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Post by vabbian on May 17, 2017 14:39:31 GMT
Seen Monday 15th May.
2.5/5 would not recommend.
Especially for those unaccustomed to opera, as this runs over 4 hours.
There wasn't any noticeable chemistry between Hymel and Lewis,
although the singing was beautiful, as expected from ROH.
The performance just felt lacking in emotion, and everything was under-directed.
The scenes didn't tie together as nicely as they could have,
some of the set pieces, e.g. the mausoleum were quite spectacular,
and others rather basic e.g. the opening forest scene.
There was meant to be a fire at end of scene 3 which was cut...
Highlight was Semenchuk's solo as Princess Eboli.
you will get more out of watching the DVD of Kaufmann's Don Carlo.
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 17, 2017 16:02:05 GMT
I find your review to be quite accurate of most of the ROH output. Unfortunately.
I generally find it's not worth the worth money for sitting in the nose bleed seats
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Post by vabbian on May 17, 2017 17:13:23 GMT
I find your review to be quite accurate of most of the ROH output. Unfortunately. I generally find it's not worth the worth money for sitting in the nose bleed seats Yes, I believe ROH can never go wrong with the quality of the singing or the music. Some of the seating is truly abysmal. The slips and sides of the amphitheatre are very bad value as you can see squat. For this production I got a Friday rush ticket, but even that was £40 and 3 rows from the very back of the amphitheatre... I think they should price rush tickets more appropriately... I think ROH knows their demographic is not young people OR those without money to burn and they price accordingly. I still dont understand those box seats which are over £200 a seat, and you have to purchase the whole box (4 x £200+) AND they are restricted view!!! daylight robbery |
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2017 17:22:56 GMT
I think ROH knows their demographic is not young people OR those without money to burn and they price accordingly. Have you looked into the special offers if you join ROH Students for free? Maybe not applicable to Don Carlo because it's so popular with the core audience of The Royal Opera. |
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Post by vabbian on May 17, 2017 17:37:43 GMT
I think ROH knows their demographic is not young people OR those without money to burn and they price accordingly. Have you looked into the special offers if you join ROH Students for free? Maybe not applicable to Don Carlo because it's so popular with the core audience of The Royal Opera. Yes I have been part of the student program for a few years. To be honest I find the program badly managed, because they release student tickets rather erratically. Also they almost never have student tickets for big productions (as expected) and only for less well known productions which havent sold well. I suspect the student program is not really curated but instead to fill empty seats. Off the top of my head, I have only managed to get student tickets for two of the big productions since I joined. La Boheme around two years ago and Il Trovatore last year (even that was a new production). They do do a good cinema offer (2 tickets for £10) for students which happens quite frequently. Also priority booking online, but rarely a discount. Usually I book normal tickets at the centre back of the amphitheatre if I really want to see something. |
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2017 17:42:57 GMT
Also priority booking online, but rarely a discount. That sounds like a good benefit, particularly if it applies for all productions, because it gives students a better chance (for free) of purchasing the cheaper tickets to the popular productions. |
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Post by Dawnstar on May 17, 2017 19:01:15 GMT
I've given up going to the ROH if I can't get side stalls tickets. The front of the amphitheatre is too expensive nowadays & I've found I just don't enjoy productions from the rear ampphitheatre as it's so far away you pretty much might as well just listen on the radio for free.
I saw this Don Carlo production when it was new in 2008 but I can't say I remember that much about the producion itself. The only things I really remember are Furlanetto being superb as Philip & Villazon being off sick the night I went, so we got landed with some Chinese or Korean tenor who I'd never heard of at the time & only heard of since when he made Lebrecht's gossip column when he got done for sexual assult!
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on May 18, 2017 7:17:08 GMT
This production is very poor, in my opinion. I have yet to see this cast which is victim to loosing one of its starts (Krassimira stoyanova). I may let you know what I think of this once I've seen it...if I'm feeling nice  |
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Post by tmesis on May 27, 2017 10:48:00 GMT
I thought this was vocally underwhelming compared to the previous incarnations of this production (I've seen them all.) Some decent singing from Kristin Lewis, Ildar Abdrazakov and Ekaterinburg Semenchuk but Paata Burchuladze was p*ss-poor as the Grand Inquisitor with Bryan Hymel and Christopher Pohl no match for Jonas Kaufmann and Simon Keenlyside in earlier runs. I know they've had multiple cancellations but you really do need in this opera five or six of the best singers in the world to do it justice.
