Opera and Ballet

[Celtic]

Don't think I've seen a topic about Opera, so I thought I would start one.

Handel's Alcina

Yesterday, I saw Handel's Alcina at the Royal Opera House. This came to my attention because one of the CVMS boys, Malakai, was singing in it. In the end I wasn't able to get a cheap ticket for his performances, but I really wanted to see it, so I got a ticket to the final performance with Rafael Flutter in the role of Oberto. Rafael was in the Magic Flute team alongside VW last autumn.

Of course, it turned out I had heard some of the music before, not least the two songs on Aksel Rykkvin's album! The music was fantastic from start to end. Despite coming in at 3hrs long, I found myself ignoring the surtitles because the music and performance were more than enough to keep my attention. An amusing and entertaining opera and a fantastic role for a treble with three major solos to my recollection.

► Show Spoiler

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[Surpinto]

As someone who enjoys opera, I don't think I've ever seen or even heard of this particular one. I went on YouTube, and a few arias sounded really neat (such as this one). But from what I heard, I'm surprised that trebles were able to sing some of those parts at all and operatic sopranos seem far more suitable for the roles. But that's coming from a fairly cursory listen - I haven't probed all 3+ hours of the opera though. Glad you enjoyed it though

If you're interested in opera, aside from your busy choir schedule, I love the bel canto style operas the most as can be seen here; and then of course there is Mozart.

Interestingly, and as this board is (obviously) more focused on treble singers I'll add this: one of his lesser-known operas, Bastien und Bastienne, which Mozart wrote when he was just 12 years old, though normally performed by adults, has also been performed by an all-treble ensemble on occasion. Including being the basis of a French movie from 1979 apparently. Here's a short clip I located on YouTube. There was also an excellent recording made by WSK in the 1980's.

[Celtic]

As someone who enjoys opera, I don't think I've ever seen or even heard of this particular one. I went on YouTube, and a few arias sounded really neat (such as this one). But from what I heard, I'm surprised that trebles were able to sing some of those parts at all and operatic sopranos seem far more suitable for the roles. But that's coming from a fairly cursory listen - I haven't probed all 3+ hours of the opera though. Glad you enjoyed it though

Oh, that one has Alois Mühlbacher as Oberto! Wow, thanks! Have to say I am not a massive fan of his countertenor voice as an adult (I have heard him live as part of the St Florianer), but he was a super treble.

If you're interested in opera...

I am, and my list of live Operas is growing, slowly.

Pelleas Et Melisande - Debussy - Oslo Opera - 7/10 interesting opera, but a silly modern production.
Turn of the Screw x2 - Britten - Barnes Music festival 9/10 & Regents Park - 10/10 the Open air theatre one was a fantastic production!
Billy Budd - Britten - Royal Opera House - 8/10 wish I had seen the Oslo production live with the "full size" submarine on stage!
Noye's Flood - Britten - Theatre Royal Stratford East - 6/10 a children's opera, but enjoyable enough
Peter Grimes - Britten - Royal Festival Hall - 8/10 Semi-staged version which I very much enjoyed
Cunning Little Vixen - Janacek - Holland Park - 7/10 Interesting opera and story, but the music didn't massively enthral me.
The Magic Flute x2 - Mozart - Royal Opera House - 9/10 A fantastic opera with a great story and memorable themes.
Satyagraha - Glass - London Coliseum ENO - 9/10 Act II was sublime and is maybe a Spinal Tap eleven, but last 20 minutes was a bit dull.
La Boheme - Puccini - London Coliseum ENO - 7/10 I enjoyed the story and the music was ok.
Tosca - Puccini - Royal Opera House - 4/10 - This didn't gel at all for me.
Carmen - Bizet - Holland Park - 10/10 - Stunning opera, and as one young lady put it, "a neverending chain of beauty"
Alcina - Handel - Royal Opera House - 8/10 - Entertaining from start to finish with a few memorable themes
It's a Wonderful Life - Heggie & Scheer - London Coliseum ENO - 4/10 Dull first half and odd pacing with forgettable music.

[Surpinto]

Wow! Of those you mention I have seen only a handful: Magic Flute and Carmen.

I despise Puccini's operas for his overly-melodramatic music (operas are often melodramatic enough, no? ), though admittedly some of the arias are fantastic.

So with all those operas you've attended you've never seen something like La Traviata (gag video, but with real music )? I mean something like that is so popular I can't imagine that you couldn't find it playing in London. Though by your more eclectic choices is it fair to say that the standard "classics" of the operatic genre (operas by Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, and the like) are less to your taste?

I've seen many on stage but it's been so long for many of them I would have to really think back to recall which ones I saw as I've seen quite a number since my early teens . So without listing every opera I'll just say that many of my favorites have definitely been by Verdi or Mozart: Nabucco, Rigoletto, Marriage of Figaro, etc. The popular operas I suppose.

[john45]

I despise Puccini's operas

That's a bit harsh. I came to like opera quite late in life - but despised it all in my youth.
In recent years (ie the last 20 or so) these are what I remember seeing (keeping programs helps).

Britten
Turn of the Screw. Glyndebourne +tour x 6; Regents Park x2; Vienna Art Theatre x 2; “Jn concert” Snape Malton and St Lukes, Shoreditch.
Billy Budd ENO and ROH
Peter Grimes - ENO
Midsummer nights Dream - ENO x2
The Little Sweep - Norwich
Gloriana - ROH
Death in Venice - ENO

Mozart
The Magic Flute ENO, ROH, Opera New Brunswick
Don Giovanni - Teatro Colon, Buenos Aries.
Marriage of Figaro - ONB
Cosi fan Tutte - ONB

Purcell
The Faerie Queen -Opera New Brunswick

Tun Din
Marco Polo - ONB

Humperdink
Hansel and Gretel - ONB

Massenet
Werther ROH

Puccini
La Boheme - ENO, ROH, ONB
Turandot - ROH, The Met
Tosca - ROH, ENO, ONB, Sydney Opera House
Madam Butterfly - ONB

Bizet
The Pearl Fishers - ENO. ROH
Carmen - ENO

Verdi
Aida -ROH
Rigoletto - ROH
Il trovatore - The Met
La Traviata - GlyndeBourne

Philip Glass
Satyagraha
Akhnaten

Charpentier
Medea

Tchaikovski
The queen of spades

Handel
Partenope

I found a full copy of the Bastien, Bastienne 1979 movie. The quality is dreadful but you may find it of some interest.
You can download it from the dropbox link below

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aeaiuf03qzy6p ... r.avi?dl=0

[TullyBascombe]

I'm envious. I would love to see some operas, but the nearest is The Kennedy Center in Washington 180 miles ( 300 km) away over a mountain highway.

[Celtic]

So with all those operas you've attended you've never seen something like La Traviata (gag video, but with real music )? I mean something like that is so popular I can't imagine that you couldn't find it playing in London. Though by your more eclectic choices is it fair to say that the standard "classics" of the operatic genre (operas by Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, and the like) are less to your taste?

My first live opera was only in 2017! (and that was literally just to hear Aksel Rykkvin) So, it's a very recent thing for me! I hope I'll get to see the classics eventually. Although the ENO is under threat of closure, which would leave a major city like London with only one opera house, which is shameful!

That's a bit harsh. I came to like opera quite late in life - but despised it all in my youth.
In recent years (ie the last 20 or so) these are what I remember seeing (keeping programs helps).

Britten
Turn of the Screw. Glyndebourne +tour x 6; Regents Park x2; Vienna Art Theatre x 2; “Jn concert” Snape Malton and St Lukes, Shoreditch.
Billy Budd ENO and ROH
Peter Grimes - ENO
Midsummer nights Dream - ENO x2
The Little Sweep - Norwich
Gloriana - ROH
Death in Venice - ENO

...

That's a very impressive list! You've seen Turn of the Screw as many times as I've seen all opera! In fact, I'm particularly jealous of your Britten list as I find him one of the most accessible composers and I really enjoy his music. I should have been on 3x Turn of the Screw as I had a ticket to see Leo Jemison in it at Wilton's Music Hall, but covid...

Philip Glass
Satyagraha
Akhnaten

Satyagraha at the ENO was stunning, so I would quite like to see Akhnaten!

[Surpinto]

It seems we have some differences of opinion regarding this genre

I despise Puccini's operas

That's a bit harsh. I came to like opera quite late in life - but despised it all in my youth.
In recent years (ie the last 20 or so) these are what I remember seeing (keeping programs helps).

Perhaps so, and I suppose that my opinions on Puccini's music were made during my formative years when I listened to lots of recordings and even saw Madama Butterfly on stage. Could be that I should give him another shot being older and wiser, and with a more developed musical taste, because as I mentioned some of his arias are excellent. Interesting that we came to opera backwards: with me having been quite into them in my youth and then, having seen and heard a good number, sort of drifting away from the genre.

Regardless, your list is very impressive and it's really cool that you've seen so many productions in such a wide variety of venues -- that in itself is amazing

My first live opera was only in 2017! (and that was literally just to hear Aksel Rykkvin) So, it's a very recent thing for me! I hope I'll get to see the classics eventually. Although the ENO is under threat of closure, which would leave a major city like London with only one opera house, which is shameful!

Hope it stays open but opera, much like choral music, is a rather niche musical interest as compared to other, more popular varieties.....

Younger generations are less and less accustomed to such music unless they've had a fairly classical musical education. I was exposed to this music (and much else also) because my parents wanted me to have some cultural knowledge. Museums, concerts, I was dragged to many things, often against my will .

