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

Thornography wrote: »

Handy thread,!

I'm looking to go to an opera for the first time and don't know how to go about finding whats going on in my area.

Does anyone have any suggestions for up coming events that would be good to attend?

hi Thornography - I guess you are lucky as you live near Irelands only purpose built opera house - Wexford - and of course at the moment Wexford is entering into its key period of the year with the festival coming up - Mind you - and I don't want to sound like an opera Officianado - but I am not sure what Wexford has to offer you as an opera novice - its raison d'etre is the revival of very obsure operas which have been lost from the repertoiry over the years decades and centuries - If you go to a wexford revival of a truly dreadful opera it may put you off for life! I have been to a few operas at Wexford and come out thinking - well I can see why that one has fallen from grace they do sometimes resurect operas that have been long forgotten for good reason! But the festival is a great experience with real international reputation - www.wexfordopera.com I reckon for a novice and to experience some italian opera their best offering this year might be Maria Padilla by Donizetti - however Wexford tickets don't come cheap!

Opera Ireland have an upcoming season in November www.operaireland.com - A staged performance of Macbeth (Verdi), Verdi captures the essence of the "Scottish Play" in no uncertain terms - for a taste of the music just go to You tube and type in Verdi Macbeth arias - a load of stuff will come up to listen too. They are also doing a concert performance of the first of the four operas in Wagners Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold again look at their website for details. All up in Dublin so means travelling up there.

I would also highly recommend as a novice opera go to try a totally new initiative in the world of opera - or at least new to the Irish opera going public outside Dublin - and that is the innovation of Live HD broadcasts of the New York Met opera famous Saturday matinees - these have long been broadcast on the radio across the world - but now we can experience the stage performane live in a wonderful initiative- whereby in various cinemas and theatres around the country they receive these operatic satelite transmissions - I saw Tosca in a cinema in Galway on Saturday evening it was quite a sensational experence the HD sound and picturequality is amazing. I closed my eyes for a short period in the third act on Saturday and felt I was in the theatre in New York - it is amazing.

The good news for you is Wexford Opera House are also doing these live telecasts - the one on October 23rd of Aida is not being broadcast at Wexford as it is the middle of the festival but on November 7th they are telecasting in HD Puccini's Turandot live from the Met, however you can also see these at Cork Opera House - These are really a massive breakthrough for opera to reach out to those of us who cannot get to the big houses in the likes of London or New York or Milan. And the good news for opera goers - they are cheap at 25 euro a ticket - they really are great value - not quite the same as actually going to a theatre and seeing an opera on stage, which you really must do - but also quite different than just going to the cinema for the night - well worth a try - I intend going to the rest of the series over the winter (every two weeks for next eighteen weeks) this has been promoted by Opera Ireland just look at their website and click on the link for live Met DD broadcasts.

In a similar vein - but not live HD performances you can pick up on operatic cinema performances - with live stage recordings that have been recorded live in high definition so the quality is great - just like the live performances from the Met but you are not sharing the live action as it actually happens - fair old drive for you from Waterford but the IMC in Athlone is featuring a performance of Bellinis I Puritani next Monday Oct 19th at 8.00 pm go to the IMC website: http://www.imccinemas.ie/ This is not a "live" performance but was recorded live - this really is a gem of the bel-canto repertoire. I will be driving down from Sligo for it - For Dublin readers with the motorway Athlone is just over an hour these days! Anyway these new operatic screenings at the cinema are a new way of introducing yourself to opera - BTW this one in Athlone is only ten euro to get into! I think the opera is the one previewed in this link with Juan Diego Florez in the main tenor role - his rendition of A Te Cara would be worth going for in itself http://www.emergingpictures.com/puritani_trailer.htm

And have found this for you closer to home! http://www.sgcdungarvan.net/website.php?localpage=culture just found this later on today and this looks good for you - again its opera at the cinema but it seems the Dungarvan cinema is going down the other route and distributing live operatic cinema performances from other houses (I think there are very specific deals with each cinema house - if they have the NY Met deal they can't broadcast other opera companies hd broadcasts but this looks good: This Saturday 17th October you have Barber of Seville from Madrid, saturday 15th November Falstaff from Glyndebourne earlier this season, and a host of other juicy operas to come .... so why not try these out first!


