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

marienbad · 06-03-2017 9:45pm

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I am not really criticising OTC really. I have greatly enjoyed many of their productions over the years also. Rather, the value for money that it brings in terms of numbers that even cumulatively from the small venues do not amount to much. In a country as small as Ireland I dont think there can be a case made for taking the opera to the people - the people should come to the opera. In Dublin principally, but occasionally Limerick or Cork maybe. Nor do I think that there has been any dividend in its years operating of 'spreading the gospel' and attracting any significant new following for opera in general. Again, ideally, I would love if we could have it also. But just think we would be better served pumping every cent into putting on as much full scale opera, of as high a quality as we can afford, as possible. And that OTC is an indulgence that we cannot afford.

If you want full scale opera in Dublin and eventually a opera company like Welsh National Opera or Opera North then you have to take the time and trouble to build an audience . Otherwise we will never graduate beyond the Ellen Kent formula of endless Tosca's and Traviata's.

OTC plays a vital role in that in two ways building an audience that will travel to Dublin and giving a platform to rising talent .

I have been going to opera and concerts for decades in Dublin Belfast Limerick Cork and every little town in Ireland as well as abroad and it is astonishing how the audiences have grown , even in the last 10 years or so.

Around 2000 John O'Connor gave one of the best series I have ever attended anywhere when he performed all the Beethoven piano sonatas in the LIT in Limerick . It was quite a magical experience and with a relatively small audience ( I would say less than 100) at the last concerts .

Contrast that with today in UL Concert hall where the ICO regularly pulls in 4 or 500 people even with adventurous programming .

And the MET and ROH cinema broadcast have been an astonishing success . Admittedly it is a bit of an ould warhorse but The merry Widow from the MET last year had such a demand in the Omniplex in Limerick that the usual screen sold out immediately and demand was such that they opened a second langer screen as well , and that also sold out . Can you imagine the befuddlement of all the teenagers on their Saturday night cinema date and the place overrun with geriatrics in furs !

So don't dismiss the provinces and OTC just yet , Dublin on its own cannot support a full time opera company .

marienbad · 12-03-2017 1:42am

La Traviata , the MET live broadcast tonight at your local Omniplex was just outstanding .

Anyone else get to see it ?

westtip · 12-03-2017 9:21am

marienbad wrote: »

La Traviata , the MET live broadcast tonight at your local Omniplex was just outstanding .

Anyone else get to see it ?

Listened on radio, don't like the production which was on Sky Arts a while back. It was a great cast, That Michael Fabiano is a fine tenor, we have a good crop of international standard tenors at the moment and he is right up there, Sonya Yoncheva is fabulous. Fabiano did Alfredo at Glyndebourne in 2014 he was amazing in what was a stunning Traviata. Thomas Hampson rarely disappoints as Germont. Glad you enjoyed it. Listening at home with a good brie and red worked for me and remembered to record it to the Sky box.

marienbad · 12-03-2017 1:36pm

westtip wrote: »

Listened on radio, don't like the production which was on Sky Arts a while back. It was a great cast, That Michael Fabiano is a fine tenor, we have a good crop of international standard tenors at the moment and he is right up there, Sonya Yoncheva is fabulous. Fabiano did Alfredo at Glyndebourne in 2014 he was amazing in what was a stunning Traviata. Thomas Hampson rarely disappoints as Germont. Glad you enjoyed it. Listening at home with a good brie and red worked for me and remembered to record it to the Sky box.

I loved the production westtip ( with just a few reservations) and I agree - just a great cast . I think the original 2005 production from Salzburg with Hampson Netrebko and Vilazon is available on youtube - well worth a look.

And the Limerick Omniplex was virtually sold out for an opera performance once again - the Opera following nationwide is growing .

What was the catch line from that movie Field Of Dreams - ''if you build it they will come '' . We need to get that message across to the politicians

The Green Pixie · 12-03-2017 2:12pm

Changing the subject, I see they're doing Medea in Wexford this year. I wonder if they'll find somebody who can actually sing it.

marienbad · 12-03-2017 2:20pm

The Green Pixie wrote: »

Changing the subject, I see they're doing Medea in Wexford this year. I wonder if they'll find somebody who can actually sing it.

