Opera and Music 2015/16

This article has 161 comments

1. Richard Northcott responded on 15 April 2015 at 10:30am Reply

   Only getting Kaufmann for 2 nights for the whole year is a bit disappointing.

2. John responded on 15 April 2015 at 10:40am Reply

   What has happened to Marina Poplavskaya at the Royal Opera House? She was featured in everything for several years but is nowhere to be found in the forthcoming season and withdrew from Falstaff without explanation. Will she be returning at some point?

   • Damian responded on 12 September 2015 at 11:55pm

     Can she still sing?

3. Stephen Diviani responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:23am Reply

   Enough to keep me interested, particularly the new operas. Agree about Kaufmann. Hope I'm still alive to hear him sing 'Otello'. (In the 2016/17 season?)

   • Kasper Holten responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:31pm

     We have been blessed with a lot of Kaufmann performances (14 within nine months from June 2014-Feb 2015, including two important role debuts), probably as much as or more than any other house in the world away from his home in Munich. So although we are sad to only have Jonas twice in 2015-16, we think there are many other exciting singers, and we look forward to having him back for his debut as Otello in 2016-17.

   • Nola Colman responded on 20 April 2015 at 5:13pm

     I agree with Steve Devian. For me, Kaufmann's Otello will warrant the long distance flight from California. Interesting new operas. Wish list: Katy Kahana, international broadcast of Linbury productions.

4. Peter Erdos responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:31am Reply

   The most uninspired planning for the next season in my 55 years of operagoing.

   • Ned responded on 16 April 2015 at 4:48am

     Couldn't agree more. Too many warhorses, and the few novelties are spoiled by dismal casting. This will be the first season in many years in which I will probably not visit London, as there is really nothing to look forward to here.

5. Anna Gech responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:31am Reply

   Will Joseph Calleja be singing at all during the season 2015/2016. I seem to have missed his name.

   • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:38am

     Hi Anna,

     Joseph is not scheduled for any productions during the 2015/16 Season. He is however performing in La bohème this summer:
     http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/la-boheme-by-john-copley

     Thanks

     Chris,
     ROH Content Producer

6. Miriam responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:42am Reply

   I cannot see any performance dates above for L'Etoile (which is a production I am interested in seeing)

7. Joan Hopton responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:51am Reply

   Do we know if the new Boris Godunov production will be in traditional Russian costume or an updated version?

8. Ruth Elleson responded on 15 April 2015 at 12:16pm Reply

   This press release doesn't currently seem to have a list of dates for either La traviata or L'etoile, while dates for all other operas are listed in full. Could you add them please?

9. Lauren Marshall responded on 15 April 2015 at 12:19pm Reply

   What happened to Renée Fleming, I thought she was going to be in Der Rosenkavalier this season?

   • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 15 April 2015 at 1:06pm

     Dear Lauren

     This is the first time we have announced our 2015/16 Season - information published elsewhere should be taken as speculation.

     Best wishes

     Ellen

   • Tim Walton responded on 17 April 2015 at 3:10pm

     I believe there is a NEW production in the following season conducted by Andris Nelsons.

     At least that is what he told me.

   • Nick responded on 9 May 2015 at 1:39am

     Renée will be singing Rosenkavalier at The Met in the 16/17 season, so maybe she will come to the ROH after. I asked her that question in Feb and that is what she told me.

10. Paul Cleary responded on 15 April 2015 at 12:52pm Reply

    Some really interesting choices here. The performance dates of La traviata and L’Etoile seem to be missing.

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 15 April 2015 at 1:05pm

      Dear Paul

      Afraid that our database was just running a little show - everything should now be showing.

      Best wishes

      Ellen

11. John responded on 15 April 2015 at 12:53pm Reply

    Dates for L'Etoile?

    Disappointed to see yet more revivals of Traviata, but all in all interesting season.

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 15 April 2015 at 1:04pm

      Dear John

      L'Etoile will be showing 1-24 February:

      http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/letoile-by-mariame-clement

      Best wishes

      Ellen

12. Barry Haynes responded on 15 April 2015 at 2:41pm Reply

    The new productions look very interesting and I'm happy to see some of them double cast - I'll go twice to Trovatore and Lucia for sure! There do seem to be an awful lot of revivals of pieces that have been over-exposed in recent years eg Traviata, Carmen, Le Nozze, and many of the revivals feature the same or similar casts to their previous outing. Maybe more interesting for audiences to hear something new?

13. Cillian Michael responded on 15 April 2015 at 3:11pm Reply

    Last year I commented on Handel and Janacek's absences; I should have included Gluck (especially since it was an anniversary year for him). So I am glad to see some Gluck lined up for this autumn! The musical and dance aspects of that performance are likely to be more interesting than Fulljames's contributions, I would say. Hopefully ENO will take care of Handel and Janacek.

    I am looking forward to some of the new operas and to Cavelleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Boris Godunov, The Importance of Being Earnest and Oedipe.

    A lot of the rest of the season seems very routine and familiar though (even though I do like many of the operas concerned), with rote casting. In fact there are many high-profile singers who are not appearing at all in 2015/16.

    • Joz responded on 3 May 2015 at 10:25am

      Nope.... no Handel at the ENO either for the new season. Very disappointed.

