28 April 2014 at 10.59am | 91 Comments
Update: This event has now passed. Read audience reactions to the streaming.
The Royal Opera's La traviata is live-streamed for free worldwide on 20 May at 6.30pm BST as part of BP Big Screens 2014. You will be able to watch right here, or on our YouTube channel.
The event is the first live stream of a complete opera from The Royal Opera and will mark 25 years of support from BP, which has enabled half a million people to enjoy world-class opera and ballet through free events around the UK. There is no catch up after the event, just the live stream and unfortunately for reasons beyond our control this will not be available in Germany.
As well as being streamed online, La traviata is also streamed in public squares and parks around the country. It will be followed by BP Big Screen relays of La bohème on 15 July, and Rigoletto on 17 September. There are no plans to live-stream these two future titles online at present.
BP first supported the Big Screen programme in 2000, when there was just one screen in Covent Garden, although the partnership began in 1988 with a wide variety of activities. Last Season was the most successful year for BP Big Screens, which saw more than 45,000 people watching from as far afield as Aberdeen, Belfast and Plymouth.
28 April 2014 at 10.59am
This article has been categorised Opera and tagged
This article has 91 comments
Three cheers for you! Hope this will be the first of many live streams, particularly of performances that are otherwise sold out.
I am an Opera fan. When in London in the 60-90's I always would catch the Coventt Garden Royyal Opera. Love it. I think it's incredable what BP IS GOING FOR THE PUBLIC. I WISH WE HAD IIT HERE, WHERE WE can see the met in various theaters, but not free!,,, Thanks.
Have not missed a met live in HD. Would love to see you in theaters too. In Vero Beach Fl. They sell out 2 theatres so there is a demand.
This is wonderful!. I was a regular at the Opera and Ballet when I lived in the UK.
Thanks to BP and the Royal Opera House.
Thank you for bringing the arts to the north, it is magical and so cheap!!!!
As we say here in Hawaii, mahalo nui loa - thank you very much. I certainly look forward to your bringing your interpretation of Violetta and Alfredo's tragic romance to the world. Aloha!
Please could you tell me what time the online live-streaming will be for La Traviata
Thanks
Hi Fliss,
The stream starts at 7pm BST. We'll amend the details above to include this.
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Re BP Big Screen live streaming of La traviata?
Will I be able to steam this to my ipad
Regards
George
Hi George,
Yes, you'll be able to stream via iPad.
Enjoy!
Chris
ROH Content Producer
7pm BST will be 3.30am in South Australia. Will it be possible to record the performance for later viewing? If so, what size will the download be?
Hi David,
We're afraid it won't be possible to view the film on demand.
Apologies,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
I am in New York. Is it possible to see this from my iPod?
Bests,
Hi Adam,
The stream will be available via YouTube and is iOS compatible , so if you have that app/can browse to our site where it'll be embedded, you'll be able to view it.
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
I am so excited about this streaming.
Is it really possible that I will be able to see this on my computer in my home. In the central mountains of Arizona. USA. I am the last one on the line, so remote. I can hardly believe it. Simon Keenlyside is my favorite.
Thank you from my heart. Gloria
do i need to aquire a ticket
Hi John,
No ticket required - simply navigate to our YouTube channel at 6.30pm on the day of the stream!
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Is it Simon Keenlyside as Germont?
If so, I'm in, even if I have to get up at 5am to watch.
I'm CST in the US, Texas specifically. What time will this be shown by my clock?
Hi,
Yes, Simon Keenlyside will be singing Germont. It'll be from 12.30pm CST your time.
Thanks and enjoy,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
I have just seen La Travita at the Royal Opera (09.05). It was one of the best La Traviata I have ever seen! I am happy I will watch it once again!
I LOVE the ROH - the operas and the buildings. Paul Hamlyn Hall is a marvel. I saw La Fille Du Regiment in March, with one of Dame Kiri's last Opera performances. It was SUPER! I am looking forward here outside Boston, MA to seeing the live stream of La Traviata. It is just one of the most wonderful Operas. Great choice. Enjoy!
Traviata is my favourite and what an amazing cast! I'm very keen to watch the live broadcast on Tuesday as I couldn't get tickets, and I'm trying to check I advance if it will work. I'd like to watch it on my TV screen. I can get to the ROH website or directly to you tube. Will I be able to access the streaming from there? Do I need to have YouTube account? Apologies if these questions seem obvious but I haven't tried this technology before. Many thanks
L
Hi there
You don't need an account on YouTube, just visit this page at 6.30pm and you'll be able to watch from then.
Hope you enjoy it!
Best wishes
Ellen
What is the link for the La Traviata live broadcast? On the Royal Opera site it gives http://www.bp.com/arts&culture as the link but I get an error message when I click the link. Is that because it's not yet active. I don't want to miss it.
Hi Golde
This very page is the best place to watch tonight's live relay.
Best wishes
Ellen
I am sad ,that you did not broadcast one of the performances with Damrau and Hvorostovsky - they had a great success! Of course, Keenlyside also a good baritone, but Hvorostovsky - Germont is fantastic! How wonderful his voice sounded as accurately adjusted accents as an actor .... sorry, I think you made the wrong choice for broadcast.A lot of people around the world would be grateful to you,if they could like to see the incredible,amazing duo of Diana Damrau and Dmitri Hvorostovsky!
Dear Serafima
The dates for the BP Big Screens (and therefore the associated live stream) are determined by availability of UK outdoor screens and also by the an attempt to ensure the best possible outcome with the weather - that is why we are broadcasting the final performance of the run.
I'm sure that lots of people around the world will enjoy the amazing Ailyn Pérez, Stephen Costello and Simon Keenlyside tonight!
Best wishes
Ellen
Will the live stream be available in Germany? It says worlwide, but recently some ROH live content was not because of some strict copyright legislation only existing in this country? Thanks for confirming.
Hi Stefanie,
Unfortunately the stream won't be available in Germany, due to a dispute between Google (who own YouTube, who'll be delivering the stream) and the German government.
Hopefully this will be resolved soon, but at present we're afraid the relay won't be available in Germany.
Chris
ROH Content Producer
This is marvellous news. I saw this production on mindshare evening at the ROH in Covent Garden and it was outstanding - brilliant singers, marvellous orchestra, well worth watching .
hoping you will follow with HD presentations in theatre. Noticed that one of your productions, Sicilian Vespers, was screened at a local theatre yesterday at 1.00 p.m., but no notice in our newspapers.
are you contemplating anyother screenings in Canada.
The Met HD productions are a wold success here with a dozen cinemas in Toronto along screening live productions from the Met.
Your productions would be sooooo welcome!
Dear Marie
There are actually screenings coming up in Canada. Have a look at the screening details here for the next 30 days: http://www.roh.org.uk/search/screenings?location=canada&showing=
Best wishes
Ellen
I desperately want to see this ,but don't know how to do it. I have iPad, desk top and a tv that has you tube. How do I get the opera on any of these?
Hi Margaret,
You'll just need to navigate to http://www.roh.org.uk/about/bp-big-screens and click on the 'Watch Now' link down the page.
Enjoy!
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Thanks. Great! One other question. Does the live streaming broadcast begin before the opera to give newcomers like me time to get set up?
Hi Margaret,
Yes, the opera will begin a little later than the broadcast, so you'll have time to get set up!
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Will on-line stream be available in Russia?
Hi Irina,
Yes, the stream should be available in Russia.
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Will Simon Keenlyside be singing? I do hope so. Really missed him on Saturday.
Hi Bernice,
Yes, Simon will be singing.
Enjoy!
Chris
ROH Content Producer
HI - I would like to inquire whether the streaming will be available in Malta.
Thanks and regards
Martin Vella
Malta
Yes Martin, hope you can join us!
Ellen
any news about Germany .... are we really not able to see it???
Dear Petra
I believe that all YouTube videos are blocked in Germany due to an ongoing dispute about copyright: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_of_YouTube_videos_in_Germany
Best wishes
Ellen
Will the live streaming have surtitles in English please?
Hi Sharon,
Yes they will.
Enjoy!
Chris
ROH Content Producer
I would love to watch it on my smart TV - how do I go about it please? If I get Google up on the TV screen what do I do then? Sorry, I am absolutely hopeless with technology!
Hi Lawrence,
You'll need an HDMI cable. There's a guide at http://hookpctotv.com/
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Which site will offer the best picture and sound quality please?
Hi Sharon,
All should be the same.
Thanks,
Chris
ROH Content Producer
Not going so well so far. Long gaps with the circling of dots. I am watching in France on a laptop. Anything I should do to improve reception?
Dear Michael
We had a couple of teething problems ahead of the show itself starting at 7pm. Hope that you were able to enjoy the performance itself without interruption.
Best wishes
Ellen
Traviata - can't get it to stream. Gutted. Am I the only one having problems?
Sorry to hear you had problems Hazel. Did the stream settle down for you?
Best wishes
Ellen
Here, from Bucaramanga, Colombia, Souh America. Grateful and happily seeing Traviata with friends!!! Thank you!!!
Thank you BP for bringing the best of UK to the World
What a wonderful idea, streaming it life on my tv now, on full screen and full volume..
Adore it..
Enjoying the performance from California! Amazing sound and quality, Ailyn is in great form!
Please, please, 'streamed free' not 'for free'!
Thank you for your initiative . Having good time in Champagne region !
What time does it finish tonight
Hi Ross
Around 10.10pm (BST).
Best wishes
Ellen
Well done and thank u from the island of Malta
I can watch on iPad but not to other devices such as Apple TV
Watching online in Dublin, Ireland and this is bringing back so many happy memories of evenings at the Royal Opera House! The cast is superb, thanks to everyone who made the live stream possible. Please make it be the first of many!
This broadcast failed to come through to my home cinema system via Apple TV despite the trailer working perfectly
Very disappointing. Please get the trailers and live broadcasts working to the same format so that we can establish that things work in advance….
Sorry to hear that Robert. The format is the same, but a greater bandwidth is required for a live stream so it may be that your connection was struggling.