Here you go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9TofuLQOuk . If she can sing Wagner she should be able for Medea

The Rape of Lucretia · 12-03-2017 2:21pm

Build an opera house, do you mean, and they will come ?

A Wexford or a bit bigger in Dublin?

Hard to justify it. Dublin has theatres. If people wont go to it in the Gaiety or Grand Canal, I cant see tgem going to a special purpoae opera house in any numbers. Its just too small an audience. 4-6 fully staged operas pr year is where every penny should be spent (including scraping OTC!).

marienbad · 12-03-2017 2:24pm

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Build an opera house, do you mean, and they will come ?

A Wexford or a bit bigger in Dublin?

Hard to justify it. Dublin has theatres. If people wont go to it in the Gaiety or Grand Canal, I cant see tgem going to a special purpoae opera house in any numbers. Its just too small an audience. 4-6 fully staged operas pr year is where every penny should be spent (including scraping OTC!).

Has to be in Dublin - if Cardiff can do it Dublin can . And it must be given time to grow its audience . As far as I know Dublin is the only capital city in Europe with no opera house .

westtip · 14-03-2017 2:04am

marienbad wrote: »

Has to be in Dublin - if Cardiff can do it Dublin can . And it must be given time to grow its audience . As far as I know Dublin is the only capital city in Europe with no opera house .

Cardiff has a bigger catchment area and WNO far more established. Lack of venue is not the issue, and if building a purpose built opera house in Dublin I wouldn't go much bigger than Wexford, but that is not going to happen. OTC could be the platform to build a national opera company, afterall they also (or used to) get UK AC funding, if ever there was an argument for cross border funding it is the national opera company. The opera house in Belfast is a gem. Funding not management or which vehicle you use is the key issue, OTC is effectively established as the only national opera company we have, it has survived through the worst period of funding for Opera in Irish history, if it can do this it deserves to be trusted as the new national opera company, taking the best of OTC and modelling on one of the smaller UK regional companies like Scottish or Opera North, it would have a chance. It has done good service to opera goers in its youthful years, let it grow into something bigger, and if I had anything to do with the process do a private sponsorship deal similar to say the Jameson Dublin Film Festival, there is still huge potential for a small tight knit company well managed.

The Rape of Lucretia · 14-03-2017 2:16pm

westtip wrote: »

Cardiff has a bigger catchment area and WNO far more established. Lack of venue is not the issue, and if building a purpose built opera house in Dublin I wouldn't go much bigger than Wexford, but that is not going to happen. OTC could be the platform to build a national opera company, afterall they also (or used to) get UK AC funding, if ever there was an argument for cross border funding it is the national opera company. The opera house in Belfast is a gem. Funding not management or which vehicle you use is the key issue, OTC is effectively established as the only national opera company we have, it has survived through the worst period of funding for Opera in Irish history, if it can do this it deserves to be trusted as the new national opera company, taking the best of OTC and modelling on one of the smaller UK regional companies like Scottish or Opera North, it would have a chance. It has done good service to opera goers in its youthful years, let it grow into something bigger, and if I had anything to do with the process do a private sponsorship deal similar to say the Jameson Dublin Film Festival, there is still huge potential for a small tight knit company well managed.

Agree. Cant see a new opera house. But agree that OTC morphing into a national opera company would be fine. They could even keep a little bit of the regional touring if it didnt rob the core productions in Dublin of too much money.
Surprised at your praise for Belfast GOH. Fundamentally it is the same as the Gaiety, though with the well integrated foyer/bars area as a mini version of the covent garden setup (mixed reviews for it, but was at Meistersinger there at the weekend and thought it outstanding (Terfel not what he was though - a bit young to be flagging?)).
And certainly, if ever there was a call for a minority, financially challenged, leisure interest to pool their resources on this island it has to be opera. It should be integral to any real future opera structure.

westtip · 14-03-2017 9:47pm

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Agree. Cant see a new opera house. But agree that OTC morphing into a national opera company would be fine. They could even keep a little bit of the regional touring if it didnt rob the core productions in Dublin of too much money.
Surprised at your praise for Belfast GOH. Fundamentally it is the same as the Gaiety, though with the well integrated foyer/bars area as a mini version of the covent garden setup (mixed reviews for it, but was at Meistersinger there at the weekend and thought it outstanding (Terfel not what he was though - a bit young to be flagging?)).
And certainly, if ever there was a call for a minority, financially challenged, leisure interest to pool their resources on this island it has to be opera. It should be integral to any real future opera structure.