Finally and by no means least on the live opera going to a theatre and seeing real people sing then do look at - Opera Theatre Company - a small irish company which tours opera to many different venues - this really is a fine creative company that has added so much to the operatic scene in Ireland in the past few years - they do a lot of smaller scale chamber opera - they are I think anyway at their best with the early period repertoire and are currently touring what they do very well - Handel - Handels Alcina is being performed in venues around the country nearest to you would be the GB shaw theatre in Carlow on October 22 their web address is www.opera.ie

You should find something in this lot which does not mean too long a drive eventually found you something in Waterford hope you enjoy something! I was intending to start a monthly operatic bulletin on this thread so I guess this is the start of that

You're welcome - I will endeavour to keep this opera thread going with news about upcoming events etc.

JonnyBlackrock wrote: »

Bravo!! I never thought it would be possible to write such a long article about Ireland's "operatic life". Amazing.
I'm going to Maria Padilla in Wexford on October 23rd. I'll report when I get back to Dublin.
One thing I can say is that the theatre in Wexford is magnificent. I saw a really ridiculous comedy there last year, something called "Tutti in Maschera" (I can't even remember the name of the composer). I've heard opera in countless houses, but I don't think I've ever been to a theatre where the voices project over the orchestra so effortlessly. Miraculous.

Jonny, thanks, That Wexford Theatre is an absolute gem I am going to try and wangle a trip to Maria Padilla myself - I think the Met HD broadcasts would be fun in the Wexford opera house as well - could make it more of a fantasy night at the opera - the one downside of the opera HD broadcasts is stepping out into the popcorn smelling foyer of a general cinema - seeing the HD broadcasts in an opera house the quality of Wexford would be fun - and the tickets all round at 25 euro for all seats makes it very tempting for one of the operas! for our friend in Waterford I would make it a must go event - Are you going to any of OI I am going to both Rheingolds and the Macbeth on the Friday inbetween although I fear what dieter haegi artistic director of OI will do to Macbeth - I really cannot stand most of what he does.....I'm also down in Dublin the weekend of oct 23 so going to see the HD broadcast of Aida at Dun laugharie. Will be interested in the report on maria Padilla it is the one that tempts me this year at WFO.

JonnyBlackrock wrote: »

No, I don't bother with OI, I'm afraid. Went to their Carmen once and thought it was very mediocre. Also saw the hideous Traviata with x-rays of diseased lungs all over the stage. Might have bought tickets for Macbeth if Miriam Murphy had been the Lady as I gather she is amazing. But it's somebody else. Anyway, I hate the acoustics at the Gaiety - the sound just seem to stop dead about half way between the stage and your ears.
Anyway, for what they charge I'd rather get a cheap flight to somewhere in Germany and see the real thing.
I'm toying with the idea of going to Belfast to see one or two of Opera North's productions there. The Cosi is supposed to be fab. Have you ever seen any of their stuff?

I went to Uni in Leeds in the late 70s early 80s when opera north or English National Opera North which it was born as came into being in 1979. I have a very soft spot for the company - they are very competent and come up with some really good stuff a couple of years ago I went over to Belfast to see their Grimes; I had seen it earlier in the year with a trip over to Leeds - it was quite outstanding; yes a friend of mine in the UK had recommended the Cosi to me - and the top price front of dress circle tickets in Belfast are I think about £40 (ie about 42 euro with todays exchange rates), and there are tickets at decent prices in other parts of the house. The OI prices this year are outrageous but then they do suffer as a company with this government we have and the past attitudes to operas underfunding - I too have my artistic doubts about OI - I just cannot stand Dieter Kaegis Artistic Direction - the company really do need to rid themselves of this fool. Don Carlos a few years ago was a complete outrage, if you saw it he had the Grand Inquisitor in a sedan being carried through a stage of dead leaves (which made a racket) whilst he chewed on an apple and tossed it out of his Sedan - Princess Eboli sang her massive aria with a drop net curtain behind her with seemingly three naked women cavorting behind her - it was total nonsense, I booed heartily at the end of it the nozze di Figaro in which he had Figaro measuring his manliness under the sheets rather than the bedroom in the opening scene was cheapness beyond belief, I hissed and booed that production. His desperate direction of Ariadne two years ago - the list goes on - I have got the cheapest seat possible on the edge upstairs for Macbeth frankly with Dieter Kaegi in charge if it gets crap reviews I will boo it from the rafters, (I do get a tad emotional about my opera). On OI ticket prices the most expensive in the house for OI Macbeth are 120 euro for the front of the Dress circle - 120 to see opera ireland! its a joke and of course now they won't have the wannabe seen at the opera rent a crowd anymore with this recession on. I forgot to mention opera north on my opening whats on essay - the Cosi and Werther would be well worth going to and Belfast is very doable now from Dublin with the motorway for a night out, its a hike for me from Sligo but will probably do it for Cosi.....

