Anyone know about Ballet and or Opera?!
Discussion
Wasn't sure if this should be in the 'Music' sub forum or not?! Thought I'd try my luck here first!
Does anyone know the slightest thing about Ballet and or Opera? I want to get tickets to take SWMBO but don't really know where to start or what to look for?
I have been looking on the Royal Opera House site but I don't really know where to start on choosing something. Help!
Does anyone know the slightest thing about Ballet and or Opera? I want to get tickets to take SWMBO but don't really know where to start or what to look for?
I have been looking on the Royal Opera House site but I don't really know where to start on choosing something. Help!
OK, are you based in/near London?
It depends what sort of thing you are looking for. Is there a particular type of classical music you like? To start out I'd reccommend something by Puccini or perhaps Verdi - Turandot or Madame Butterfly perhaps by Puccini, or Falstaff or Otello by Verdi. Mozart's operas are sublime (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute, Cosi fan Tutte).
I'd give stuff like Wagner a miss to begin with - it's magnificent stuff but it is properly epic. A few years back I went to see the Ring of the Nibelung - think a musical version of Lord of the Rings. 4 consecutive nights, about 5 hours of music on each night. I have it on CD and it's about 16 discs!
The two main companies in London are the Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Musically the ROH is probably better, but ENO do English translations so you've more of an idea what's going on!
As for ballet - English National Ballet or the Royal Ballet are your main options (Birmingham Royal Ballet do a lot of touring too). The Tchaikovsky ballets (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, etc.) are the "standard" ones everybody thinks about when they think ballet. My favourite ballets are probably the Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) and Romeo and Juliet (Prokoviev), but probably because of the music. Have a look on youtube.
Probably your best plan is to have a look at some of their websites and see what's coming up and make a decision based on that. Good luck!
It depends what sort of thing you are looking for. Is there a particular type of classical music you like? To start out I'd reccommend something by Puccini or perhaps Verdi - Turandot or Madame Butterfly perhaps by Puccini, or Falstaff or Otello by Verdi. Mozart's operas are sublime (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute, Cosi fan Tutte).
I'd give stuff like Wagner a miss to begin with - it's magnificent stuff but it is properly epic. A few years back I went to see the Ring of the Nibelung - think a musical version of Lord of the Rings. 4 consecutive nights, about 5 hours of music on each night. I have it on CD and it's about 16 discs!
The two main companies in London are the Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Musically the ROH is probably better, but ENO do English translations so you've more of an idea what's going on!
As for ballet - English National Ballet or the Royal Ballet are your main options (Birmingham Royal Ballet do a lot of touring too). The Tchaikovsky ballets (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, etc.) are the "standard" ones everybody thinks about when they think ballet. My favourite ballets are probably the Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) and Romeo and Juliet (Prokoviev), but probably because of the music. Have a look on youtube.
Probably your best plan is to have a look at some of their websites and see what's coming up and make a decision based on that. Good luck!
Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 25th August 09:41
NiceCupOfTea said:
OK, are you based in/near London?
It depends what sort of thing you are looking for. Is there a particular type of classical music you like? To start out I'd reccommend something by Puccini or perhaps Verdi - Turandot or Madame Butterfly perhaps by Puccini, or Falstaff or Otello by Verdi. Mozart's operas are sublime (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute, Cosi fan Tutte).
I'd give stuff like Wagner a miss to begin with - it's magnificent stuff but it is properly epic. A few years back I went to see the Ring of the Nibelung - think a musical version of Lord of the Rings. 4 consecutive nights, about 5 hours of music on each night. I have it on CD and it's about 16 discs!
The two main companies in London are the Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Musically the ROH is probably better, but ENO do English translations so you've more of an idea what's going on!
As for ballet - English National Ballet or the Royal Ballet are your main options (Birmingham Royal Ballet do a lot of touring too). The Tchaikovsky ballets (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, etc.) are the "standard" ones everybody thinks about when they think ballet. My favourite ballets are probably the Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) and Romeo and Juliet (Prokoviev), but probably because of the music. Have a look on youtube.
Probably your best plan is to have a look at some of their websites and see what's coming up and make a decision based on that. Good luck!
Superb, thank you very much. It depends what sort of thing you are looking for. Is there a particular type of classical music you like? To start out I'd reccommend something by Puccini or perhaps Verdi - Turandot or Madame Butterfly perhaps by Puccini, or Falstaff or Otello by Verdi. Mozart's operas are sublime (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute, Cosi fan Tutte).