How did it compare to the brilliant Meistersinger they have tossed aside not read any reviews yet. Tom Allen will be hard to surpass, mind you I heard the maestro Geraint Evans towards the end of his career do it in the early 80s, just coming back to this post read one or two reviews, I don't expect to be as excited coming out of the theatre as I was every night I saw the last production which won so many awards, why they couldn't revive that production is beyond me, no doubt the directors swansong reflects his egotism.

BTW don't agree with you about the Gaiety and BGOH being much the same, although both were victorian Frank Matcham theatres the capacity of the BGOH at just over a 1,000 is perfect for a regional touring opera company, the Gaiety is much larger at 2,000, I would swap them anyday especially now Dublin has the modern box on the docks for higher capacity audiences. The BGOH is much more akin to that gem of an opera house in Buxton.

We could have a touring opera company that used Wexford Opera house (I refuse to call it the National opera house), Belfast and either the Box on the Docks or Gaiety. I still can't find the very extensive proposal I wrote along these lines for the Minister of Arts Cullen back in the glory days, if I can dig it out on some old hard drive I will post it up.

The Rape of Lucretia · 26-03-2017 4:28pm

westtip wrote: »

How did it compare to the brilliant Meistersinger they have tossed aside not read any reviews yet.

We could have a touring opera company that used Wexford Opera house (I refuse to call it the National opera house), Belfast and either the Box on the Docks or Gaiety.

Cant compare the previous Meistersinger unfortunately as I didnt see. Still, enjoyed this one greatly and would be interested in the view of someone who could compare them.

On Wexford, lovely little opera house, but with the very notable exception of the festival, it has no role in wider Irish opera for me. I was there last night for OTC's Acis and Galatea - and it struck me that the touring model is exactly what Irish opera does not need.

It was an excellent small production. I urge all to see it. Underpinned by a top notch performance by the IBO (who are a genuinely high quality period group and their concerts are very well worth going to - surely there is a component of a permanant partnership for some Irish opera structure), it had fine voices (Andrew Gavin particularly good and to my ear must surely be destined for greater things), and the setting of 20 somethings in a country and western Irish pub in somewhere like Roscommon, worked brilliantly.

But it wasnt even half full for a one night performance. 250-300 people I would guess. Similarly putting it on the likes of Belvedere or Trinity 'amateur' theatres will attract no more or maybe fewer. But, as part of an 'opera season' in a proper theatre in Dublin, it could have done very well as the minor production partner of some bigger, more mainstream offering, over several nights. The music would have been ideal - not as dry as some of Handel's operas, with good variety, no recititative, not too long, and just a nice stretch into the unknown for the Carmen/Butterfly/Traviata brigade. If Wexford can attract no more than last nights audience, of all small towns in Ireland, with such a fine small theatre, for just one night, then the policy of touring the likes of Navan, Killarney, Letterkenny etc is just a waste of resource.

The audience is so small around Ireland, it has to be a case of bring people to the opera, not bring the opera to the people. I just feel more people would see it if it was presented on the right stage, even if in just one location, than taking it touring, with resultant village hall feel to it.

Anyway, whatever about the precarious future of Irish opera - good news for once, I really enjoyed this production. See it.

(btw - there was a much better attendance last week at the two BGOH productions I saw - Cenerentola, and The Snow Maiden (hardly warhorse stuff but still 80% full or better each night). The difference ? Proper theatre. In a city.)

westtip · 26-03-2017 8:23pm

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Cant compare the previous Meistersinger unfortunately as I didnt see. Still, enjoyed this one greatly and would be interested in the view of someone who could compare them.

On Wexford, lovely little opera house, but with the very notable exception of the festival, it has no role in wider Irish opera for me. I was there last night for OTC's Acis and Galatea - and it struck me that the touring model is exactly what Irish opera does not need.

It was an excellent small production. I urge all to see it. Underpinned by a top notch performance by the IBO (who are a genuinely high quality period group and their concerts are very well worth going to - surely there is a component of a permanant partnership for some Irish opera structure), it had fine voices (Andrew Gavin particularly good and to my ear must surely be destined for greater things), and the setting of 20 somethings in a country and western Irish pub in somewhere like Roscommon, worked brilliantly.

But it wasnt even half full for a one night performance. 250-300 people I would guess. Similarly putting it on the likes of Belvedere or Trinity 'amateur' theatres will attract no more or maybe fewer. But, as part of an 'opera season' in a proper theatre in Dublin, it could have done very well as the minor production partner of some bigger, more mainstream offering, over several nights. The music would have been ideal - not as dry as some of Handel's operas, with good variety, no recititative, not too long, and just a nice stretch into the unknown for the Carmen/Butterfly/Traviata brigade. If Wexford can attract no more than last nights audience, of all small towns in Ireland, with such a fine small theatre, for just one night, then the policy of touring the likes of Navan, Killarney, Letterkenny etc is just a waste of resource.

The audience is so small around Ireland, it has to be a case of bring people to the opera, not bring the opera to the people. I just feel more people would see it if it was presented on the right stage, even if in just one location, than taking it touring, with resultant village hall feel to it.

Anyway, whatever about the precarious future of Irish opera - good news for once, I really enjoyed this production. See it.

(btw - there was a much better attendance last week at the two BGOH productions I saw - Cenerentola, and The Snow Maiden (hardly warhorse stuff but still 80% full or better each night). The difference ? Proper theatre. In a city.)

To answer your two questions. I saw Meistersinger at the ROH last week. The production was simply dreadful. I have seen about 6 producitions over the last 40 years, never have I left the theatre after Meistersinger without a feeling of joy and having been uplifted, I felt totally depressed on Wednesday in London having witnessed yet another ROH disaster under the directorship of Kasper Holten, I was not alone fellow theatre goers I spoke to said the same. I felt so sorry for a fantastic cast and orchestra this production was simply abysmal.

However on Saturday night in Wexford I can only sing the praises yet again of OTC, creative thinking opera at its best, well done to all involved and do try and get to see Acis and Galatea if you can. Simply wonderful, hey Handel may not be everyones cup of tea and the endless repeats of choruses and slow woefullness of death scenes can be tiring for the 21st century listener, but this really was a wonderfully well thought through production, more than can be said for what I witnessed at ROH last week...!!!

wexoperafan · 28-03-2017 8:02am

westtip wrote: »

To answer your two questions. I saw Meistersinger at the ROH last week. The production was simply dreadful. I have seen about 6 producitions over the last 40 years, never have I left the theatre after Meistersinger without a feeling of joy and having been uplifted, I felt totally depressed on Wednesday in London having witnessed yet another ROH disaster under the directorship of Kasper Holten, I was not alone fellow theatre goers I spoke to said the same. I felt so sorry for a fantastic cast and orchestra this production was simply abysmal.

However on Saturday night in Wexford I can only sing the praises yet again of OTC, creative thinking opera at its best, well done to all involved and do try and get to see Acis and Galatea if you can. Simply wonderful, hey Handel may not be everyones cup of tea and the endless repeats of choruses and slow woefullness of death scenes can be tiring for the 21st century listener, but this really was a wonderfully well thought through production, more than can be said for what I witnessed at ROH last week...!!!

I second this. Was at Meistersingers on 15th, and left the opera house in a bad humour. Musically it had its moments, but the production just annoyed me !

Acis and Galatea last Saturday night was a pleasure. Handel is not a favourite of mine by any means, but the whole performance was very enjoyable. Well sung and played. Worth seeing if it comes your way.

Wex

McLoughlin · 15-04-2017 12:56pm

Outside the opera festival the National Opera house is rarely full or sold out with one of the issues Is the lack of promotion and advertising .

I picked up my batch of tickets for 2017 Wexford festival today, it appears prices have gone up or maybe its just me. 7 shows 170 quid I'm looking forward to it but as much as I love it I still have a few problems with the festival the way it's run and what not and this year we should see the launch of the new season if they got the funding they need.

The Rape of Lucretia · 18-04-2017 8:48pm

McLoughlin wrote: »

Outside the opera festival the National Opera house is rarely full or sold out with one of the issues Is the lack of promotion and advertising .

I picked up my batch of tickets for 2017 Wexford festival today, it appears prices have gone up or maybe its just me. 7 shows 170 quid I'm looking forward to it but as much as I love it I still have a few problems with the festival the way it's run and what not and this year we should see the launch of the new season if they got the funding they need.

Wexford is a small town, in a corner of the country. It will never be anywhere near full for opera, apart from the festival. With the nill competition for the title of National Opera House, it may as well have it as not - but the title is misleading, and any view that it can make a place for itself for opera beyond the festival is seriously deluded and a waste of money. I would hope the Arts council recognises this and doesnt end up backing a sure loser.

On the festival itself, the key weak trend for me has been a belief that the obscure or never performed will sustain visitors on that point alone. It will not. The fundamental quality of the music presented must reach a minimum level, and too much in recent years should have been left to the abandon it was justly previously left to. No matter the imaginative settings, the quality of the orchestra, or the promising voices being presented - if the notes on the page are garbage, then those trimmings will not save the day.

But there is plenty of scope to attract those looking beyond the mainstream to the once famous and lauded but still little or never performed (rarer Rossini, Donizetti, Haydn or Gluck, then Meyerbeer, Spontini, Cimarosa, Cherubini) rather than operas which were seen as disposable filler even when first presented. These 'bigger' names will have some pulling power on the names alone. And being fundamentally better composers, even if their lesser works, will present a better standard of music while still retaining sufficient novelty and curiosity value. Even more so probably.

I want to attend opera in Ireland. I want to here rarer opera. I want Wexford Opera to succeed and retain its position and reputation in the opera calender. But I am not going to pay top-ish dollar to go to the likes of tosh such as Tutti in Maschera, etc.

marienbad · 20-04-2017 7:20pm

McLoughlin wrote: »

Outside the opera festival the National Opera house is rarely full or sold out with one of the issues Is the lack of promotion and advertising .

I picked up my batch of tickets for 2017 Wexford festival today, it appears prices have gone up or maybe its just me. 7 shows 170 quid I'm looking forward to it but as much as I love it I still have a few problems with the festival the way it's run and what not and this year we should see the launch of the new season if they got the funding they need.

The reason it is not full outside the Festival is because Wexford is to far out of the way . To give it a second season would be a total disaster for opera in Ireland .

We need an opera presence back in Dublin if the genre is to prosper in this country . And I am saying that even though I will have to travel up and down from Limerick , that is just a recognition of reality.

westtip · 20-05-2017 9:32pm

Fabulous Luisa Miller on Lyric tonight from San Francisco Opera, a Verdi masterpiece not performed often enough. Michael Fabiano is fabulous, lucky enough to have heard him a few times. Heads up for his Rodolfo in the new Boheme at ROH this September, he is one of the best tenors around along with Florez and Kaufman - we are really are blessed with a good crop of world class tenors at the moment!

marienbad · 20-05-2017 10:34pm

westtip wrote: »

Fabulous Luisa Miller on Lyric tonight from San Francisco Opera, a Verdi masterpiece not performed often enough. Michael Fabiano is fabulous, lucky enough to have heard him a few times. Heads up for his Rodolfo in the new Boheme at ROH this September, he is one of the best tenors around along with Florez and Kaufman - we are really are blessed with a good crop of world class tenors at the moment!

Listened to it westtip - great night . I think it is one of the MET's cinema broadcasts next season also .

The Green Pixie · 20-05-2017 10:43pm

Any recommended recordings/DVDs etc?

marienbad · 20-05-2017 11:14pm

The Green Pixie wrote: »

Any recommended recordings/DVDs etc?

My favourite is the ROH/Lorin Maazel one with Domingo and Ricciarelli .

Here it is on youtube

https://youtu.be/CTqAUMee4Ws

westtip · 21-05-2017 2:56pm

marienbad wrote: »

My favourite is the ROH/Lorin Maazel one with Domingo and Ricciarelli .