JonnyBlackrock wrote: »

I've just noticed you mention the Italian Girl in Algiers. I can't go as it's the day after the opera in Wexford. Also, the trouble is that I once saw that opera at Covent Garden in an absolutely exquisite production by Jean Pierre Ponnelle. The role of Isabella was sung by Marilyn Horne. I'm scared that to see it again would spoil the memories I have of that performance.

Yes jonny this is always a problem - but if you live like that you will never go to the same thing again after you have seen one superlative performance - don't let this kind of thinking stop you! however I got my dates wrong with my typing - the italian girl is on Sunday 25th and L'esir d'amore on saturday 24th. I was looking to get a ticket for Wexford on Friday 23rd for Maria Padilla but only one or two top priced tickets left, I didn't bother booking early - so looks like I will miss it. Never mind can't do everything.

snippet I picked up from Googling opera in cinema in ireland - looks like the Bray cinema is going down this route to

http://www.braypeople.ie/news/cinematic-treat-for-opera-lovers-1903028.html

Don't know what I did to this post but managed to edit out all the information I had put in about Wexford, Opera Theatre Company, Met broadcasts etc.- sorry will try and update it later today

Opera at the Cinema: also look at this web site and scroll down to ireland http://www.operaincinema.com/opera_dates.htm

Bellinis I Puritani at http://www.imccinemas.ie/default.asp?idcinema=24

Only showing at two imc cinemas Athlone and Dundalk - Athlone doable from West Dublin in about an hour now on the motorway - only ten euro for tickets - I am really not sure where this production is from, the informaton on the IMC website is pretty scant - my guess is it is this one judging by the pic on the IMC website - which seems to match the one in this link http://www.emergingpictures.com/puritani.htm - This was recorded at the Teatro communale in bologna and feature Juan Diego florez in the role of Arturo worth going to hear this in HD - he is quite superb in this kind of role

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qtS1T - worht looking at - Rest of the cast:

Ugo Guagliardo (Lord Gualtiero Valton)
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Sir Giorgio)
Juan Diego Florez (Lord Arturo Talbo)
Gabriele Viviani (Sir Riccardo Forth)
Gianluca Floris (Sir Bruno Robertson)
Nadia Pirazzini (Enrichetta di Francia)
Nino Machaidze (Elvira)


Synopsis of the opera the opera here http://www.musicwithease.com/i-puritani-synopsis.html

The trailer on this site is superb http://www.emergingpictures.com/puritani_trailer.htm [QUOTE/]

Just an amendment to this post the recorded performance of I Puritani is been shown at one or two other cinemas later this week look at the operaincinema.com website and route through to whats showing in Ireland:

Omniplex Galway Galway Retail Park
Headford Road, Galway I PURITANI: 1st and 2nd Nov

Omniplex Cork Mahon Point Shopping Centre
Mahon, Co Cork I PURITANI: 25th and 26th Oct


Well worth going to - saw it last night in Athlone - Nino Machaidze (Elvira) is sensational in this performance - and the last act Duet between her and Juan Diego Florez (Lord Arturo Talbo) was quite something else! Florez was brilliant in the Vieni Vieni aria. Other hightlights the superb choral work, the 3rd act duet between Riccardo and Valton, the A te Cara and the mad scene (quite superb)....and of course the incredibly bizarre ending to what is one of the most bizarre operas in the repertoire. For ten euro in Athlone it was a snip.

Really quite a bumper week in our fair isle,

Tonight 26th sorry a bit late to notify but the I Puritani mentioned in a post above on screen in on in Cork, also next week on the 1st and 2nd in Galway - check out www.operaincinema.com and juswt click through to whats on in Irealnd - this is well worth going to see.

