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Opera in Ireland - general discussion thread on all things opera in Ireland

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    #902
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    For this year I might do a bit of "oblique" preparation.
    As the work in question is Salome, I might get to know the Strauss opera a bit better. There's a full version on Youtube (from Covent Garden).


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    #903
    marienbad
    Registered Users Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭marienbad


    The Green Pixie wrote: »
    For this year I might do a bit of "oblique" preparation.
    As the work in question is Salome, I might get to know the Strauss opera a bit better. There's a full version on Youtube (from Covent Garden).

    There is an astonishing variety of full operas now available on youtube , It is a brilliant resource. If memory serves me correctly there is a version of one of this year's festival offerings Don Bucefelo with Juan Diego Florez available.

    And they are so easy to save to your own computer .


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    #904
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    Was anybody here at "Nixon in China"?
    I might go on Saturday if impressions are positive.
    Thanks.


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    #905
    marienbad
    Registered Users Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭marienbad


    The Green Pixie wrote: »
    Was anybody here at "Nixon in China"?
    I might go on Saturday if impressions are positive.
    Thanks.

    I have seen it quite a few times over the years so I will give it a miss this time. Let us know your impressions


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    #906
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    The Green Pixie wrote: »
    Was anybody here at "Nixon in China"?
    I might go on Saturday if impressions are positive.
    Thanks.

    Missed it, pity, its an interesting piece. Cannot imagine it sold too well though.


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    #907
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    Two comments from Facebook friends of mine:

    "Congratulations to all involved in Nixon in China! A fabulous evening and a most interesting and thought-provoking opera! Don't miss it - 2 more performances on Wed and Saturday!"


    "Still in shock at how incredible Nixon in China was!!! Ireland has NEVER seen anything like it before!!! Well done to all involved and thanks for an incredible evening!"

    No reports yet about how full the house was.
    I know one singer who's taking part - he told me that they'd only sold 10% of the tickets (for the whole run).


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    #908
    Philomelos
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭Philomelos


    Spectacular staging, brilliant dancing, excellent playing. I happen to like Adams's music very much, it's straightforward to hear (not to sing or play!), but there are some nice pastichey moments as well as Adams's usual shifting repetitions. The soloists a little uneven and not always resembling their originals, but the two wives (Claudia Doyle as Pat Nixon and -- best of all -- Audrey Luna as Chiang Ch'ing) were outstanding.

    The house -- at least as seen from the stalls -- was surprisingly full, perhaps because it was first night and a weekend, but encouraging.

    Go. This is not traditional opera material but you won't see its like in Ireland for some time to come.


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    #909
    DownBeaten
    Registered Users Posts: 82 ✭✭DownBeaten


    Thanks for that, Phil, we're heading for the last night on Saturday. It's a 7:30 start, but I understand there are two intervals, can you tell us what time it finishes at, roughly?


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    #910
    Sanguine Fan
    Registered Users Posts: 247 ✭✭Sanguine Fan


    I was at last night's (Wednesday 14th) performance. I had booked a seat in the Upper Circle and borrowed a pair of opera glasses because I thought I would be far away from the stage. When I collected my ticket I found I had been upgraded to the stalls. I had a brilliant seat with a perfect view. As far as I could see during the breaks, the upper balcony was not in use and I guess they shoved everyone into the stalls to make it look less empty. Great for me but tough for anyone who paid top dollar for the best seats.

    The performance itself was superb. Everything, the set, the singers, the choreography, the sound, the orchestra, was outstanding. Audrey Luna as Madame Mao received the biggest cheer at the end. She was excellent but my favourite performer was John Molloy in the role of Henry Kissinger. The lead female ballet dancer in Act II was also brilliant in what was the most moving part of the entire work.

    As for the opera itself, the music is quite eclectic, combining the minimalist rhythms of Philip Glass with sometimes very lush, romantic passages from the strings, and punchy playing from the wind section, redolent of the big band era. Somehow Adams welds his influences into a coherent whole that is unmistakably his own creation.

    I was less happy with the structure of the opera. After the initial excitement of Nixon's arrival in Air Force One, the first act became really boring after a few minutes as the protagonists made a series of lengthy speeches. In fact, this highlights the real problem, for me at least, which is Alice Goodman's libretto.

    Unfortunately, every word of her script is displayed on a board above the stage. It is therefore impossible to avoid the terrible lines being sung by the performers. These vary from the utterly banal to the wilfully obscure. In fairness, Adams himself believes Goodman's libretto to be 'one of the great as-yet-unrecognised works of American theatre'. So my criticism is a matter of personal taste.

    But, overall the Wide Open Opera production of Nixon in China is a tour de force and not to be missed. Judging by the attendance last night, anyone who wants to go on Saturday, and has not got a ticket, should have no problem getting one.

    Incidentally, this production is long! It started bang on 7.30 and finished just after 11.00pm. There are two generous intervals though.


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    #911
    SamSpade
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭SamSpade


    I just thought I'd mention that the show finished about 15-20 mins. late on Wednesday, due to a technical problem. An usher told me that it's scheduled to finish at 10.45.


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    #912
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    The whole shebang is on Youtube if you want a preview:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMHfs06sJ5Q


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    #913
    DownBeaten
    Registered Users Posts: 82 ✭✭DownBeaten


    We were at the last performance last night, and were blown away. Superb performance with great singers and an excellent orchestra, enhanced with subtle digital wizardry. Well done to all involved. Arts Council money well spent.


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    #914
    wexoperafan
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭wexoperafan


    garancafan wrote: »
    Thanks Wex. Great news. Would you believe I had tickets but was unable to attend!!

    Any news of principals for this year?

    Some cast details are now available on the webite.
    Some excellent singers returning from last year

    Wex


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    #915
    yknaa
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭yknaa


    Off to see 'City of Mahagonny' tonight. I have read mixed reviews. Anyone attend it already? Also any idea of when it finishes?


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    #916
    SamSpade
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭SamSpade


    I saw this last Friday. I enjoyed it, but others clearly didn't. I don't think I've ever heard so many seats snapping up in the course of a show.

    Though I'm certainly no expert, the singers and musicians seemed excellent. The staging is another matter, but you can make your own mind up about that.

    Enjoy the show.


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    #917
    yknaa
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭yknaa


    I enjoyed it too but felt that it really needed a larger setting as the sightlines in the circle were pretty poor and we missed some of the event from where we were sitting.

    No fault of the production company however but it loses its impact due to the venue - size, tiny seats and fairly poor air-con which can take its toll after a few hours. I wonder would it have worked better in the Gaiety or maybe even Grand Canal?


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    #918
    SamSpade
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭SamSpade


    Funnily enough I'd always thought of the Gaiety as a smaller theatre relative to the Olympia, but according to a Google search the Gaiety has 2,000 seats to the Olympia's 1,240.

    I think though, that the cramped feel to Mahagonny was due to part of the audience being seated on stage. This reduced the acting space to parish-hall dimensions. Like you I was in the balcony and couldn't see everything, though.

    Still, between last month's Nixon in China and now Mahagonny, we can't complain that we're only getting the usual old warhorses - not that there's anything wrong with them either!


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    #919
    wexoperafan
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭wexoperafan


    Hi ,

    I have tickets for this year's festival (Ring plus 2 others), but looks like I may not be able to go.

    Looked on their website for info regarding returns policy and can't find anything. Has anybody on here got any experiance / ideas what their position on this is ?

    Cheers

    Wex


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    #920
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    wexoperafan wrote: »
    Hi ,

    I have tickets for this year's festival (Ring plus 2 others), but looks like I may not be able to go.

    Looked on their website for info regarding returns policy and can't find anything. Has anybody on here got any experiance / ideas what their position on this is ?

    Cheers

    Wex

    Wex what have you got - I might be able to find a home for them. PM me.


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    #921
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    At Traviata in Glyndebourne last night. If you can go to see the cinema broadcast http://glyndebourne.com/production/la-traviata-0#group-cinema-listings

    Bowled me over.


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    #922
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    Hi!
    I have one ticket for Salome in Wexford on Saturday October 25th (8pm), in the Circle, Row D Seat No 9, but I'm not able to go as I will be out of the country.
    The ticket cost €115 and I'm willing to sell it for €100.


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    #923
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    The Green Pixie wrote: »
    Hi!
    I have one ticket for Salome in Wexford on Saturday October 25th (8pm), in the Circle, Row D Seat No 9, but I'm not able to go as I will be out of the country.
    The ticket cost €115 and I'm willing to sell it for €100.

    Juan Diego Florez is at the NCH that night, I am sure that will hit sales for Wexford on 25th. I might go to Salome.....but in dublin on 25th!


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    #924
    Fatgoogle
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭Fatgoogle


    Very excited for this. http://bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/index.php/artist/la-traviata-glyndebourne-tour-2014

    I was taking lessons with the principal double bassist and he says the staging and production is excellent.


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    #925
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    Fatgoogle wrote: »
    Very excited for this. http://bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/index.php/artist/la-traviata-glyndebourne-tour-2014

    I was taking lessons with the principal double bassist and he says the staging and production is excellent.

    It's a simple production which I think was designed with touring in mind. Not sure who the principals will be with Glyndebourne Touring Opera, they tend to give their young artists a chance in these productions, they have some real talent in their young artist bursary programme. Not sure if they are touring with an orchestra or hiring a band when they come to Ireland, is it the national concert orhestra that will be playing with them. Tickets €35 - €125, quite a lot still available at reasonable prices.


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    #926
    Glasthule Opera
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Glasthule Opera


    Hello!

    I just wanted to let the thread know about Glasthule Opera's upcoming production of A triple bill of one act operas at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire on Thursday, 18th and Saturday, 20th of September 2014.

    Le 66: Music by Jacques Offenbach in a newly translated libretto by Helene Montague.
    Cast includes Brendan Collins - Baritone, Sarah Shine - Soprano

    Susanna's Secret: Music by Wolf-Ferrari with English translation by Claude Aveling is one of fifteen operas he wrote between 1895 and 1943. This whimsy Tyrolean caper features Sarah Power - Soprano, Owen Gilhooly – Baritone and Elliott Moriarty - Actor.

    A Hand of Bridge by Samuel Barber with a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti is a little gem - "little" being the operative word!! At ten minutes long it's the shortest opera in the repertoire. Cast: Sarah Power - Soprano, Raphaela Mangan - Mezzo and Brendan Collins - Baritone.

    See Pavilion Theatre or Glasthule Opera website for more details.

    Joan


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    #927
    SaveOurLyric
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,138 ✭✭✭SaveOurLyric


    A Magic Flute to be recommended from NI Opera for anyone who can get to see it. Principal voices all good. Performance only let down by 3 boys of low quality in such beautiful songs, and an unmusical Monostatos. Does not spoil fine entertainment however.


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    #928
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    Is anybody going to the Youth Opera production of "The Rape of Lucretia"?

    I'm toying with the idea, even though I'm not particularly a Britten fan.


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    #929
    marienbad
    Registered Users Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭marienbad


    The Green Pixie wrote: »
    Is anybody going to the Youth Opera production of "The Rape of Lucretia"?

    I'm toying with the idea, even though I'm not particularly a Britten fan.

    Where and what time thanks .


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    #930
    The Green Pixie
    Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭The Green Pixie


    All the info is here in this link:

    http://www.irishyouthopera.ie/event/the-rape-of-lucretia/


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    #931
    wexoperafan
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭wexoperafan


    The Green Pixie wrote: »
    Is anybody going to the Youth Opera production of "The Rape of Lucretia"?

    I'm toying with the idea, even though I'm not particularly a Britten fan.


    Went to it in Wexford on Saturday night. I too am not a Britten fan, but I really enjoyed it. A really good production and the singers were all excellent.

    I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

    Wex


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