14. John Feather responded on 15 April 2015 at 3:24pm Reply

    Very excited about Enescu's OEDIPE. A work that I have been wanting to see for a very long time. Which version of BORIS GODONOV are you staging i.e. which orchestraion? I do not see a Marina listed.

    • Matteo S. responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:22pm

      I was going to ask the same question. Will the duet between Marina and Rangoni be cut?

    • Kasper Holten responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:36pm

      It will be the original 1869 version, without the Polish act and the Kromy forest, and with Mussorgsky's original orchestration.

15. Martina Olepse responded on 15 April 2015 at 3:38pm Reply

    I think it is a reasonably interesting season with a few novelties, but why KM as Ariadne? Past her prime indeed. I too had heard from internal sources that RF was to give us her Ariadne, so this is a big disappointment. The Lucia with Damrau/Kurzak and the Boris with Terfel will be plenty of compensation though.

    One serious point though, do we really need yet more multiple cast Traviatas? It's a plague. I read this on Opera Brittania's website the other day and it seems appropriate to post it here:

    "Reports of audience members killing themselves having attended 36 performances of La traviata with 11 different casts, is beginning to concern us. Yes we accept they are money-spinners, but we are murdering our financial buffer. According to the Guardian, suicide after attending multiple casts of a Verdi or Puccini opera is the biggest cause of death amongst opera goers after bowel failure. A moratorium on multiple castings is therefore requested."

    • Kasper Holten responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:29pm

      As mentioned in another comment, we promise not force anyone to see Traviata. But there is a big audience out there with appetite for it - even, we know, a lot of first timers -, so surely they should be allowed to go and the opera lovers can pick other titles? I would only be very happy if it was as easy to sell 'interesting' titles as it is to sell Traviata...

    • Diego responded on 16 April 2015 at 6:49am

      And Fleming is in her prime? She's almost in retirement. Anyway, the Strauss soprano par excellence today is Krassimira Stoyanova, who of course is, no where, to be found at the ROH.

    • Tom Brown responded on 17 April 2015 at 12:42pm

      Karita Matila was stunning as Ariadne in the ROH Birmingham concert performance last year - dominated the role better than any soprano I can remember since Janowitz - and so I think it good that ROH audiences will have the chance the hear one of her best roles.

    • Maria Maher responded on 5 October 2015 at 3:41pm

      Ariadne has never been one of my favourite operas, however, my view of this opera was completely changed after hearing Karita Mattila perform this opera last season. Past her prime??? Far from it. Perhaps you should go see it and judge for yourself.

16. Diane responded on 15 April 2015 at 3:47pm Reply

    There's some thin casting here - both the Haas and Chabrier are made up people operalovers have never heard of, and there are major casting holes: this is a season without Netrebko, Garanca, Calleja, Marcelo Alvarez, Radvanovsky, Alagna, and even Kaufmann is only singing two performances. And what has happened to Poplavskaya?

17. Jonathan Sydenham responded on 15 April 2015 at 4:04pm Reply

    Gerhaher as Wolfram and the Enescu are the only things worth a detour for me. If I were London-based I'd also enjoy Lucia, and it'd be great to see what JD makes of Charlotte. L'etoile also temps, but without Petibon? Not really.

18. Graham Thomas responded on 15 April 2015 at 4:42pm Reply

    Apart from the obscure new pieces, was confused and thought I was reading the line up from past seasons - everything coming back round and mostly with the same people.. Even productions that were badly reviewed the first time - and yet more Traviatas...

    • Diane responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:04pm

      Absolutely agree - both Nabucco and Onegin were trashed by the press but we have to endure them again if we want to hear the music. And why the repeated casts?

    • Kasper Holten responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:27pm

      I see a lot of you are sorry about performances of Traviata. There is a big appetite out there with our audiences for Traviata, Carmen, Tosca, Boheme, Figaro.. As long as we have other interesting titles in the mix, I think that is the most important thing. We know that these popular titles draw in a lot of new audiences, which is much harder for even slightly less well known titles. And I promise, we are not going to force you to come to see Traviata. There should be plenty of other things to see, surely?

    • Ned responded on 17 April 2015 at 12:46am

      This is a response to Kaspar Holten's "There should be plenty of other things to see, surely?" - Yes, just not at Covent Garden

19. Tom responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:15pm Reply

    An interesting selection and I look forward to seeing many of them. My only concern is with the new productions as to whether they will be minimalist, avant-garde, time-changed, arty or hopefully decent full staging in original periods!

    • Kasper Holten responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:25pm

      We will try in the bimonthly print marketing to give as much of a description of the new productions as is possible in advance of their creation, so hopefully you can avoid disappointment, although I would always encourage us all to be curious and take chances with seeing new and different things. We aim to have a mix of different production styles, traditional, modern and more abstract/timeless - for lack of less crude labels - and this will certainly be true of next season as well.

20. Alexander Jacoby responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:18pm Reply

    Three cheers for Boris and Oedipe! The former is probably the most admired opera I've yet to see staged; and the latter is a major work that I know only by reputation. Though I'm not a huge Donizetti fan, I'm glad to get the chance to tick off Lucia, which I think is the most frequently staged work I've yet to see. Also glad to have a Tannhauser, and pleased to see Werther and Trittico among the revivals.