Opera North - the regional UK opera company with their home in Leeds bring two really worthwhile productions to audience at the Grand Opera House in Belfast Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutti on 28th and 30th and Werthers Massenet on 29th and 31st. www.operanorth.co.uk

Both of these are well worth the trip - I hear the Massenet is particularly good.

The North also has a treat in stall in Armagh on 27th with OTC Alcina also on in Tallaght on 29th. www.opera.ie

And of course Wexford festival Opera continues all week with the three main showings on consecutivve nights of the week - I hear the Maria Padilla has some great singing voices in it. visit the website www.wexfordopera.com for latest ticket news.

Went to the Aida from the Met at the cinema on Saturday - actually a bit disappointing not my favourite Verdi Opera and the broadcast in the first act was affected by the bad weather - but a full house at the IMC at Dun Laoghaire, 300 or so people on a wet saturday night.

Opera Ireland still has tickets for the upcoming season so get on line and book to go if you can. Any news from anyone else on Opera in Ireland??

So here is an opera diary for the week: Monday I Puritani on screen in Cork, Tuesday Alcina in Armagh, Wed Cosi in Belfast, Thursday Werther in Belfast, Friday, ghost of Versailles, Saturday Double Bill Une Éducation Manquée / La Cambiale di Matrimonio Sunday Maria Padiollathe three offerings from Wexford - A different opera every night in Ireland is possible this week!!!!

The following press release has gone out today about Live HD broadcasts of the New York Met Opera Saturday Matinees - performed live in NY City Lincoln centre at 1.00 pm local time 6.00 pm irish time - the Gaiety Cinema in Sligo had been due to start broadcasting these events with the first opera Tosca four weeks ago - and Aida last Saturday - there are 7 more broadcasts being done every two weeks starting from November 7th with Puccini's Turandot - the one that includes the iamous Nessun Dorma at the end of the opera for those not into opera - this is a great way to see international standard opera - and here in Sligo - If you have never tried opera - give this a go, you never know you might get bitten by the bug, and if you are an opera fan in the north west well just enjoy, here is the chance to see one of the great opera companies of the world with stellar casts in an entirely new way....

Had to put this one up on the thread as its also great news for me as it means I don't have to drive down the N17 to get to Galway to these performances!!!! Well done the Gaiety in Sligo.

Press ReleaseNovember 2009

Opera Live
at
GCG, Sligo


The Metropolitan Opera Live via satellite from New York for the first time to GCG, gaiety cinema group, 12 Screen Multiplex, Wine St, Sligo.
The Met Live in HD Season begins in Sligo on Saturday 7th November
with a
New Production of Puccini’s Turandot
Tickets for this are now on sale at GCG Sligo.


Following the success of the inaugural Opera Ireland presents the MET Live in HD series last season, tickets for the fourth season of the Metropolitan Opera’s popular, award-winning series of live transmissions to GCG, Sligo are on sale now. 24 hour c/c booking 1520927011, www.gaietysligo.com or office hours on 071-9162651 .

Due to the phenomenal success and popularity of the first season in Ireland last year, Opera Ireland in association with RTE Lyric fm has expanded the number of venues and locations to include eleven cinemas and theatres around the country North and South. Ticket prices are €25 each.

The 2009-10 season, featuring seven live opera transmissions, opens in Sligo on Saturday, November 7th at 6pm with Maria Guleghina and Marcello Giordani in Puccini’s Turandot.

More than 900 theaters in 42 countries around the world are participating in The Met: Live in HD this season. A record number of more than 1.8 million Live in HD tickets were sold last season.



Four other new productions are featured in the series, including Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann starring Joseph Calleja in the title role, with Anna Netrebko and Alan Held; Bizet’s Carmen starring Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna; Natalie Dessay and Simon Keenlyside in Thomas’s Hamlet; and Rossini’s Armida starring Renée Fleming. The HD season also includes Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier with Fleming and Susan Graham; and Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra starring Plácido Domingo, singing the title role for the first time at the Met. James Levine leads four of the HD transmissions. Complete casting and details of the season’s Live in HD performances follows below.