So it's no surprise that many opera houses have scaled back their seasonal offerings from, let's say, 6 operas per season to just for 4. And aside from the premium seats, the venues may have 10-25% of the seats being unoccupied for a less popular opera or composer. I witnessed that first hand a few times.

That's a very impressive list! You've seen Turn of the Screw as many times as I've seen all opera! In fact, I'm particularly jealous of your Britten list as I find him one of the most accessible composers and I really enjoy his music.

To me much of Britten's music is in the same category as Puccini I'm afraid albeit for a different reason musically. Some of the individual pieces are excellent or at least acceptable, but much of it I never cared for. However, and to be completely fair, I have been far less exposed to Britten than I have been to many other composers, but when I came across some of his opera recordings I was put off immediately by the music. I just never cared for that more "modern" sound. Maybe if I saw a live production I might feel differently.

[Celtic]

To me much of Britten's music is in the same category as Puccini I'm afraid

You don't like Britten's music!?

Can you share your calendar? Organising a mob is so difficult these days...

But I've Amazon Primed the pitchforks and torches...






p.s. Any chance you could wear a carrot on your nose? "burn the witch" is quite a catchy chant, and it would really help the mob spirit!

[Surpinto]

To me much of Britten's music is in the same category as Puccini I'm afraid

You don't like Britten's music!?

Can you share your calendar? Organising a mob is so difficult these days...

But I've Amazon Primed the pitchforks and torches...






p.s. Any chance you could wear a carrot on your nose? "burn the witch" is quite a catchy chant, and it would really help the mob spirit!

Out of control!

But as I said, I haven't seen a performance live or invested much time in his music; if I did perhaps I would feel differently. Though I'm skeptical! I am willing to change my mind on things....just not regularly or often

As for your pitchforks and torches: come at me bro!

[Yorkie]

This will be my only post on a thread about opera. It ruined Aksel's singing voice for me.

[Celtic]

This will be my only post on a thread about opera. It ruined Aksel's singing voice for me.

That's opera conclusively dealt with then.

I think I know what you mean about Aksel? I feel he turned more into a soprano than a boy treble, probably as a result of his operatic training.

He is still in my opinion the standout treble of this generation. I've not seen anyone match his level of technical ability, vocal control and tone in the last 20 years.

My one time hearing Aksel live was at an opera, Pelleas Et Melisande. In fact, I flew to Oslo specially to hear him. It was increasingly clear his treble days were coming to an end, and it was my only chance to hear him, other than going by elk to some remote fjord...

Bit of a strange modern setting for the opera, which at one point involved rolling a naked guy around the stage for no discernible reason. Still, I got to hear Aksel once as a treble and met him and his dad after the show, so it was worth it. Albeit I would have substantially preferred to have heard him in a standard choral concert!

[Surpinto]

This will be my only post on a thread about opera. It ruined Aksel's singing voice for me.

That's opera conclusively dealt with then.

I think I know what you mean about Aksel? I feel he turned more into a soprano than a boy treble, probably as a result of his operatic training.

And this is a problem why? lol

He is still in my opinion the standout treble of this generation. I've not seen anyone match his level of technical ability, vocal control and tone in the last 20 years.

I don't think you'll get any argument from most here on this point.

My one time hearing Aksel live was at an opera, Pelleas Et Melisande. In fact, I flew to Oslo specially to hear him. It was increasingly clear his treble days were coming to an end, and it was my only chance to hear him, other than going by elk to some remote fjord...

Glad you got to hear him, he was insanely good. Besides, if you did have to travel that way to a remote fjord, would not the concert be elk-cellent?

[j8000]

I think it was clear all along that Aksel thrived on oratorio and operatic arias. Imagine if his debut album had given us Pie Jesu and O for the Wings of a Dove instead of Oh! Had I Jubal's lyre and Happy, oh thrice happy we.

I think his talents would have been terribly wasted by sticking to the usual treble repertoire.

[Celtic]

Glad you got to hear him, he was insanely good. Besides, if you did have to travel that way to a remote fjord, would not the concert be elk-cellent?

I think it was clear all along that Aksel thrived on oratorio and operatic arias. Imagine if his debut album had given us Pie Jesu and O for the Wings of a Dove instead of Oh! Had I Jubal's lyre and Happy, oh thrice happy we.

I think his talents would have been terribly wasted by sticking to the usual treble repertoire.

Very true and his debut album was definitely my top album that year.

Going back to listen to those arias like Ich Folge Dir Gleichfalls from the St. John Passion, or Rafael singing the two from Alcina last Saturday and the ones last night at the Messiah give you a really good comparison.

Good and sometimes great singing from other top trebles and then you listen to Aksel sing them...