    It would be nice to have a Gluck other than Orphee / Orfeo, which has had a couple of British stagings (albeit not in London) in the last year; but my major gripe is, as it has been ever since I became a regular operagoer a few years ago, the absence of Janacek! Please, please rectify this soon!

    I also wonder, like some others above, if we REALLY need annual Traviatas and Carmens - when, for instance, it's been four years since your last Aida, a decade since La Forza del Destino, and you've never staged Pearl Fishers? And though I love Figaro as much as anything, it had two long runs last season, while it's been three years since your last Cosi.

    Nevertheless... carping aside, I am looking forward to quite a lot here, including (lest we forget) some of the new works and another baroque collaboration with the Globe.

    • Kasper Holten responded on 15 April 2015 at 11:24pm

      Thanks for the comments! We announced as well today that we will be doing a cycle of four new productions of Janacek operas from 2018-2021: Katya Kabanova (directed by Ivo van Hove), From the House of the Dead (directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski), Vec Makropulos and Jenufa. So there is hope, but you will have to be patient a little longer!

21. John Benjamin responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:29pm Reply

    2015-6 Season - well this punter so disappointed - bar a few items - how desparate to block with so , so many Traviata / Carmen / Tosca s - and casts already largely already recently seen.
    Lucia & Cav & Pag - hardly innovative or exciting .
    If Orfeo with JDF is the version with great looking dance sequences should be interesting.
    Realise that Boris & the Chabrier will have their admirers....and if JOYCE singing no option but to go.
    Jonas for 2 Carmen performances only - v poor offering to his adoring public.
    The number of wonderful singers left out too massive to detail - such a shame.
    Maybe an economical year for me - good then - advantage of a lacklustre year ahead.

    • John responded on 16 April 2015 at 4:02pm

      It's the returning casts that really bother me about these revivals. Okay, the house needs Traviata, Tosca, Carmen etc to balance the books but why do we need to keep on hearing singers in the same roles? I would have attended the revival of Il Trittico, for example, but with that casting I might as well just watch the dvd at home. The same goes for Nabucco - you've just released the dvd so would it not have been good to feature a mid career baritone rather than the flailing Domingo?

22. Robert Garbolinski responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:39pm Reply

    A somewhat uninspiring season to be totally honest except for the new works and Tannhauser. How much are the prices going up for standing room places in each part of the auditorium?.
    It would be very helpful if you would tell us if the "new" productions are brand new or second hand brought in from other houses and if they have been seen before exactly where they were first put on.

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 10:36am

      Dear Robert

      We will be publishing pricing closer to the booking dates for 2015/16.

      If you follow the link to the production page you will see details of whether the show is a co-production or originated elsewhere. We don't want to overload the blog posts with too much detail.

      Best wishes

      Ellen

23. Jen responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:44pm Reply

    I had heard that Kaufmann was singing Aida at the Opera House this season as well as in Munich?? Instead only two performances of Carmen in an old production in which we've already seen him. Can't we afford his fees any more? And where are Anna Netrebko, Anja Harteros, Elina Garanca and Joseph Calleja?

24. Cate responded on 15 April 2015 at 5:48pm Reply

    Yet another year without Peter Mattei. Will he ever be booked by ROH again?! Been waiting 7/8 years now.

    • D Sanderson responded on 16 April 2015 at 7:43pm

      Couldn't agree more. A wonderful singer and actor .I note his birthday is not recorded in the ROH diary.

25. Martin responded on 15 April 2015 at 6:05pm Reply

    Getting Kaufmann for only two nights?
    What about Amsterdam where he never performs, for whatever reason. Finance I guess.

26. D Sanderson responded on 15 April 2015 at 6:06pm Reply

    Where is Simon Keenlyside? ROH was supposed to be his main base after he became a father.

    • Herb responded on 16 April 2015 at 4:23pm

      I am also surprised that Simon Keenlyside is nowhere to be found. I would appreciate a comment from the opera house.

27. Roy responded on 15 April 2015 at 6:06pm Reply

    Plenty of good stuff to look forward to here -
    Bryn as Boris, Oedipe, new Trovatore, Florez as Orfeo, more Baroque at Globe Wanamaker hurrah.

    I had been praying you would get Gerhaher back to repeat his sublime Wolfram.

    My big gripe is allowing Daniel Oren back after he made such a terrible hash of Ballo this season, it's putting me off Luica, I may wait for a better conductor

    Only 3 Ariadnes suggests the rumour that you were getting Renee Fleming was true but you've lost her ? We may never know as you won't admit to losing anyone !

    Overall plenty to celebrate here.
    The endless reruns of Traviata and Tosca help to pay the bills and get newcomers in, and it isn't mandatory for the regulars to go to them !

28. Jacob responded on 15 April 2015 at 6:10pm Reply

    Very nice, better than last season! No Garanca, Netrebko or Fleming, which is sad, but plenty of very talented up-and-coming singers. Pleased to see DiDonato as Charlotte, finally, and Kurzak as Lucia. I only wish Francesco Meli and Gregory Kunde would swap casts... Haroutounian, Kunde and Lučić would be a dream.

29. Roy responded on 15 April 2015 at 6:13pm Reply

    Guardian says:

    Holten also revealed a tantalising glimpse of 2018’s highlights – man of the moment Ivo van Hove will take on Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová, while another Janáček – the RO’s first-ever production of From the House of the Dead - will be part of 2019’s lineup.

30. Jacob responded on 15 April 2015 at 6:13pm Reply

    And where is Mozart, may I ask? One opera? And Figaro at that? Why not Così or Entführung?

31. AttilaLondon responded on 15 April 2015 at 7:05pm Reply

    Was there really no one else to conduct Lucia other than Oren? What the right hand gives, the left takes away.

    It says something when Mattila's Ariadne is the thing I am most looking forward to see.

    It's not really a season to compare with Paris, Munich or Berlin.

32. Rupert Wilson responded on 15 April 2015 at 7:39pm Reply

    I am delighted to see Oedipe and L'Etoile on the schedule, as I have wanted to see both for a long time and they are rarely performed anywhere these days, so well done ROH on that particular count.

    Good to see more of Richard Jones productions...I loved Il Trittico first time round and will certainly come again and can't wait for his Boris Godunov with Bryn Terfel.

    Katie Mitchell's Lucia and Damiano Michieletto's Cav & Pag both look promising new productions too.

    As for the usual revivals (Carmen, Tosca, Traviata), like many others I won't be attending but I do at least understand the box office need for reliable income generators.

    Yes, more Janacek please, especially a new Jenufa!

33. Stefano responded on 15 April 2015 at 8:33pm Reply

    Apart from a few interesting exceptions (Boris, finally!), an overall disappointing season especially compared to the current one: lots of big names missing and some old productions that have been shown a few hundred times already. Do we really need that? Lack of creativity? Or is ROH maybe losing part of its international appeal? I don't know but I am not too happy with this season.

34. Stefano responded on 15 April 2015 at 8:44pm Reply

    A whole season without a single Rossini and Bellini opera and only one old Mozart production. And do we really need again Tosca, Traviata and Carmen? Well, good for tourists but should we not expect a bit more?

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 10:24am

      Dear Stefano

      With three productions in the current Season, the Rossini-lovers are having rather a feast during 2014/15: http://www.roh.org.uk/people/gioachino-rossini

      There are also four Mozart productions in the current Season: http://www.roh.org.uk/people/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart

      Tosca, La traviata and Carmen aren't just for tourists - the classics are a great way for us to engage those who have never seen an opera before. We have to balance the wishes of the aficionado (who will have had many opportunities to see these productions) with those who have never ventured across our threshold.

      I hope that you can find something to engage you across the rest of the Season.

      Best wishes

      Ellen

35. Jeanne responded on 15 April 2015 at 8:45pm Reply

    No Pavol Breslik - that's a disappointment.

36. Don Ciccio responded on 15 April 2015 at 9:27pm Reply

    Thank you for OEDIPE! I am already making travel plans!

    • Lars Erik responded on 10 September 2015 at 10:10pm

      Me too. Oidipe is a masterpiece and Enescu a master.

37. Robert Lee responded on 15 April 2015 at 9:46pm Reply

    A typo on this page, too: "Oepide" (in the first line of its section) should of course be "Oedipe".

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 9:27am

      Thank you for alerting us to this, Robert. We publish so many production pages and blog posts around Season launch that inevitably some typos creep in - only a very small number, I hope! This has now been corrected.

      Best wishes

      Ellen

38. Mark responded on 15 April 2015 at 9:49pm Reply

    Uninspiring season on the whole; Good to see Cav/Pag, and a welcome return for Il Trittico (still one of the best overall evenings for me in the house). On the whole though far too many revivals of productions that seem to be on every season, and revivals of such dreadful productions such as Onegin and Nabucco.

39. Marco responded on 15 April 2015 at 10:00pm Reply

    Dear Janacek-lovers,
    wait maybe another season and you will see Katia Kabanova :-)

40. David responded on 15 April 2015 at 10:17pm Reply

    I wonder why you invite friends to the announcement of the 2015/16 season and then publish it here a day before the event,

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 10:03am

      Dear David

      The event today is a chance to hear the new Season presented by the Artistic Directors of the ROH, so it should be very interesting. Don't feel that you have to attend if you don't want to!

      Best wishes

      Ellen

    • Ian Slade responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:14pm

      And I wonder they put the Season Launch at a time when only the rich or retired are able to get to it. Great planning....

    • David responded on 17 April 2015 at 1:48pm

      I feel your comment is unnecessarily rude! Of course I didn't have to attend - my point was that your announcement could have been delayed until after the event, which would have made the event more interesting.

41. michael responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:27am Reply

    The only reason I could think that would justify a new Trovatore would be if the production would have been designed for Netrebko. You are missing out on such an exceptional soprano with your lack of interesting project for this wonderful artist.
    Extremely dull season ahead apart from a few new productions that could be interesting.
    Finally we get a new Lucia unfortunately without Kwienchen and Grigolo but still happy to see this wonderful bel canto opera back at the ROH.
    Very surprised to see a new production of Cavalleria rusticana /Pagliacci without Kauffman.
    The Orphée with Juan-Diego Florez and the Boris Godunov with Terfel sound promising and the Werther also.
    Sorry but I will be skipping Nozze, Tosca, Traviata and Carmen except if I can manage to get tickets for one of the 2 nights Kauffman will be there.
    Honestly not very impressed by the new season.
    Even wondering if I will renew my friend membership.