Best wishes
Ellen
Enjoying from the other side of the "pond"
As well as being streamed online, La traviata is also streamed in public squares and parks around the country. It will be followed by BP Big Screen relays of La bohème on 15 July, and Rigoletto on 17 September. There are no plans to live stream these two future titles online at present.
It is a great pity that there are no plans to stream La bohème or Rigoletto! But I am enjoying La traviata tonight.
Absolutely stunning and glorious. Thank you BP for making this possible to stream. I mostly listened while I worked in Houston. It was a rare and beautiful event for me. Please, if more of these could be streamed, that would be wonderul. Thank you.
THANK YOU ROH and BP for a thrilling webcast this afternoon. Everyone did a great job and it was so exciting watching this from New York. Please continue to show more.
All the best...
Ron
Loved the screening but how rude to interrupt the performers in the middle of their curtain calls and not to show the performers' credits at the end!
Thank you thank you for such a fantastic production Ailyn was such a good actress and an amazing beautiful voice looking forwards to the 24th in the cinema and july at home. Such a wonderful opportunity to see wonderful Opera Thank You.
What an amazing production and what a stunning Violetta! I sat at home on the island of Gozo and watched it on my laptop - what a treat.
Please, please can we have more live streaming of operas into our homes? It really is a brilliant way to introduce the joy of opera to a bigger audience. Thanks ROH and BP for a great night in!
Thank you, it was terrific- almost as good as being in the house. I hope this presentation has helped make new opera fans.
Wonderful!!!!!!! Thank you so much for making it possible to see this in Louisville Kentucky.
I laughed and a cried in a dark room halfway across the world. I've watched a fair amount of Ballet at the ROH, but this is the first time that I really cared about the opera.
Bravo. And Brava.
And Thank You.
Wonderful performance tonight - watching it from Oslo, Norway was (almost) as good as being in Covent Garden. Congratulations, hope you will stream the next two Big Screen performances too!
Really enjoyed the performance. So lucky to get this online for free. I saw it recently at ROH with Diana Damrau and enjoyed the performance tonight just as much. I did think Natasha Kaplinski was a bad choice as a presenter though. I know you are trying to get new people to opera so you might want to choose someone who is known to non opera goers but I thought she was totally out of her depth. Going up to the singers at the end of the performance seemed totally inappropriate and really broke the spell. Antonio Pappano would have been a great choice as presenter - he knows his stuff but is a brilliant communicator.
Thank you.You and the city of London give to the world a Great Demonstration of what is Art and the veritable Cultur.Congratulations and Auguri..
Hi, all at ROH!
Terrific performance this evening, so a big thank you for that. I do come to ROH but it's not so easy from Derbyshire.
But please, please don't go the way of the Live Met broadcasts (on Radio 3) and shove a microphone in the face of the performers during the intervals, it's excruciating!
Let the performers maintain their focus and their important preparation, or 'switching-off' time.
These classic works can stand by themselves, and don't need to be dumbed-down by 'easy-on-the-eye' presenters asking daft questions.
How about helpful plot or music insights from one or more of your own education staff, to help those who may not have tried opera before?
A lovely traditional performance. I felt and enjoyed every minute of it. Please, please stream the other productions. They are fantastic for those people who cannot attend Covent Garden or the Large Screen events.
BRAVO! Aloha from Hawaii . . .
Great performance! we are enjoying it in Mexico. We are a grateful opera community accross the world!
Thank you ! great performance...
Enjoying it online from mexico
Best brunch entertainment EVER!!
Bit of a scare when nothing happening at !!:30am MDT (Calgary, Alberta) &..
so relieved when saw notification saying broadcast would begin in 24 mins.
Enjoyed the performance a great deal and send many thanks to ROH and BP. Hope you do it again soon!! Also, because of this streaming, I learned ROH now streaming to Cinema in Calgary.....been attending Met and ROH Ballet in movie theatre but very happy that will now be able to see some great Opera from the Garden!
Anyone know why the broadcast failed to an error message on my Panasonic Viera? The U-tube app was working perfectly well otherwise.
Dear Ellen West, thank you for your response to my earlier comment. The actual performance was wonderful with only a couple of minor interruptions which I think are largely down to our router. In the interests of feeding back our actual experience the sound initially was rather unbalanced with the orchestra overpowering the singers but that settled down quite quickly. There were also odd light levels which may be down to the camera automatically adjusting, particularly when there was a closer focus on Violetta's white ballgown. But these too also disappeared after the first half of act one. What the experience has shown up is that I need to get better speakers for our computer! But even on our poor ones the singing was wonderful and the performance very moving. Thank you very much ROH and BP.
Thanks for the help with connecting. To the live stream. We thoroughly enjoyed the opera and look forward to many more.
Why no big screen venues in the Midlands?
Judging by the comments this was a marvellous performance. What a pity therefore that there is no "catch-up" for people like me who were not available at the broadcast time to watch it. Your previous live transmission over a whole day could be seen for some time afterwards. We all hope that you will be doing more transmissions in the future so please include catch-up if only for a few days.
Dear Michael
We would love to be able to provide a catch up, but for a full performance this would mean incurring additional costs in terms of rights. We will continue to explore options for live streaming and on demand viewing.
Best wishes
Ellen
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