Commenting on the expansion of the Met live series in Ireland, Niall Doyle, Chief Executive Opera Ireland stated “One of the developments of our last season was Opera Ireland’s partnership with the Metropolitan Opera bringing the spectacular Met Live in HD live opera relays from New York to Ireland for the first time. Thanks to the huge success of that initial test programme and the demand all around the country, we are delighted this season to expand to a countrywide network of 11 venues. We hope to bring a whole new audience to opera in Ireland as well as enriching the operatic menu for already committed opera fans.”

The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from the Neubauer Family Foundation. Bloomberg L.P. is the global corporate sponsor of The Met: Live in HD. The HD broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home builder®.

For further information, images or to reserve your press tickets please contact:
(Paul Keenan, General Manager, GCG, gaiety cinema group, 12 Screen Multiplex, Wine St, Sligo 071-9162651 )

Slightly less pickings on offer for opera goers this week in Ireland after a bumper week last week.

OTC continue with Alcina in Galway Dundalk and Cork on 3rd 5th and 7th rescpectively.

I Puritani on screen in Cork on the 2nd

and Turandot live from the Met next Saturday 7th at various locations including yippee for me! Sligo.

Any other operatic recitials etc then please do add....

Well I consider myself lucky enough to have seen a lot of opera in my life, and digging through my programmes before attending tonights Turandot HD live Met broadcast I realised the last time I saw Turandot was in December 1997, I was in NY City and it was the very same magnificent famous Zefferelli production.

Zefferelli is not only a talented opera director he is also very blessed and very fortunate in his career to have been handed the dollars he was to produce such a sumptious show, with this one, he must be the envy of opera directors around the world. The Met Turandot is Cinematic in its proportions (like his famous Met La Boheme production), this production lent itself well to this form of cinematic HD telecast operatic experience. It is a production of immense proportions - that only a house like the Met is truly capable of and which the more traditional New York opera audienceds demand.

Watching the opera in this format on the big screen with the huge Zefferelli sets and detail involved in this production right down to the long finger nails, reminded me a litttle of watching those great classic 1930s and 1940s Hollywood movies of the Astaire and Rogers variety, cinematic scale sets on the cinema screen.

The Met have assembled a wonderful cast for this production, and importantly the four main principals all shone, although some more than others; Maria Poplavskaya as Liu, Marcello Giordani as Calaf and Maria Guleghina as Turandot and The old hand Samuel Ramey as Timur, but the shining star is without a doubt Maria Poplavskaya - I just googled her and found this piece in the London Evening Standard:

The Royal Opera House will name an unknown Russian soprano as one of the stars of its new season. As Elisabetta in Verdi's Don Carlo, Marina Poplavskaya, 29, will sing a role originally earmarked for Angela Gheorghiu, who withdrew on the grounds that it did not suit her voice.

After tonights viewing on HD broadcast to opera goers globally this voice is no longer an unknown Russian Soprano - she is a voice we are all going to be making an effort to go and hear. Her commanding and soaring voice will truly be something to relish in the great verdi roles. Make it to London if you can for her Elisabetta, it is something to look forward to.

Maria Guleghina was quite frightening in her Questa Reggia in what was a stunning second act, Calaf, Marcello Giordani who showed signs of strain in the second act had a good gargle in the interview and shone in his showpiece Nessun Dorma. He has the true robust volume required to satisfy the vocal demands of this huge house and is showpiece was quite rightly well received by the New Yorkers. Samuel Ramey as Timur was workmanlike and maybe his best days are past him, he seemed a bit tired in the role today.

The supporting roles of Ping Pang and Pong wre very ably sung the second act trio and pantomine they play was both well acted and sung by the trio.

This opera is a strange one. There is little doubt that both Calaf and Turandot deserve each other in the end. Calaf proves what a prick he is after the death of Liu. Tonight I saw this is Sligo - there was a minor technical difficulty in the first act which apparently was experienced in all irish cinemas showing the opera, once they turned the volume up half way through the first act this was a good night out and a good operatic experience. It is not the same as live opera in the theatre, but nevertheless is an added bonus for opera fans in many corners of the globe far removed from the great opera houses of the world. I hope Calaf and Turandot will be very happy together, he wanted her for the money and she realised after executing so many suitors she was likely to end on the shelf, I left the cinema tonight realising they are the most shallow couple in opera!