Surprisingly I quite liked the production this time round. Yes, it's a bit spartan in places (surprising as it's Bob Crowley whose efforts are currently wowing them in An American in Paris but everything is done to a budget) but Hytner marshals his troops in a sane and sensible manner, making, as he did at NT the story-telling lucid.
I think I've seen so many awful productions at ROH in the past few years that this now seems quite impressive by comparison.
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Post by AddisonMizner on May 29, 2017 16:18:30 GMT
Well, today's performance was certainly interesting. I went to the last performance today (29th May), but in fact the performance didn't go ahead. Kristen Lewis (Elizabeth) had been taken ill shortly before curtain (they said about an hour), and she had to go to hospital. Apparently they didn't have a cover for the role, so had to cancel the performance and give the audience a full refund.
However, we were treated to about an hour and a half of highlights from Acts 1-3 of the opera, which was fun, and I felt a nice gesture on their part, for those of us who had spent money on trains etc. The bits that I did hear sounded fantastic! Does Hymel always sing the top note at the end of his and Posa's famous duet? They normally end on the same note, but he took it up (high C?) It certainly is thrilling to hear live.
It's just a shame I couldn't see the whole opera. I was really looking forward to it as well. I'll just have to watch my DVD with Kaufmann I suppose. (Speaking of Kaufmann, apparently he was seen drinking coffee somewhere nearby. This bodes well for his ROH OTELLO, to which I have tickets - though he could still cancel!)
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Post by tmesis on May 29, 2017 16:33:34 GMT
Well, today's performance was certainly interesting. I went to the last performance today (29th May), but in fact the performance didn't go ahead. Kristen Lewis (Elizabeth) had been taken ill shortly before curtain (they said about an hour), and she had to go to hospital. Apparently they didn't have a cover for the role, so had to cancel the performance and give the audience a full refund. However, we were treated to about an hour and a half of highlights from Acts 1-3 of the opera, which was fun, and I felt a nice gesture on their part, for those of us who had spent money on trains etc. The bits that I did hear sounded fantastic! Does Hymel always sing the top note at the end of his and Posa's famous duet? They normally end on the same note, but he took it up (high C?) It certainly is thrilling to hear live. It's just a shame I couldn't see the whole opera. I was really looking forward to it as well. I'll just have to watch my DVD with Kaufmann I suppose. (Speaking of Kaufmann, apparently he was seen drinking coffee somewhere nearby. This bodes well for his ROH OTELLO, to which I have tickets - though he could still cancel!) Yes I have everything crossed for Kaufmann (he's cancelled twice on me in the past.) I've got a ticket for the dress rehearsal and a performance just in case. ps. Hymel took the top note on Friday night. |
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Post by vabbian on May 29, 2017 18:41:49 GMT
It's just a shame I couldn't see the whole opera. I was really looking forward to it as well. I'll just have to watch my DVD with Kaufmann I suppose. (Speaking of Kaufmann, apparently he was seen drinking coffee somewhere nearby. This bodes well for his ROH OTELLO, to which I have tickets - though he could still cancel!) you have tickets?!  can i fight u for them i wonder if tickets for Otello will come up on friday rush i desperately want to see him kaufmann and netrebko are the only opera stars i really love |
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Post by AddisonMizner on May 29, 2017 19:28:20 GMT
It's just a shame I couldn't see the whole opera. I was really looking forward to it as well. I'll just have to watch my DVD with Kaufmann I suppose. (Speaking of Kaufmann, apparently he was seen drinking coffee somewhere nearby. This bodes well for his ROH OTELLO, to which I have tickets - though he could still cancel!) you have tickets?! can i fight u for them i wonder if tickets for Otello will come up on friday rush i desperately want to see him kaufmann and netrebko are the only opera stars i really love I do have tickets. Only as of last week mind you. Some came up on the website unexpectedly for one of the matinees, so I jumped on them. May be worth just keep checking the website, unless something similar happens. Needless to say, I am VERY excited! Heard Kaufmann once a few years ago in a concert of Strauss Lieder at Birmingham Symphony Hall, and have wanted to hear him in opera ever since. Let's just hope he doesn't cancel! I don't know what the refunds policy is if he does! Hoping to hear Netrebko in MACBETH next season! |
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Post by tmesis on May 29, 2017 19:29:41 GMT
Saw both Kaufmann and Netrebko at ROH together in La Traviata a few years back and it was sensational. Definitely in my top 5 performances at ROH (would gestimate I've been there around 400 times over the years.)
