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Post by Steve on May 30, 2017 19:38:06 GMT
We were an hour into the opera, and I was very much enjoying South African diva, Pretty Yende, making a rare London appearance, when we were all hustled onto the street due to a "fire in the building."
2000 people are looking for a place to stand on the pavement.
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Post by Dawnstar on May 30, 2017 19:42:39 GMT
Blimey, the ROH is really not having a good few days for getting performances completed! I'm booked to see the other cast in a few weeks so I hope the fire doesn't damage the production.
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Post by Steve on May 30, 2017 19:49:10 GMT
Blimey, the ROH is really not having a good few days for getting performances completed! I'm booked to see the other cast in a few weeks so I hope the fire doesn't damage the production.
We are being called back inside now. Lets hope everything goes ok, and it doesn't end too late lol!
Fingers crossed.
Edit: Everyone needs to be bag checked again, which is slowing things down, but it's the smart and responsible thing to do.
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Post by Dawnstar on May 30, 2017 19:51:29 GMT
Good luck. Yes, for such a light piece it has quite a long running time!
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Post by bellboard27 on May 30, 2017 20:38:24 GMT
It's great fun isn't it. I am enjoying it a lot.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 21:24:58 GMT
I love Una furtiva lagrima. I seem to remember someone crinkling a plastic bag through much of it when I saw the ROH production at the cinema a few years ago. At which point I probably could have rivalled Scarpia for murderous thoughts ;-)
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Post by Steve on May 30, 2017 22:27:51 GMT
I love Una furtiva lagrima. I seem to remember someone crinkling a plastic bag through much of it when I saw the ROH production at the cinema a few years ago. At which point I probably could have rivalled Scarpia for murderous thoughts ;-) I love that aria to bits. And frankly, tonight's Nemorino singing it. Liparit Avetisyan, was furtiva everywhere but in his lagrima, which he delivered with stillness, conviction and immense passion, winning him the bravos and cheers of the night. Elsewhere, he was like a silent movie comedian, his every expression furtive, his eyebrows more mobile than those of the dearly departed Roger Moore, his eyes popping like Richard Pryor's, his toes tapping, his shoulders bunching. He was like John Belushi in Animal House without the archness, with added dopiness and charm. I thought he was a wonderful opera comedian, and I was delighted throughout. Pretty Yende sung beautifully, particularly in the second half, where her Adina actually falls in love with Nemorino, and she dropped the coldness, and silenced the house with her sonorous high note bullseyes. The plot of this comic love story is so elegant, the sets so outdoorsy, the performers so full and fun, that I found tonight thoroughly entertaining. Curtain came down 40 minutes late, due to fire evacuation, but thankfully, the orchestra played on! 4 stars  |
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 22:30:01 GMT
Yes, I saw a Twitter friend saying Avetisyan wouldn't be an 'unknown' for long - now people just need to learn how to pronounce the name!
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on May 31, 2017 6:43:01 GMT
Pretty Yende sung beautifully, particularly in the second half, where her Adina actually falls in love with Nemorino, and she dropped the coldness, and silenced the house with her sonorous high note bullseyes. Adina has always been in love with Nemorino, she just was waiting for the right moment to tell him...which conveniently is Act 2!  |
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Post by tmesis on Jun 4, 2017 7:24:42 GMT
This was simply terrific last night. I'd forgotten how good this production is and also what a masterpiece the whole opera is, able to stand comparison with The Marriage of Figaro in inventiveness and musical balance.
Vocally it was as good as you'll get today. My only reservation was Paolo Bordogna as Belcore who slightly over-played the comedy. Alex Esposito was a fantastic Dulcamara, handling the comedy in a more subtle way than most, playing him as a sexy, spiv with a glorious, well focused, even voice across the whole range. Pretty Yende was glorious as Adina, fully up to the coloratura demands of the increasingly challenging role. - I want to see much more of her at ROH.
I've left the best 'til last though.... Liparit Avetisyan was simply sensational as Nemorino. His appealingly open personality comes through everything that he does. He has a tight, fast vibrato that gives a terrific urgency to his singing and he hits each note at its centre with impeccable intonation. He also acts the part with endearingly puppyish enthusiasm and ardour. In short, to use tmesis(!), he was fan-bloody-tastic and I can't wait to see lots more of him.
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Jun 5, 2017 7:24:30 GMT
I was at the same performance tmesis! I thought Liparit Avetisyan was such a charming Nemorino, and apart from his excellent acting and singing he is the only Nemorino who I truly felt was love-sick. His first aria was so beautifully sung. Equally Pretty Yende was all that you could wish for as Adina, although I felt she was a little hesitant to begin with.
I have to disagree with you about Alex Esposito who I felt was weak as Dulcamara. He didn't, for me, have any comic elements to his portrayal and I felt he didn't have to vocal ability to carry the role off.
The absolute star of the evening for me, however, was Paolo Bordogna as Belcore...what a voice! Utterly superb acting and such a stunning debut.
The production is sensational from start to finish, I can't wait to see how Alagna and Kurzak get on this time around. It's just a shame Paolo Bordogna isn't singing in both casts.
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Post by argon on Jun 13, 2017 13:23:13 GMT
The dog was entertaining
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Post by theatrefan77 on Jun 16, 2017 8:00:35 GMT
Loved this. Absolutely wonderful production. Kurzak and Alagna were both excellent.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jun 17, 2017 17:34:07 GMT
Loved this. Absolutely wonderful production. Kurzak and Alagna were both excellent. +1 Also de Billy's conducting was rather fine. This surprised me because I though he gave A poor Don Carlo recently |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jun 19, 2017 20:59:43 GMT
I see on Twitter that not only is Aleksandra Kurzak still off sick tonight but Roberto Alagna had to stop half-way through Act 1 & be replaced. I'm supposed to be seeing it on Thursday but I think I'll be wimping out if they're both still ill then, given how hot it's forecast to be. I've already seen the production 3 times in previous runs so I only want to see it again for the 2 leads.
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Post by vabbian on Jun 19, 2017 21:58:28 GMT
Marvellous production!
Never a boring scene. Short and sweet
The modern setting is not off-putting as it
often can be in opera
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Post by tmesis on Jun 20, 2017 7:46:12 GMT
Marvellous production! Never a boring scene. Short and sweet The modern setting is not off-putting as it often can be in opera I agree. I have enjoyed nearly all of Laurent Pelly's productions at The Garden. He's particularly good at light-hearted, sunny operas - his La Fille du Regiment is also highly recommended, particularly if you can get Juan Diego Florez singing - but when he attempted the more serious Roberto le diable it was p*ss-poor. The Telegraph called it The Devil meets Quality Street and elsewhere it was described as 'like a particularly bad amateur production of Spamalot.' Frankly I thought it worse than that... |
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Jun 21, 2017 15:37:35 GMT
Oh it was so dull!!!
Their Traviata production for WNO was rather naff too.
I agree that on the whole they are excellent (particularly Il Turco in Italia).
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