The other good news was being able to catch the last hour of Maria Padilla on the radio on the way home! Some fine singing in that performance as othes have reported - I see what you mean johny.

Sandwich wrote: »

Throw me out if I'm taking your thread outside its intended purpose.

But what are the views here on the change to state funding of opera as seems to be intended: merging the 3 opera companies, base in Wexford, full productions limited outside that to Dublin etc. Each of the companies seems to be squeeling "they dont understand the situation, dont cut us, we are already cut to the bone, save elsewhere" etc (but then, what section of the ecomony isnt singing the same aria?).

Sandwich absolutely welcome veiws! The thread was started to initiate any chat about things operatic in Ireland - trying to sustain different operatic threads is pretty difficult and your thoughts are more than welcome. I think the move to merge all three opera companies with a single focussed company in Wexford is not a good step forward for opera in ireland.

Wexford has said they are very against as it will dilute the festival, Opera Ireland are against it as it will move them from their spiritual Dublin Grand Opera Society base of ...Dublin and Opera Theatre Company the most stimulating and creative opera company in the country are being squeezed out.

Wexford needs to be left alone. The future of Opera Ireland is open to debate - largely because of the personnel in charge there - the current "Artistic" Director Dieter Kaegi is a disaster, and needs to be fired. If a national opera company is to survive in Ireland we need to look north and sit down with the UK arts council to see if we can forge a company that can be jointley funded by both the UK and Irish Arts council and be a true Opera Ireland company - modelled on the two smaller UK regional opera companies - Opera North based in Leeds and Scottish Opera, based in Glasgow.

When was the last time Opera Ireland played outside Dublin? They are still the Dublin Grand Opera Society and are a rather pathetic little organisation.

Music knows no borders so the usual North South bull**** can be thrown out the window. The person I would invite to be President of this new company is David Trimble - the ex Unionist leader now in the Lords and an absolute devotee of opera and if needs be I would headquarter the company in Belfast; although I can see the merits of Wexford due to the facilities.

For this company I would aim to have three seasons a year - late Spring early summer - say for three weeks in last two weeks in May first in June, late Autumn (where they are now in November) and Late January/early Feb.

The aim would be to do six operas a year - touring the same productions to Belfast, Dublin, Cork and include Wexford Opera House - for both or at least one of the Spring and Winter season.

Each season would open in each city in rotation. Depending on demand I would see something like five nights in Belfast with 3 nights of the more popular opera each season and two of the less popular seller. The same in Dublin and seasons for four nights in Cork of two and two.

This would give 5 nights Belfast, 5 nights Dublin and 4 nights Cork - spread out a bit a 3 week season three times a year.

And one season (probably Spring) in Wexford (maybe no Cork season then).

The repertoire would be mainstream for at least five of the operas - stepping into more adventurous territory at least once a year.

I would try and build the company as a repertoiry company with "house singers and performers drawn as much as possible from Ireland - we has some amazing young singing talent in this country which should be nurtured by the national opera company.

For the size of our country I think this is the best we could hope for - Regarding Opera Theatre Company - they are the most creative opera company in the country - I would bring in their management and creative team to manage and run this new touring opera ireland company and amalgamate the two. This would give us a true national opera company performing in different parts of the country.#

Anyway some food for thought there.

I am posting this up a bit late (monday evening), Opera Irelands Autumn season kicked off last saturday night it might be worth reading Michael Dervan in The Times last saturday to sum up the parlance state in which opera finds itself - Imust send Michael my alternative plan:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2009/1114/1224258799017.html

Things really don't look good for opera in Ireland and if the current plan to get rid of OTC goes ahead it will indeed be a sad day for opera in ireland, I only hope OTC debunks to the North and keeps itself together under the UK arts council.

Anyway this week we have both Macbeth (not seen a review yet) staged and a concert Rheingold, I am going to Rehingold Thursday and Macbeth Friday and Rheingold again Saturday. We shall see.

www.operaireland.com


Macbeth: 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 / 22 November 2009

Rheingold: 19 / 21 November 2009

Michael Dervans Irish times review can be read here http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2009/1117/1224258977150.html

Not awe-inspiring by any accounts but the Lady Macbeth sounds promising - I am glad I have booked the cheap seats on the side balcony, Dieter Kaegi as ever cannot be trusted to deliver anything inspirational.