EDIT
Just realised this sounds a bit show offy. I'm really trying to put in context how good it was.
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Post by vabbian on May 29, 2017 19:49:01 GMT
Saw both Kaufmann and Netrebko at ROH together in La Traviata a few years back and it was sensational. Definitely in my top 5 performances at ROH (would gestimate I've been there around 400 times over the years.) EDIT Just realised this sounds a bit show offy. I'm really trying to put in context how good it was. show off im not jealous
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Post by Mr Snow on May 29, 2017 21:22:14 GMT
Saw this last Monday can't put my finger on why, but it was dull.
Sad because this is one of the great Operas but not performed that often.
About 25 years we saw it at the ENO and before the last act the MC(?) Ask us to vacate the auditorium for security reasons. The IRA were very active at t h as time. The next day the box office offered tickets to an alternative night but the run was ending and we couldn't make it.
Saw an electrifying performance by Opera North in NottinghM and the old Covent Garden one with a young Karita Mattila. But there havent been many opportunities to see it since, so was sadly disappointed last week.
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on May 30, 2017 7:21:55 GMT
Ok...all in all a disappointing day yesterday. I really hope that Kristen gets well and it must have been a shock for her being rushed to hospital however I would question the ROH on their policy for having a standby singer. It is my understanding that all main roles have a singer on standby, so what happened on this occasion? The cast did very well performing selections from acts 1-3, however the best music comes from acts 4-5! Vabbian, there are lots of better opera singers for you to explore  tmesis wow, that's impressive. We should talk more |
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Post by tmesis on May 30, 2017 10:36:09 GMT
Shame you didn't get to see Kristen she was one of the better things about a mixed night last Friday and she certainly seemed on top form health-wise.
Don Carlo does seem an accident - prone opera. Years ago, in the old Visconti production there was a stage hands strike in the auto da fe scene so they performed it on a bare stage! However, Tito Gobbi and Boris Christoff were singing so I didn't feel too cheated.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 10:49:41 GMT
Don Carlo does seem an accident - prone opera. When I attended an ENO production of Don Carlo, the performance was interrupted by an IRA bomb alert in the West End locality. The Coliseum was evacuated and searched and about half the audience returned to hear a heavily cut conclusion. |
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Post by vabbian on May 30, 2017 10:52:35 GMT
i think what can be learned from this thread is
don carlo is cursed!!! stay home and watch the dvd
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Post by vabbian on May 30, 2017 10:55:11 GMT
on another note, netrebko is in Paris tomorrow for eugene onegin very sad i cant make that because of an exam    watched the MET live performance a few weeks ago of her in onegin, sublime! |
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Post by Mr Snow on May 30, 2017 12:29:13 GMT
Don Carlo does seem an accident - prone opera. When I attended an ENO production of Don Carlo, the performance was interrupted by an IRA bomb alert in the West End locality. The Coliseum was evacuated and searched and about half the audience returned to hear a heavily cut conclusion. See my post above. I cant' believe it hapenned twice. This is the first I heard of the conclusion eventually being staged, as we we advised by the staff to move away with haste. Sad thing to consider, but its worth remembering we overcame those terrorists and we will overcome the next. |
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Post by Mr Snow on May 30, 2017 12:30:13 GMT
i think what can be learned from this thread is don carlo is cursed!!! stay home and watch the dvdNo, it's Rigoletto who is cursed.... |
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on May 30, 2017 12:32:49 GMT
You incredibly lucky person! Both incredible singers, I'm not surprised they managed to captivate attention from their performances alone (despite the lack of staging).
The DVD with Mariusz Kwiecien is impressive, vabbian have you seen it? |
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on May 30, 2017 12:33:23 GMT
i think what can be learned from this thread is don carlo is cursed!!! stay home and watch the dvdNo, it's Rigoletto who is cursed.... Technically, the opera that is supposed to be the most cursed of all is La Forza del Destino |
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