Here it is on youtube

https://youtu.be/CTqAUMee4Ws

Prefer the pavorotti one myself, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIH7LPuMCjI although I also have a weakness for Carlo Bergonzi in the tenor role, but only because I heard him at the end of his career do the role at Covent Garden in 1981! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai_RksnqGNM

westtip · 02-06-2017 7:49am

I have two tickets for Joyce Di Donato at the NCH next Thursday, Row A, so guarentee you will hear her! its not sold out!!! (is there any hope for opera in this country if this kind of concert does not sell off), At the moment it is 50:50 I can make it, they are 62.50 each, would anyone be interested....the tickets they have left are back of the hall at 95.00 and 79.50 so these are good value!
PM me or call me on 087 4198 193 if interested. Brendan

marienbad · 02-06-2017 8:14am

westtip wrote: »

I have two tickets for Joyce Di Donato at the NCH next Thursday, Row A, so guarentee you will hear her! its not sold out!!! (is there any hope for opera in this country if this kind of concert does not sell off), At the moment it is 50:50 I can make it, they are 62.50 each, would anyone be interested....the tickets they have left are back of the hall at 95.00 and 79.50 so these are good value!
PM me or call me on 087 4198 193 if interested. Brendan

Oh I would love to Brendan But I will be away this week :mad:

westtip · 09-06-2017 10:35am

I am so glad nobody took up my offer for the Joyce di Donato concert. I managed to make it there. I am not going to write too much for now. It was a transformational evening, I am not sure if I have ever witnessed a recital concert quite like it, in fact it was not a recital concert, for anyone who was there they will understand what I am saying; This was a once in a lifetime event. Stunning, emotional, a message to all of us of what music can actually do to transform our lives. This concert was a game changer. I have never witnessed a Dublin audience respond in such a way. A remarkable evening.

garancafan · 09-06-2017 6:15pm

westtip wrote: »

I am so glad nobody took up my offer for the Joyce di Donato concert. I managed to make it there. I am not going to write too much for now. It was a transformational evening, I am not sure if I have ever witnessed a recital concert quite like it, in fact it was not a recital concert, for anyone who was there they will understand what I am saying; This was a once in a lifetime event. Stunning, emotional, a message to all of us of what music can actually do to transform our lives. This concert was a game changer. I have never witnessed a Dublin audience respond in such a way. A remarkable evening.

Well-said westtip. I have but one thing to add: it has become common-place to stand to applaud performers even at the end of mediocre performances - but this time we meant it! I exited lighter of step than I entered.

westtip · 09-06-2017 8:19pm

garancafan wrote: »

Well-said westtip. I have but one thing to add: it has become common-place to stand to applaud performers even at the end of mediocre performances - but this time we meant it! I exited lighter of step than I entered.

I was sitting in A 21 slightly left of stage as we look at it from the stalls, she was directly in front of me for the final aria of first part of the concert, about 8 feet away. It was three or four minutes of my life I will simply never forget.

I agree about standing ovations, but this wasn't a standing ovation when one or two stand and then a few follow suit until the whole auditorium stands, it was instant. As soon as the show stopped everyone seemed to stand spontaneously, I was gasping for breath after this show. I saw people I know there and simply could not talk to them, afterwards, if I spoke I simply broke into tears. I have been so lucky to see so many great performances by many different artists over the years, my eyes are welling up as I write this, anyone who missed it, missed the performance of a lifetime and I don't say that lightly. It was simply astonishing.

garancafan · 09-06-2017 10:09pm

As I remember it she started that aria (one of the most arresting in all of music) in a completely prone position and completed it on her knees - and you were 8 feet away from her!!!
It sounded pretty good from J3, I can't begin to imagine what it was like from your position.

I can totally empathise with your post-performance condition - I suffer from exactly the same physiological response to good music. The aria title couldn't be more appropriate - Lascia ch'io pianga - Let me weep!

westtip · 11-06-2017 9:01pm

garancafan wrote: »

As I remember it she started that aria (one of the most arresting in all of music) in a completely prone position and completed it on her knees - and you were 8 feet away from her!!!
It sounded pretty good from J3, I can't begin to imagine what it was like from your position.

I can totally empathise with your post-performance condition - I suffer from exactly the same physiological response to good music. The aria title couldn't be more appropriate - Lascia ch'io pianga - Let me weep!

Indeed, and I did. It was one of those moments in my life I will never forget!

marienbad · 11-06-2017 9:03pm

steady on lads

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

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