Aria of the week: Just look at this concert performance of "Nel di della vitoria" with Callas in a concert performance in the 1950s sheer magic!!! May not be perfect but it is the perfect imperfections that made this woman such an icon of the twentieth century - Madonna eat your heart out. you will be forgotten when this woman is still being listened to in space stations 300 years from now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fsOVCnE_WY

Opera in cinema go to http://www.operaincinema.com/opera_dates.htm#RANGE!A406

Cosi fan tutti in Dundrum, Swords and Dungarvan on 21st November and IMC dundalk and Athlone on 23rd November.

in the Gaiety theatre bar OI are offering a lunctime of arias - a sandwich and soup and a few coluraturas chirping away all for 15 euro - I might give it a whirl if it is on Friday. 014786041

Rathmines adn Rathgar Musical society are putting on HMS Pinafore in the NCH all week - not my cup of tea G&S but I give them a mention for those into it.

Sandwich wrote: »

Hands down victory for the Rheingold.

Macbeth, despite the staging, and a good effort from Lady Macbeth was very lacklustre. Rest of the cast mediocre, chorus very amateur. Looked quite well though.

Top stuff from all contributors in Das Rheingold. Good performances made it more gripping and dramatic despite the flatness of the concert performance restrictions. Concert Orchestra sounded very well.

Sandwich, agree with you about Rheingold - it was really first class and they had assembled an excellent cast in partiuclar loge, Macbeth staging for me was as ever with Dieter Kaegi somewhat baffling interestin in parts will write more later - just back in north west afterflood delayed drive home.

Folks sorry have not sustained my weekly operatic bulletin, strayed off for a week to rant and rave in another part of boards.ie about a totally unrelated subject.

Alas it seems all the fears about Aida at the O2 were fulfilled, I just think it is such a great pity that so many peoples view of opera will have been tarnished by events last Friday. I for one was certainly not there, and my views of the event beforehand are recorded on the colossol Aida thread.

Please if you really want to try opera for the first time then don't believe the advertising for an event like this - and read whats written on this thread beforehand people like jonyblackrock and Sandwich and I hope myself will give you the benefit of our many opera going years.

Anyway I left off about two weeks ago having just about made it back to the North West from a visitation to Das Kapital to see our national opera company (who never perform out of the Capital) in two variable performances. Here is my take on what I saw two weeks ago:

Macbeth

Lets get the horror story over first. This was OIs one “staged” performance of the two they put on last week, I too share the same trepidation of Michael Dervan when approaching any operatic experience under the direction of Dieter Kaegi; my usual fear is to come out the theatre angry and the absurdity he throws at us. I have ceased being angry with Mr. Kaegi, the only rage I now have is the persistence OI have in allowing this gentlemen to waste what resources the company has upon his self indulgences.

So what was the deliverance this time? The production as ever is interwoven with every cliché post modernist operatic production cliché he can bring in.

Once more we have the hierarchy of militarism coming from the Trotskyite revolution – of course with each member of the senior camp of men donning their Leninist working hero’s caps. We know that Macbeth had returned from war not by his own entry but by the entry of his kit bag thrown across the stage – followed by the soon to be assassin himself. As a senior military hero in true Leninist style he carries his own bag.

The arrival of Duncan with son Malcolm and Macduff is revealing – we know which one is Duncan because he is the one wearing the crown, it looked like one of those upmarket Christmas party hats as worn by Les Trois Roi then we get the star of the show appearing - the bleeding throne. A straight back Charles Rennie Mackintosh (the Scottish connection of course) in the centre of the stage which appears to have the stigmata, it is literally a bleeding piece of furniture. Mr Kaegi and his exotic symbolism of the blood connected with the position of the throne. What was the word I was thinking of: Corny. The throne continues to have bouts of stigmatic bleeding at various points during the evening.

The damned lady was sung quite adequately by Canadian soprano Michele Capalbo, she wore the colour of blood throughout – and actually had some stunning red numbers to wear for her showpiece arias. She was well supported by the home grown talent of Bruno Caproni from Belfast in the role of the murderous husband. Other roles were adequate and acceptable for both OI and the size of the house.

In Act 2 the banquet scene did not work.