42. Greg Sturges responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:34am Reply

    Oh dear, what a dull season. I see Daniel Oren is back to 'conduct' yet again. Why?

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 10:14am

      Dear Greg

      Daniel Oren is a conductor of international stature, but nobody's work is to everyone's taste. Sorry to hear that there's nothing to tempt you in our more than sixty productions in 2015/16!

      Best wishes

      Ellen

43. Jared responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:57am Reply

    'Pleasure, set in a gay club': from a a kid-composer who looks to know as much about gay clubs as an eight year old schoolgirl and a libretto by a previous eight year old schoolgirl. I'm sure they're very talented and all, but you Brits certainly know how to whitewash gay sex like nobody's business. 'Val works the toilets at a gay club' WHAT??? Bring a book, this one's gonna be a yawn-fest!

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 10:16am

      Dear Jared

      Nothing like jumping to conclusions about people's range of experience! You never know, you might be surprised ;-)

      Best wishes

      Ellen

44. Malcolm responded on 16 April 2015 at 7:01am Reply

    Great news that ROH is recognising the prodigious talenrt od Carmen Giannatasio! Trovatore and Pag ! DO note she IS performimg NORMA elsewhere ! and how long since we last had that satisfactorily staged!!!!???

45. Sarah Smith responded on 16 April 2015 at 7:02am Reply

    Looking forward to Nabucco. I loved it two years ago and am sure it will be fab again.

46. Stuart Driver responded on 16 April 2015 at 11:12am Reply

    Maybe I'm getting old (60), I am completely underwhelmed by the new season. The same old seat fillers. Terfel's Boris and Morgen und Abend are about the only operas that interest me. Some of the off site production looks far more interesting.

47. DLowe responded on 16 April 2015 at 11:20am Reply

    Quite pleased with the new season (at least of pre 1930s opera - the new commissions hold no interest) - a big mistake bringing Domingo back though. I appreciate he's considered "star quality", but he's past it. Better to have someone like Anna Netrebko in a different work than to sacrifice artistic quality.

    Tosca, Carmen etc. are the bread and butter of every opera house. The fact that the house is invariably full shows that there is an audience. They deserve to be heard frequently. Boris is particularly exciting.

48. Chris responded on 16 April 2015 at 11:39am Reply

    If you really have to hire Daniel Oren, for some obscure reason, would be grateful if you could at least have another conductor for some of the performances...

49. Coppelia responded on 16 April 2015 at 11:49am Reply

    A bit crestfallen that we have to wait until June 2016 to see Vittorio Grigolo back at Covent Garden : (

    Otherwise looking forward to lots of new discoveries next season!

50. Cillian Michael responded on 16 April 2015 at 11:58am Reply

    Kasper's late night comment above had some extraordinarily good news about Janacek. He says an announcement was made yesterday; I can't find any post about it. Could you provide a link maybe? Or perhaps there is an article on its way?

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:10pm

      Dear Cillian

      There was a fleeting reference at the press conference, but we will be publishing full details in due course :-)

      Best wishes

      Ellen

51. Rob G responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:10pm Reply

    Delighted Trittico is back, especially with Jaho! Bit disappoitned have got nozze instead of cosi (which hasn't been on for a while) but can live with it. Surprised people are bemoaning a lack of Netrebko considering she probably wouldn't turn up if she was booked and if she did turn up she'd give a pretty ropey performance. Lack of Calleja and Kaufmann more disappointing. Not quite sure why we needed Ariadne auf Naxos again quite so soon?

    • michael responded on 17 April 2015 at 2:32am

      To Rob G,

      I am very sorry to disagree with you re Anna Netrebko. I have had the pleasure of seeing Ms Netrebko in Manon and in I Capuletti at the ROH and in Elisir, Macbeth and Anna Bolena at the Met. Plus a few concerts in London and Paris. On all occasions Ms Netrebko has been absolutely wonderful to hear and see.
      I am only extremely surprise that the ROH are not making more efforts to bring Ms Netrebko in some of her newer roles beeing Leonora in Trovatore, Anna Bolena or even Lady Macbeth depriving the audience of the ROH the chance to hear this wonderful soprano in her prime in something different than Traviata or Bohème.
      We all have our favorite singners but it is quite surprising that we had to wait 5 years to see Ms Netrebko back at the ROH .

52. Coppelia responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:21pm Reply

    I'm bitterly disappointed Kasper is not wearing his sky blue tie in the new season trailer..

53. Ian Slade responded on 16 April 2015 at 12:21pm Reply

    Share many of the already submitted comments. Some very good things and some dreary repetitions. Even the hardest to reach newcomer must have seen that Traviata by now. I know we all have our wish lists, but there are still some very long waits since great works have been seen at the House.Well done for championing new works though, and don't pander to the 'Anything in a pannier skirt' brigade. One thing, with the very greatest of respect to the opera god, could someone please tell Domingo that his singing days are over and could he please leave us the treasured memories?...that Foscari was awful.

    • Marina Gratsos responded on 18 July 2015 at 11:39pm

      Yes I agree - truly dire. He should have retired at his greatest

54. Elliot Pollack responded on 16 April 2015 at 1:29pm Reply

    Every time I come from New Jersey to the Royal Opera is an event for me. I am up early to book tickets when they go on sale to the general public. If I could make my own subscription with dates I would. Other theatres accommodate this request. I am looking foward to and hopefully hearing Trittico, Boris, and Nabucco with Domingo. Past season I heard Andrea Chenier. My friend Denyse Graves was in it. I went backstage and she introduced me to Jonas Kauffman. I told him he was as beautiful in person as he was in his photos. He dais I had good taste.

55. Gn. Domitius Ahenobarbus responded on 16 April 2015 at 2:27pm Reply

    People, people: Sir Antonio and Mr Holten know best. How could they possibly have any baroque opera seria on the programme? Such things were devised (composed is too creditable a word) by unfeeling machines to flatter aristocratical and inegalitarian habits of thought. They belong in the conservatory and the library (perhaps the odd abandoned chapel too) but are beneath the dignity of the artistic genius of these two luminaries self-tasked with providing catharsis to all of Chirstendom, rich or poor. What is more there is always the issue of scale. We could not put on these "chamber" works in a house of over 2200 seats. It is neither here nor there that J A Hasse wrote for the equally capacious Dresden Court Opera in the 1740s, for we should never consider his worthless scores even if we could, he being of nowhere near such a stature as our very own G F...

    Haas.

    • E G Reid responded on 16 April 2015 at 2:29pm

      Haha. Very good. You'll probably be removed though.

    • Jacob responded on 16 April 2015 at 9:21pm

      If you bothered to look beneath the surface of baroque opera you might be pleasantly surprised ;-)

56. Paul Green responded on 16 April 2015 at 3:32pm Reply

    Echo many comments...No Poplavskya or Calleja, and poor use of the wonderful Jonas Kaufman. The most underwbhlming season I can recall: very little Verdi( and there did not seem to be much during his bicentenary) and very little bel canto. When did ROH last put on Norma or Puritani? Good to see Lucia back but why no reruns of Donna del Lago, which was magnificent 2 years ago, or the recent new production of Ballo?

    • Alexander Jacoby responded on 21 April 2015 at 1:24pm

      Don't forget that opera in Britain is not confined to London! Welsh National Opera are staging Puritani in the autumn. It will play at Birmingham and Oxford amongst others, both of which are feasible for an evening trip!

57. Peter Johnson responded on 16 April 2015 at 3:33pm Reply

    Daniel Oren, you must be joking! Pretty uninspiring overall, and although I would love to see Boris, Bryn Terfel was run of the mill as the Dutchman on the night that we were there so I am not so sure.

58. Graham Thomas responded on 16 April 2015 at 3:51pm Reply

    I am not sure that people working at the opera house should be interpolating their comments with ours in this forum. It just fans the flames I think to read what we say and then say the opposite as if they know better - given we are the audience isn't this a forum for our views not the official line? They have the whole website to write on...

59. Roger Walkley responded on 16 April 2015 at 4:08pm Reply

    The season seems to me to make a good job of balancing money-spinners with the less popular works that the experts prefer.

60. James Miller responded on 16 April 2015 at 4:20pm Reply

    I read somewhere that Di Donato was to star in Semaramide whats happened
    this opera has not been seen since 1986 also a lack of Bellini what of Norma IPuritani etc Tosca yet again

    • michael responded on 17 April 2015 at 2:38am

      I totally agree with James re Bellini.
      It would be extremely sad not to have the chance to hear JDF in I puritani. A role he has sang in most european opera house.

    • Marina Gratsos responded on 18 July 2015 at 11:37pm

      Wow that would be awesome - greatest Rossinian of our time no question! Hadn't heard that she was to sing this one though?

61. Jenny responded on 16 April 2015 at 4:43pm Reply

    Disappointing season and lack of singers. Saves money though and means I can explore other places which do much better. eg Vienna Standing tickets for 4.50Euros in a prime position about 250 of them. That is reaching out to people! There are many pot-boilers that bring in new audiences so why repetition on such a scale, or would that require some creative thinking. One of the few good things is that no new destruction of an opera production by Kaspar Holten.

    • Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products) responded on 16 April 2015 at 9:24pm

      Dear Jenny

      Your comparison of our ticket prices with those of Vienna State Opera is hardly fair - while we receive state subsidy of around 25% they are funded to the tune of 50%. We are a charity, not a profit-making organization, so we set ticket prices as low as we can while still managing to balance the books.

      Best wishes

      Ellen

    • Stephen Cutler responded on 16 April 2015 at 10:00pm

      The difference between the ROH and Vienna is that the ROH actually rehearses things. If you throw things onto the stage as they do in Vienna with a customary three days of rehearsal, of course you can do it more cheaply. And if you use productions that are, in several cases over 40 years old (their Barbiere and Elisir for starters) and have seen literally several hundred performances of course it costs less. I'll take the ROH over Vienna any day.

62. Robert Crich responded on 16 April 2015 at 5:08pm Reply

    Pleasure - new opera by mark Simpson for those who don't know him he is a talented young Liverpool based composer who won young musician of the year and composed some outstanding compositions for Liverpool, I am looking forward to hearing his debut as an opera composer.
    As for the season, yes we all get the Traviatas & Toscas, these put bums on seats, they can put on the Sound of Music for all I care as long as I get to see the rare operas like Oedipe and L'Etoile for which I am looking forward to. it annoys me when there are so many negative comments after all we have 2 opera houses in London and many others done in smaller venues or concert versions some rarely done. I look forward to organising my weekends in London which I can see L'Etoile and Oedipe and other performances around them.
    Only 1 gripe why haven't the friends received their information before it gets announced, and one other thing I was also under the impression Renee Fleming was going to do a new production of Der Rosenkavalier as she is retiring, any ideas what happened there.

63. richard dunstan responded on 16 April 2015 at 5:41pm Reply

    The above comments are interesting and pertinent; having been a Friend for 50 years, this looks, on paper at least, one of the least inspired of seasons. But there is plenty to titillate even the most jaded palate, Rossi's Orpheus, L'Etoile, Oedipe; yummy prospects. What worries me is the standard of revivals; when I started reading, I scrolled back to ensure that this was a NEW season; many of the productions have been revived to death (some others one had hoped to have been consigned to the rubbish dump) and reappear with casts that are familiar, second rate at best and third at worst. The lack of the A-list singers is well pleaded; perhaps the House has learned its lesson as its habit of selling tickets on the backs of the serial cancellers (Ms H and Ms N) had gone beyond the bounds of ethical, Nor is this confined to the stage; one of the glories of the Pappano era has been his willingness to share "his" orchestra with the top-flight conductors, apart from JEG and Bychkov, too many routiniers and how anyone could inflict a conductor, who made such a bosh of his last two assignments, on the new Lucia beggars belief and then to call him of "international stature". I would normally attend at least 4 out of 5 stagings; this year I doubt that I shall be tempted to 1 in 5. A tired lazy season; at least we can get excitement at the "other place".

64. Roy responded on 16 April 2015 at 7:41pm Reply

    The amount of moaning on here is hilarious. It just shows you can't please all the people all the time. I think there's plenty of good stuff with some unusual choices we don't get to hear too often.

    I love the idea that ROH can just get on the phone and say 'oy Netrebko you're doing 3 with us next season'. Of course we'd love to have all the greatest singers doing 2 or 3 each every year, but it isn't going to happen. They book 5 years ahead and can pick what and where they choose to sing.

    we have Florez and Terfel in new roles, unusual Enescu and Chabrier, welcome new productions of classics such as Lucia and Trovatore, not to mention another rarity in the lovely Globe Wanamaker.

    Watch how well the Carmen, Traviata and Domingo Nabuccos sell, even at high prices. That's why they are needed to balance the books and allow the riskier fare that we want to see !

    And of course some of the bemoaned absentees are probably coming in future seasons - Norma, Semiramide, Rosenkavalier etc will hopefully pop up in 16-18, according to rumour.

    I say well done ROH for a well balanced season.

    • Stephen Diviani responded on 17 April 2015 at 9:11am

      Couldn't agree more, Roy. It's a very exciting/interesting season, and I can't wait to get stuck in. And lots of Janacek on the way, including a 'Katya' directed by Ivo van Hove. I was disappointed about Kaufmann, of course, but we were spoilt, as Kasper Holten implies in his post, and, anyway, there's his first Otello heading our way.

65. David Gifford responded on 16 April 2015 at 8:42pm Reply

    Hofesh Shechter co-directing Orphée et Eurydice? What a bizarre choice. He did nothing interesting with the Royal Ballet, showing no willingness to engage with, or respond to, classical technique (which would have been fascinating) - just giving us a repetitive, watered-down version of what he usually does with his contemporary dance company. I hope this will be more engaging.

66. Mark responded on 17 April 2015 at 8:25am Reply

    Let's hope the season book gives full information about the style of each new production. After a vast amount of money being spent on an incomprehensible 'La Donna del Lago', the idiotic and inept 'Maria Stuarda' and the ludicrous 'Idomeneo' we need to know what to avoid. I adore 'Lucia di Lammermoor' but dread to think what a trendy, incompetent director and designer might make of it. PROPER INFORMATION PLEASE!

    • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 17 April 2015 at 10:01am

      Hi Mark,

      You can find out detailed information about each production via their individual pages.
      These can be found either by clicking on the links provided, or by going to http://www.roh.org.uk/events

      Thanks,

      Chris
      ROH Content Producer

67. Yvonne Ward responded on 17 April 2015 at 4:44pm Reply

    When, oh when will we have Kasper Holten's Lohengrin with Klaus Florian Vogt?

    • Stephen Taylor responded on 19 April 2015 at 1:08am

      Please God, never.

68. Gogloridano responded on 17 April 2015 at 4:47pm Reply

    May I say, What a wonderful programme!

    I think we are quite spoilt, despite the unbelievable negativity (yet predictable) among the grumbling comments. We can all imagine things missing! Why not enjoy the plenty proffered us? There is plenty of that plenty here!