I'd give stuff like Wagner a miss to begin with - it's magnificent stuff but it is properly epic. A few years back I went to see the Ring of the Nibelung - think a musical version of Lord of the Rings. 4 consecutive nights, about 5 hours of music on each night. I have it on CD and it's about 16 discs!
The two main companies in London are the Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Musically the ROH is probably better, but ENO do English translations so you've more of an idea what's going on!
As for ballet - English National Ballet or the Royal Ballet are your main options (Birmingham Royal Ballet do a lot of touring too). The Tchaikovsky ballets (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, etc.) are the "standard" ones everybody thinks about when they think ballet. My favourite ballets are probably the Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) and Romeo and Juliet (Prokoviev), but probably because of the music. Have a look on youtube.
Probably your best plan is to have a look at some of their websites and see what's coming up and make a decision based on that. Good luck!
Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 25th August 09:41
The good lady likes anything new and I'm open to giving it a try too. I think something more 'classical' would be a good starting point for us too.
The ROH have Romeo and Juliett on later this year so that might be a good option. I'll have a look at the ENO site too.
Nicecupoftea, I don't know about you but even at ENO I find understanding the libretto even in English difficult plus it spoils the timbre of the song for me. I prefer the original language at RHO with surtitles. I know, the purists abhor surtitles, but that's their choice. The Garden is damned expensive though...
ROH also have Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker which might be good calls (both "standard" Tchaikovsky ballets)
ENO are doing Turandot, and interestingly Duke Bluebeard / Rite of Spring in a double bill (odd as they are an opera company and the Rite is a ballet but could be fun!).
Ballet might be a more gentle introduction than opera - they tend to be shorter and there's something to watch! (Easier to work out what's going on if you don't understand the words too - it's often a good idea to read a synopsis of the story before going IMHO)
ENO are doing Turandot, and interestingly Duke Bluebeard / Rite of Spring in a double bill (odd as they are an opera company and the Rite is a ballet but could be fun!).
Ballet might be a more gentle introduction than opera - they tend to be shorter and there's something to watch! (Easier to work out what's going on if you don't understand the words too - it's often a good idea to read a synopsis of the story before going IMHO)
NiceCupOfTea said:
ROH also have Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker which might be good calls (both "standard" Tchaikovsky ballets)
ENO are doing Turandot, and interestingly Duke Bluebeard / Rite of Spring in a double bill (odd as they are an opera company and the Rite is a ballet but could be fun!).
Ballet might be a more gentle introduction than opera - they tend to be shorter and there's something to watch! (Easier to work out what's going on if you don't understand the words too - it's often a good idea to read a synopsis of the story before going IMHO)
Thanks again. ENO are doing Turandot, and interestingly Duke Bluebeard / Rite of Spring in a double bill (odd as they are an opera company and the Rite is a ballet but could be fun!).
Ballet might be a more gentle introduction than opera - they tend to be shorter and there's something to watch! (Easier to work out what's going on if you don't understand the words too - it's often a good idea to read a synopsis of the story before going IMHO)
In terms of what seats to go for, any advice? 1st floor 'Stalls' tickets seem reasonable. Would these be OK?
fivesixseven8 said:
Just having a quick read up on some of your suggestions, Madame Butterfly sounds like a good option. It doesn't appear to be on anywhere though? I'm looking for something in October if you can help?
Apart from Butterfly, try la Boheme, Tosca, or la Traviata, or even Pagliacci. All good for a thoroughly miserable night out. It's not good unless the audience leaves in tears. Covent Garden tends to run the more obscure and difficult stuff much of the time - you're lucky to find a really popular work like these being presented there. ENO might be a better bet for that. There's also touring companies at local venues occasionally. I saw tosca at the Swan in High Wycombe a couple of years ago performed by a Moldovan (I seem to recall) State Opera Company. They were certainly not RHO standard but they put their hearts into it. Whatever you see of those suggested, you have to have a heart of stone not to be moved. Eric Mc should be along in a minute - he's a performer!
I think I've only actually been to ENO once - Rosenkavalier about 10 years ago - and I have to agree with motco on the translation. I was right up in the Gods too so I felt pretty uninvolved. You do pay for it at the ROH though!
Good calls on Tosca and Boheme, they would be ideal.
You can't go too wrong with the stalls - usually they are pricey at Covent Garden though. Is there a seat map?
Maybe worth having a little google too - there are often a lot of amateur operatic societies (hello Eric ) performing these sorts of things. Obviously the standard isn't as high and it won't have the same sense of grandeur, but will be a great deal less expensive.
Good calls on Tosca and Boheme, they would be ideal.
You can't go too wrong with the stalls - usually they are pricey at Covent Garden though. Is there a seat map?
Maybe worth having a little google too - there are often a lot of amateur operatic societies (hello Eric
) performing these sorts of things. Obviously the standard isn't as high and it won't have the same sense of grandeur, but will be a great deal less expensive.I'll admit to only having been to the Opera once, Cartmen, in English (chosen by me, as i wanted to understand the words) Be very careful of theseats in the Colleseum. , some of them are on a slope. (as in the seats slop from right to left, which i found really uncomfortable. (Front row of the circle.)
If I was dragged back I'd defintiely not bother with going to an Opera in English..... Its the only time I have ever left a performance of anything at the interval, the Mrs and my mother stayed til the bitter end, I sat in the pub with a copy of Classic and Sportscar and a couple of pints.
If I was dragged back I'd defintiely not bother with going to an Opera in English..... Its the only time I have ever left a performance of anything at the interval, the Mrs and my mother stayed til the bitter end, I sat in the pub with a copy of Classic and Sportscar and a couple of pints.
Hi
I've been in a couple of operas - "Carmen" (by Bizet), "Street Scene" (by Kurt Weil).
I've been in quite a few operettas - Gilbert and Sullivan (HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance)
Lehar - The Merry Widow
Strauss - Thde Gypsy Baron
Romberg - The Desert Song
I prefer to be in them as opposed to watching them.
I've been in a couple of operas - "Carmen" (by Bizet), "Street Scene" (by Kurt Weil).
I've been in quite a few operettas - Gilbert and Sullivan (HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance)
Lehar - The Merry Widow
Strauss - Thde Gypsy Baron
Romberg - The Desert Song
I prefer to be in them as opposed to watching them.
There are some touring opera productions which means that you can get to see real professional opera at your local theatre. I've seen a couple of operas at The new Victoria Thaetre, Woking (The Marriage of Figaro and Aida). It's a lot less costly than going to one of the London venues.
Eric Mc said:
There are some touring opera productions which means that you can get to see real professional opera at your local theatre. I've seen a couple of operas at The new Victoria Thaetre, Woking (The Marriage of Figaro and Aida). It's a lot less costly than going to one of the London venues.
Thanks Eric. I think part of the experience for us would be in attending one of the large London venues. If we got into it then this would be something I would look into.To think this idea was sparked by the recent Goldie @ The Proms programme!
Fair enough
Re: Boheme / Nutcracker - it depends what you want! Nutcracker may be "easier" for a first time, but Boheme is very accessible and if you buy a programme with a synopsis you'll know what's going on.
Ballet is obviously much more visual. I actually went to see the Nutcracker at the Coli (ENO) with Mrs.NCoT last Christmas and it was really enjoyable - very Christmassy! That might be a good start.
Prokoviev R&J is an incredible work and you will recognise a few of the tunes (music from The Apprentice is "Dance of the Knights"). It's longer though - from memory it's 3 Acts, each one 40 mins or so (the dancers need more of a break than the singers!)
Re: Boheme / Nutcracker - it depends what you want! Nutcracker may be "easier" for a first time, but Boheme is very accessible and if you buy a programme with a synopsis you'll know what's going on.
Ballet is obviously much more visual. I actually went to see the Nutcracker at the Coli (ENO) with Mrs.NCoT last Christmas and it was really enjoyable - very Christmassy! That might be a good start.
Prokoviev R&J is an incredible work and you will recognise a few of the tunes (music from The Apprentice is "Dance of the Knights"). It's longer though - from memory it's 3 Acts, each one 40 mins or so (the dancers need more of a break than the singers!)
Unlike big lavish musicals, opera is all about the music and the singing. The action tends to be more static. Having seen operas in a number of places, I can honestly say that the venue wasn't a big factor. It was the quality of the performers that mattered.
Another alternative is an open air venue or one of the big festivals, such as held at Glyndbourne.
Another alternative is an open air venue or one of the big festivals, such as held at Glyndbourne.
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