In Act 3 on the English border with displaced Scottish war refugees we are thrown into the standard vision of central European opera directors clichéd view of refugees: As ever these refugees carried the standard cardboard suitcases and looked like they had spent the years of 1940 – 45 in a combination of Stalingrad, on board refugee trains traversing Germany, Poland and Russia and of course as if they had just escaped from the Gulag. Once more the displaced of central Europe circa late 1945/ early 1946 appeared to represent the oppressed masses and refugees of war and conflict on an opera stage. How many times have I suffered this very same view of the oppressed masses on operatic stages in the past 30 years? Mr. Kaegi please come up with something new.

I struggle with Macbeth as an opera, I certainly think it hangs less well together than Otello as an opera – and strangely for me as a theatre goer it is a piece I prefer to hear and see as a play, I feel quite the reverse about Othello and Otello. Give me the opera everyday of the week.

Anyway I did not like this production and was glad I had only paid 25 Euro to sit in the sides of the upper balcony, which are astonishingly good value seats.

Rheingold the following evening was a resounding success!!!!

Happy new year to all opera going viewers of this thread.

The first full week of the year has the following offerings.

Opera Theatre Company has a fund raising concert at the NCH this Saturday 9th January all tickets are 50 Euro a throw. The concert is aimed at raising funds to help support OTC touring programme. If you can make it details of booking are at www.nch.ie or call the NCH box office on 01 417 0000; not sure I will make it with the weather as it is for driving to Dublin.

Clashing on the same night (bad timing OTC!) is the next Met Opera broadcast, all the Met Opera broadcasts are being promoted by OI and details of further broadcasts can be found on a link on the OI website www.operaireland.com, plus another cinema offering from the rival cinema in opera distributor.

This Saturday its Richard Strauss's jewell in his operatic crown Der Rosenkavelier.

James Levine conducts a stellar cast led by Renée Fleming as the Marschallin and Susan Graham as Octavian. Eric Cutler is the Italian Singer, Kristinn Sigmundsson sings the role of Baron Ochs, and Christine Schäfer is Sophie. HD host: Plácido domingo. At the following cinemas listed in the link below

http://www.operaireland.ie/index.jsp?p=119&n=162&a=0

Dublin:

IMC Dun Laoghaire - 01 - 2301367 01 - 2301367 / www.imccinemas.ie (box office opens 21 September)

The Screen,D'Olier Street - 0818 - 300301 / www.screencinema.ie

Swan Cinema Rathmines- 1520 880 007/ www.swancinemas.ie (contact box office for opening date)

Beyond the Pale:

Wexford Opera House - 053 - 912 2144 053 - 912 2144 / www.wexfordoperahouse.ie (box office opens 21 September)

Cork Opera House - 021 - 427 0022 021 - 427 0022 / www.corkoperahouse.ie (box office opens 21 September)

Eye Cinema Galway - 091 - 780 078 091 - 780 078 / www.eyecinema.ie (box office opens 23 September)

Gaiety Cinema Sligo - 1520 - 927 011 / www.gaietysligo.com (box office opens 31 October)

Northern Ireland:

Storm Cinema, Belfast - 0044 - (0)28 - 907 39 134 0044 - (0)28 - 907 39 134 / www.stormcinemas.co.uk (contact box office for opening date)

Derry Omniplex - 0044 - (0)87 -172 00 400 / www.omniplex.ie (box office opens 25 September)

Newry Omniplex - 0044 - (0)87 -172 00 400 / www.omniplex.ie (box office opens 25 September

I urge our Dublin based Opera goers to try and support the OTC event - the cinema events are fine, but we all need to support live opera!!

Also on January 9th in three cinemas we have Gounods Romeo et Juliette http://www.operaincinema.com/opera_dates.htm#RANGE!A432

Dungarvan, Swords and Dundrum a pre-recorded event from the Salzburg Festival

Cast

Nino Machaidze (Juliette)
Rolando Villazòn (Romèo)
Mikhail Petrenko (Frère Laurent)
Russell Braun (Mercutio)
Cora Burggraaf (Stèphano)
Falk Struckmann
(Le Comte & Capulet)
Juna Francisco Gatell (Tybalt)

I urge our Dublin based Opera goers to try and support the OTC event - the cinema events are fine, but we all need to support live opera!!