role of Elizabeth of Valois in Don Carlos in Berlin as well as her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York as Leonora (Il trovatore). She won First Prize and the Audience Award in Operalia in Paris in 2002.
Due to visa reasons, Yuri Vorobiev has had to withdraw from singing the role of Colline in La bohème on 30 April, 3 and 5 May. Matthew Rose will now sing the role for these performances.
Matthew is a former Jette Parker Young Artist and has previously sung the role for The Royal Opera, English National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. He made his Royal Opera debut in 2003 as Jonas Fogg in Sweeney Todd. This season Matthew sang the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni and made his role debut as Sparafucile in Rigoletto. He returns to The Royal Opera in July to sing the role of Lord Sidney in Il viaggio a Reims with the Jette Parker Young Artists in a celebratory performance.
Yuri Vorobiev will sing the role on 8, 12, 14, 17 May and 19, 23 June.]]>
Unfortunately, for personal reasons German soprano Anja Harteros is not able to take part in the rehearsals for La bohème as planned, and it has been necessary to replace her in the production. The role will now be sung by Irish soprano Celine Byrne.
Celine Byrne has previously sung the role of Mimì for Scottish Opera. She has performed around the world in concert, together with artists including José Carreras and Roberto Alagna. She has previously sung in concert with Joseph Calleja in Istanbul, conducted by Sascha Goetzel, with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. Future engagements include Violetta (La traviata) in Bulgaria, and she will open the 2012/13 season in Klagenfurt, Austria, as Agathe (Der Freischütz) under Alexander Soddy.]]>
There have been some queries about our opera seat prices for the 2012/13 Season. We have done a number of things: either lowered all price bands for a number of opera productions across the Season, or kept the prices the same as when the productions had their previous showing at Covent Garden. So for example, the prices for Tosca and La bohème will range from £6 - £175 next season instead of £9.70/ £9 - £219.50 when it was last on, and all the other seats in the house for these operas will be cheaper than the last time – it is a lower price range for the whole house (although, in pounds, the cut is naturally higher for the expensive seats). In the case of The Minotaur prices are held to the 2008 rate with a top price of £65.
A recent Evening Standard article stated: "[The] price drop is being made up for by ticket prices elsewhere." What this means is there will be an increase in seat prices for a few productions we know there will be a huge demand for tickets for such as The Ring (which is sold out), Don Carlo, La Rondine and the new production of Nabucco. But this by no means implies that we will be upping the prices of the cheaper seats generally. In fact, we will continue to have – across the season on average – more than 50% of all seats available for £55 or less, and 40 % of all seats for £40 or less.
Pricing for the first booking period of next Season - click on the link below to enlarge: