Competition: Win La bohème tickets
Tell us your favourite production from the 2011/12 season for a chance to win.
To mark the end of The Royal Opera’s season – and encourage you to tell us what you think - we’re offering the chance to win a pair of tickets to La bohème. All you have to do is tell us which was your favourite production from the 2011/12 season and why. To enter, leave a comment here or tweet us with the hashtag #RoyalOperaReview.
Please note this competition is now closed.
The productions performed by The Royal Opera during the 2011/12 season were:
- Il trittico (Il tabarro/Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi)
- Faust
- Der fliegende Holländer
- La traviata
- La sonnambula
- Plácido Domingo celebration
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
- Don Giovanni
- Così fan tutte
- Le nozze di Figaro
- Rusalka
- Miss Fortune
- Rigoletto
- La fille du régiment
- La bohème
- Falstaff
- Salome
- Les Troyens
- Il viaggio a Reims
- Otello
We’re also running a similar competition reviewing The Royal Ballet’s season.
The competition is open until midday on Tuesday 31 July, when the winner will be drawn at random. Entry is open to all ages. The prize is two tickets for the performance of La bohème on 5 Jan 2013. Travel and accommodation costs are not included. Entrants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult when attending a Royal Opera House performance. Tickets are non-transferrable, our decision is final and no alternative prize will be offered. We reserve the right to change prizes and/or end the competition at any time.
La bohème ,
just amazing !!!
It has to be Les Troyens. It all started in April 2011 when some friends from the US & a friend from NZ all said they wanted to come to London specially to see it & would I get tickets. *Oh 'eck!* Well I did manage to get tickets (box) & they did come & it was an occasion which I will never forget & neither will they. It was a very special time for all of us, so thank you ROH for a life-enhancing experience.
Salome - from the beautiful music to the wonderful staging, it was a spectacular production. It is one of my favourite plays, as well as favourite Aubrey Beardsley print, and I felt the 1890s decadence and biblical violence were truly wonderfully felt.
Il Trittico!
Rigoletto!
Otello- spectecular!
Salome. An incredible, visceral production that truly captured the imagination.
It was the first time I'd seen Dei Mesitersinger von Nurnberg and it was simply wonderful. II enjoyed Don Giovanni, figaro, Miss Fortune and Cosi Fan tutte, but for a first Wagner it has be hooked and, as a result, I'm coming to the Ring in September.
Otello - simply stunning!
La traviata
My favourite production was Rogoletto
well, actually I´ve never been in one of those productions, but one of my dreams is to be in one since I moved to London. If not now I promise I will join you soon ;) cheers! #RoyalOperaReview.
Il Trittico!
Le nozze di Figaro
Just a wonderful production to brilliant music. Music that I find myself whistling constantly.
Bravo ROH
Le nozze di Figaro - pure latesummer bliss!
Faust--great singing!
Troyens--loved the ballet and the last two acts!
Salome, such a fresh production
Il trittico....fantastic!
Definitely OTHELLO!!
Falstaff! -elegant, stylish and funny!
I loved Miss Fortune. No one else seemed to, which is a shame. It mixed tradition and a hip hop type of culture, kebab and the orient...and brilliant performances. Thanks for putting it on!
Don Giovaaaani !!!! :) ... Simply for the reason that I was singing the finale for a couple of months (with the hand pointing), tremendously annoyed a few friends and family by the 4th month! At least now they have it front of mind, and will be watching it next time :)
* The finale was spectacular, the flames at the end topped it all off!
Rigoletto!
What to choose - so many lovely productions each with good points and bad point, in equal meassures.
However, for me - of the productions I attended - I would pick La fille du regiment. A revival of an old and loved production, prevously with many great names in the leads. However, this time around we had one of the best castings - not star studded per see and that was what worked. No prima donnas to please but a homogenous cast who worked as a tightly nitted team, each night, to produce a well-balanced, great acted and beautifully sung opera. This is what opera is all about - a well balanced team producing a great whole for the enjoyment of the audience - night after night.
With the adolation of stars in today's world - we do not get to see productions of this quality too often, sadly.
La Traviata....definitely.....splendid in all respects...beautiful costumes too. <3
Falstaff! elegant, stylish and funny!
Les Troyens. Just amazing!!
La Traviata was my fave of the season, the singing was of an even higher standard than usual. The dress and sets in the traditional style, drawing me into the performance so much so I felt La Traviata was happening in real life! I was truly moved as were the others I was with. The performance ended with a standing ovation. What more could I want?! I hope to be in productions such as this if I make it onto the opera stage a few years after music college - I've learnt lots from it!
La fille du regiment was an absolute delight, with the funny Pelly's production and the amazing singing of Ciofi and Lee !
Viaggio! Not performed very often but a real gem :)
Placido Domingo - Operalia! Stunning voices and such an amazing experience to see great talents from different generations of opera coming togther!
Les Troyens.
Le nozze di Figaro
Il trittico - Ermonela Jaho's performance in Sour Angelica alone was worth it.
La Traviata
Les Troyens
Don Giovanni.
Truly wonderful performance: great acting, spectacular scenography and ,of course, the voices to fall in love with.
Les Troyens which adhered so well to original writings.A new production conceived with passion on a grand scale.It was in keeping with the magnitude of effort made for all Olympic related productions and did ROH proud in 2012.
Faust: thrilling, great design, magnificent cast
Rigoletto, a wonderful cast and chorus that highlighted the dangerous political undercurrent of life in the Duke's court, more so than in any other production I have seen.
Così fan tutte! Watched it last season too but I'll never forget how special the opening night of this season's run of it was, with the celebration of Sir Thomas Allen's forty years at the Royal Opera and all. It's a beautiful memory and I'm sure it'll stay with me for life. Here's to many more special nights at the ROH! Viva opera! #RoyalOperaReview
Il trittico
Otello! One of my favourite operas ever!!!
Salome - a spectacular show filled with passion and desire; a veritable feast of longing.
La traviata!!
Beautiful, moving... memorable!
La Traviata!
La Traviata took my breath away <3
Don Giovanni!
Cosi Fan Tutte!
Definitely Il trittico. Three brilliant operas packed into one night.
La traviata !
La traviata! beautiful, moving...memorable!
La traviata, amazing!
La sonnambula: my first Bellini opera ever (and also, my first opera at ROH).
I think for me it's got to be Il Trittico. All three operas were fantastically performed in excellent productions and it was a pleasure to see the operas as they were intended to be seen. Experiencing them together in one evening gives a wonderful arc to the evening's entertainment, from sadness to laugh out loud comedy!
La Boheme - superb
It has to be La bohème
La Boheme was the first opera I ever saw and I have continued to love it ever since. The ROH production is just stunning and I love it
Favourite production of the ROH 11/12 season was Il Trittico. R Jones on inspired form, Jaho devastating in Suor Angelica
Don Giovanni, it was absolutely amazing!
Salome - if all opera productions were so courageous, incredibly radical and brave, and yet so subtle with an astonishing emotional depiction to the most trifle detail - life would have been even more magical!
This past year I have seen many of the operas as I find the royal opera house an amazing venue and prices for tickets are extremelly affordable. Out of La Traviata, La Boheme, Cosi fan Tutte, The marriage of Figaro and Don Giovani and Rigoletto that I have seen this year - It is a tough call but will choose Don Giovanni as my favourite as set designs and the interpretation of Dona Ana were marvellous!
Otello - faultless!
La boheme every time! Just beautiful.
Falstaff. That kitchen was to die for.
La Traviata - an amazing spectacle, but also Miss Fortune for the wonderful casting and sets.
It's got to be Salome. It was sinister, erotic and there were some beautiful performances, in particular from Narroboth, Angela Denoke as Salome, and the orchestra
Definitely Rusalka, Don Giovanni and my my all time favourite Faust. and I would LOVE to see La bohème and Otello at the ROH if I have the chance :)
Les Troyens - the set/scenery was fab, and prompted lots of fascinating 'behind-the-scenes' fotoage and articles.
Don Giovanni!
I really enjoyed Don Giovanni - the singers were amazing, and Erwin Schrott may be one of the best Dons I've seen. He's also rather dashing, which helps.
Rusalka
La traviata!!!
#RoyalOperaReview
My favorite was: Plácido Domingo celebration
La traviata! Especially with Ailyn Perez performing. I've went there 3 times.
La traviata – mostly for the 'Drinking Song' which is always great
La Traviata! Especially with Ailyn Perez performing. I went there three times.
Favourite opera this season was Salome. The set was breathtaking and cleverly designed, the orchestra sounded sensational and the singers handled the incredibly demanding score with style, Rosalind Plowright as Herodias being a personal favourite of mine.
Rigoletto - A tragedy with a show stopping hit a minute!
La bohème was absolutely brilliant.
Rigoletto
Faust for me - magical and spine-tingling
La Traviata - a wonderful evening
Don Giovanni - just stunning. The drama and passion never disappoints, and the music is just sublime.
Don Giovanni
My favourite last year's production was Il Tritico. I always enjoy Richard Jones' productions, so I was thrilled he is going to stage Puccini's masterpiece. It didn't dissapointed me. 'Gianni Schicci' was witty, smart and charming - and so was it played by the whole cast. I really liked the idea of placing Suor Angelica's action in children's hospital - i think it underlines Angelica's tragedy. And Il tabarro had an excellent cast - Eva-Maria Westbroek and Aleksandr Antonenko were not only a emotionally engaged singers, but also a compelling actors.
But Il trittico wouldn't be as succesful as it was without Pappano's brillant conducting, who became the man of the evening.
That's why I like ROH's Il Trittico so much - it is an ideal combination of intelligent staging, good singing and flawless conducting, which doesn't happen in opera too often.
Otello
So difficult to choose, now that I've been reminded of what's been on. I think on balance it has to be Otello for the revelatory performance of Antonenko and Pappano's interpretation. I never thought I'd see a performance that came close to the Domingo/Kleiber in 1987, but this certainly did.
La bohème
Otello!!!
don giovanni
Most certainly, La Boheme. Gheorghiu and Alagna were extraordinary, the sets were beautiful and the performance overall, was spectacular!
La Traviata definitely, so beautiful!
An artistic triumph on every level, La Traviata cements the ROH’s top position for opera lovers. The production attained the dizzying pinnacle of artistic collaboration that only opera can reach. The usual opulent settings, that the Royal Opera House do so well , ostentatiously colourful costumes and lighting are matched by the sensational talents of the cast. Storytelling is paramount without losing the narrative along with the electricity and chemistry of the cast, that is not always apparent. Love, tragedy and passion at its best!
Most certainly La Boheme. Gheorghiu and Alagna were extraordinary, the sets were beautiful and the overall performance outstanding.
Miss Fortune gets my big vote! Courageous, risk taking and utterly engaging. I loved the mixed media elements, and the ending not only had me in tears, it had me thinking about life for a long time after. For me, this was a brilliant production because it was a thought intervention. This opera is not only a moral of our times, it's a foundation stone for future modern opera.
Otello - Love that opera so much.
Le nozze di Figaro - fun and stunning production
Rusalka - witty, entertaining, musical excellence. More!
Rigoletto - I was on the edge of my seat throughout the performance.
Salome! The production really inspired me and it was also great to see behind the scenes on purhcasing the dvd featuring David Mcvicars. A lot of the shows are helping with my up and coming dissertation. Overall though this season has been fantastic. (Fingers Crossed)
La Boheme! The greatest opera ever written, starring one of the best singers of our generation, Angela Gheorghiu. A once in a lifetime opportunity!
La Boheme with Joseph Calleja (WOW) and Carmen Giannattasio - a heartstopping Mimi - truly magical, wonderful chemistry, breathtaking singing-totally lovely cast - a difficult decision as there have been so many wonderful productions and magical moments for me
Cosi fan Tutti
Il trittico, because it exceeded all expectations
La Traviata. Gheorghieu was stunning:)
Salome- superb full of imagination.
Boheme was magical. So moving.
Faust for fabulousness!
Rigoletto - Best Opera, best composer, best production!
Les Troyens. The best opera in 2011/12 season.
Otello..superb production and stunning lighting
Well... La Boheme! I want to see it again :)
Always just love Rigoletto
La Trav stunned with a sumptuous display,
Jaho's Violetta, the clear star of the day.
A brave effort, Cosi to modernise,
Braver still, for Alfonso's understudy to deputise!
Les Troyens' jewel, betrayed Dido,
Another triumph for McVicar and Pappano.
Fine performances all, none far astray,
My favourite opera, it's hard to say!
Ilt trittico, methinks. As muxh as serious stuf, with this production ROH proved that they can stage comic operas as well. Loved Schicchi!
La Traviata I saw this wonderful production earlier this year, and had tears in my eyes, for a lot of the time, as the production was so wonderfully evocative, the sets amazing, and the literally costumes to die for ...
Il trittico methinks. ROH proved that they are the best with the staging of Schicchi as it was watching like a proper movie! Loved it!
Il Viaggio a Reims. Wonderful celebration of the Jette Parker talent over the 10 years.
Faust. Because it's been the most complete of the season: brilliant cast, production and conducting.
I'd also remark Yannick Nezet-Seguin as the best conductor of the reason for Rusalka, Erwin Schrott's Don Giovanni cast for performing one of the most believable opera nights I've seen, and Aleksandr Antonenko and Anja Harteros for their recent Otello, simply stunning.
I have only seen Les Troyens at the ROH since the House is not around the corner where I live. It made me cry it was so beautiful and it was worth all the money I spent for flight, hotel and the ticket... I'd love to come back and see La Bohème..., as a matter of fact I'd like to come back and see many more operas in this house!
les troyens - amazing spectacle
Rigoletto by a short head from the two Wagner productions.
I loved Rigoletto. Not only was the cast amazing, the Gilda apparently stepped in last minute to cover for the original soprano, who had a throat infection. The set was really cool, Rigoletto was awesome (so was Grigolo)- just one of my favourite productions from the Opera House.
Faust in the house.
Les Troyens at the proms.
Othello
The best production I have ever seen, moved me to tears
Il trittico - original and brilliant
Don Giovanni! Superb!
Le Nozze Di Figaro
Rigoletto, although La Bohème was also amazing.
Many good productions and torn between several, but the new production of Les Troyens was my highlight. It was particularly pleasing to have a large scale work that gave the chorus ample opportunity to showcase their talents. Good soloists and well covered cameo roles too....and effectively two operas for the price of one to boot!!
Così fan tutte!! Most enjoyable!
Rusalka
Salome! So haunting. x
Don Giovanni for me. It was as good as I always dreamed it would be! x
Der Fliegender Holländer - fantastic staging and impeccable singing from all.
its still la boheme, it never fails, would love to see it a hundred more times. that sharp intake of breath when curtain goes up at the beginning of act 3, its magical
A tough one but its Otello all the way for me
La Bohème
Because of amazing, unforgettable JOSEPH CALLEJA!!! We traveled more than 1000km to see it and it was definitely worth it. the best performance we've ever seen.
P.S.: I love the carpet in Royal Opera House. one could even sleep on it.
Otello, how marvellous
La Traviata - one day
Les Troyens, by a nose past Salome. Secret tip: of the day tickets, Stalls Circle C is a great value option. You maybe don't get the full benefit of the fire-breathing horse, but you certainly feel it! The main thing is the proximity to the singers. In this case, Antonacci's amazingly potent Cressida is quite extraordinary from close range. It's slightly humorous that Berlioz has Cressida on stage for most of Act I and then gives her a single line as a ghost four acts later, but there you go. This production was full of great singing and the staging was spectacular.
Troyens for sure, a real once in a lifetime event. Hymel was the great surprise of the year, so good Kaufmann wasn't so much missed.
please revive it with kaufmann and get Antonacci and Westbroek to reverse roles for a fascinating contrast with this run!
Falstaff: Fabulous stage design and costumes.
Plus I never expected to laugh out loud so many times watching an Opera. Watching it in the sun at Trafalgar Square was just amazing.
Le nozze di Figaro for making me smile.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really love everything I see at the Opera House, the very best on earth!!!
I loved Don Giovanni!
La Traviatra!!!!! So so so incredible!
La Traviata
La Boheme! superb, amazing
Rusalka. It featured the most sonorous baritone one-flippered chav water-goblin I've ever heard. And I really enjoyed it :-)
Othello!
La fille du régiment, it was such a funny production!
Domingo gala - the greatest singer of all time ? In 3 great Verdi roles! With great support! A memory to treasure forever!
Le Nozze Di Figaro
Love Placido!
I want to go to an opera so bad this summer & can't afford it!
(didn't seem to post first time)
Placido Domingo Celebration.
I love Placido!
I so want to go to an opera this summer & can't afford it!
Placido Domingo Celebration.
I love Placido!
I so want to go to an opera this summer & can't afford it!
Without a doubt Il Trittico, and in particular Suor Angelica. The amalgamation of the technical brilliance of the performers with the powerful, unique and gripping art direction made for a transfixing production that has embedded itself in the minds eye.
Il Trittico!
A transfixing production amalgamating both technical brilliance of performers and a unique art direction.
Il trittico (Il tabarro/Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi)
It has to be Les Troyens which was the event of year for me and I try to go to every possible opera production at the ROH. Utterly wonderful.
Otello / Giuseppe Verdi
It was my first time at the Royal Opera House. The hall itself is really impressive at the very first moment I entered. The performance is unforgettable as well. Especially, Anja Harteros's performing. Her voice is so beautiful. I saw Lucio Gallo once on BBC iPlayer. His performing is unique. I would recommend my friend to see the opera here. Because you'll never forget how much you'll enjoy the show.. Love it!!!!
Salome - not my natural territory, I prefer my opera to have more tunes - but mood set by this staging, particularly the 7 veils/doors, was extraordinary. The orchestra rightly got the loudest of applause of the evening reminding me that opera is about so much more than the singing.
A totally OTT season for me :-D Otello-Troyens-Trittico are all 3 runs/performances/experiences i will never forget :-) Not to say there weren't more good bits during the year, but from the point of view of fully rounded performances and musical standards these were just incredible (with Rusalka, Rigoletto and Boheme with Calleja+Giannattasio as very close 2nds in my preference :-)) oh and a special thought also needs to go to the first class Mephistopheles of Rene Pape! Can we please have him back soon? :-)
Don Giovanni
Les Troyens is my favourite!
La fille du régiment !!
I don't live in the UK, and this year when I visited London the ballet ROMEO AND JULLIET was completely sold out, so I missed it!!
"La fille du régiment" in ROH was a production I saw in TEATRE DEL LICEU in Barcelona last year, and it was very nice.
"La Boheme", if this is the production of TEATRO REAL (Madrid), is simply amazing. I enjoyed so much watching it in LICEU.
And... I would have loved to see "Plácido Domingo Celebration", although I recognise that my favourite opera so far apart from LA BOHEME is SALOME.
So season 2011/12 was a pretty good, and if I would have lived in London I would have enjoyed it very very much indeed.
Thanks for this contest !!!!
My favourite production was "Le nozze di Figaro". Everything just came together to create a perfect experience, from Antonio Pappano's sensitive conducting and playing to David McVicar's understated but ideal production to Rachel Willis-Sorensen's gorgeous voice. It was everything that Mozart and opera should be and left me beaming.
I loved Don Giovanni, I love the story, the end, the melody, probably my favourite opera because I learned the lyrics at music school when I was young.
I took my boyfriend with me and he really liked it as well, it's grandiose, never boring and the singers were amazing.
I have to admit I did love la traviata as well though ! :) It's an amazing opera !
Looking forward to the next ones !!
Too hard to choose ! Il trittico ? Faust ? Don Giovanni ? Salome ? Othello ? After careful consideration I vote for Il Trittico. Ermonella Jaho was heavenly !!!
Plácido Domingo celebration.
Great selection of acts with a unique performer
SALOME!!!!!!!
No doubt
So many wonderful productions and amazing performances that it is almost impossible to choose just one. So Don Giovanni wins for me simply for passion and fire in addition to discovering powerful voice and exuberant presence of Erwin Schrott.
La Traviata.
Salome. By far. It was so moving, twisted and powerful. Loved it.
Salome - for Angela Denoke gripping performance.
I think Il Trittico was the best production this season!
Salome! An incredible interpretation and production. It was stunning from start to end!
La Boheme with Angela Gheorghiu outstanding
La Boheme - so beautiful and terribly moving.
Don Giovanni
La Traviata - exquisite singing from Ermonela Jaho was the icing on the cake of a wonderful production.
La Traviata :)
Salome - Personable and powerful. It was my first time seeing Salome. Angela Denoke's electric performance will no doubt stay with me. Setting a high benchmark.
IL TRITTICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The magic continues every night in my dreams! Thank you ROH!
La Boheme!
La bohème was amazing!!!!
Il Trittico! It was just brilliant!!!!
I love Salome!
Rigoletto gets my vote. Ekaterina made my head vibrate when she sang Caro nome. Bravo!
Otello - Breathtaking, beautiful, alarming, stunning, perfect!
Otello - Aleksandrs Antonenko and Anja Harteros were simply stunning. An electric performance!
La Traviata - Completely mesmorising and beautiful! This was my first opera, and I loved every moment of it, making me want to return to the Royal Opera House even more so.
Myself & my now fiance were given tickets to Salome, this was the first performance we had been to at the ROH and the whole experience was amazing, it was completely topped off by me proposing to my partner and her saying YES....!
ROH will forever be in our minds as a very important place in time for us both.
I thought it was going to be Les Troyens - an excellent production all round with an almost unbelievable first part - you could feel the electric tension. BUT, then came Otello - a production which is so pleasing to the eye with lovely lighting and colours and the the wonderful singing and portrayals of Harteros and Antonenko. i could hardly believe i was hearing and seeing this. I occasionally glanced over the stalls from my seat in the stalls circle - others could hardly believe it either. Many lovely evenings this season but for me this was the best.
Madam Butterfly 12/07/11 (recorded for 3d) was simply the most wonderful experience of my life.Lliping Shang is probably the best butterfly performing today, ably supported by James Valenti and an excellent cast this is the best that opera can be
The la Boheme production is just perfect. And I had thought Franco Zeffirelli's production at The Met couldn't be bettered!