    Thank you so very much, ROH!

69. James Murray responded on 17 April 2015 at 6:48pm Reply

    Fantastic news about L'étoile although I fear that the house might be too large for it - the work really works best in a smaller venue. Still, it's great to see Chabrier being performed and as his No. 1 promoter - I've been working on his biography for some years now - I'd be very interested in providing a pre-performance talk for this (having done this for Opera North on tour and New Sussex Opera)!

70. Ian Smith responded on 17 April 2015 at 7:15pm Reply

    Great to see Peter Hoare again!

71. Sandra P. responded on 17 April 2015 at 11:02pm Reply

    The ROH should make better use of Gheorghiu's potential: in the last few years you have lost her to Vienna and the MET. Meyer convinced her to do a new role in Vienna; why can't Pappano ask her the same for the ROH?
    There are so many new roles she would be memorable in: Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Julia in La Vestale, Wally, Manon Lescaut, Fedora, Amelia in Un ballo, Luisa Miller, and especially Desdemona in Otello.

    I hope that the 2016/17 season will bring Gheorghiu in a new role in a new production.

72. Mark responded on 18 April 2015 at 10:20am Reply

    The individual pages for each opera give a lot of information except about the style of each production. I do not want to waste any more money seeing inept and inappropriate productions that make me want to close my eyes. I can achieve the same experience from a broadcast. The recent 'Maria Stuarda' was so awful I left ROH furious and gained far more pleasure when I heard the opera broadcast on Radio 3! Surely something is wrong when productions of such ineptness are allowed on stage? That's why I ask for FULL information!

    • Stephen Diviani responded on 21 April 2015 at 11:29am

      You could do some homework about a director's style - not always reliable because interpretation/production style varies between different operas. Search the name on youtube and there will be plenty of clips from his or her work, and if you don't like what you see don't go and see their work. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the two productions you hated. Thankfully we are all different in what we want from opera, what we value. Accept that not everyone thinks like you.

    • Marina Gratsos responded on 18 July 2015 at 11:33pm

      Surely you aren't referring to the Joyce DiDonato version last year. Admittedly the costumes and stage design were a little odd and didn't do much to enhance the music or the story. But in the end it's all about the music and she sang the title role like a dream.

73. Jeff Edwards responded on 18 April 2015 at 11:46am Reply

    Very very disappointing programme. We've seen all the old productions, some more than once and the new ones are uninspiring. Not much new at all for Verdi and Wagner fans.

74. Edmund Hobley responded on 19 April 2015 at 7:33am Reply

    Kristine Opolais had a huge success in Manon Lescaut and Madam Butterfly. It's a great shame that you do not have anything booked for Kristine Opolais next seaon or any future seasons. I spoke to Kristine and she confirmed this was the case. Why are you waiting, she is booked for the next 5 years.

75. Stephen Jarvis responded on 19 April 2015 at 6:44pm Reply

    Mr. Holten writes that "I would only be very happy if it was as easy to sell 'interesting' titles as it is to sell Traviata..."

    Yet in the current run of Traviatas for May/June 2015 the only sold out performances are the two featuring Placido Domingo. For most of the others there are still 100+ tickets.

    Maybe there will be a late surge, but at the moment it doesn't look like an easy sell.

76. Jeff Cridland responded on 19 April 2015 at 7:11pm Reply

    I am deligthed by your plans. I am looking forward to Ofeo & Boris G and to encouraging people I have taken this year to La Traviata to go to Carmen. I hope you are not all discouraged by the negative comments. At least you get some ideas about what operas people want to see. I would like to suggest Fidelio, The Force of Destiny and a different Mozart Opera might be included in the 16/17 season.

77. Jay Wilkinson responded on 19 April 2015 at 9:15pm Reply

    Whilst looking forward to the new in the programme, and understanding the need for the tried and trusted, I really cannot fathom why Daniel Oren is back. He is the only conductor who makes the ROH orchestra sound poor - an uninspired choice, and one guaranteed to ensure I won't be booking. Were there any good reviews of his work this season?

78. Stefano responded on 20 April 2015 at 11:46pm Reply

    After such a poor season has been announced I don't think I will renew my Friend of Covent Garden card. The more I read it the more I find it disappointing both in titles and casts / directors / conductors. Prices are increasing and quality is decreasing. Does it make sense? I am afraid next year we will have to fly to Germany, Italy, Austria and Spain looking for some top productions.

    • Marie responded on 22 November 2015 at 3:08am

      Hi Royal opera house
      when is Juan Diego Florez going to do the role of Alfredo Germont the only tenors who did it at the royal opera opera house are joseph calleja and stephan castello can you please tell me when Juan Diego Florez going to do it and when?

    • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 24 November 2015 at 3:12pm

      Hi Marie,

      We have no scheduled performances of La traviata starring Juan Diego Florez. For all of his performances internationally, I'd recommend checking his website:

      http://juandiegoflorez.com/

      Thanks,

      Chris
      ROH Content Producer

79. Simon Willis responded on 22 April 2015 at 5:36pm Reply

    Looking forward to Boris and Il Trittico and can't understand the negativity about KM in Ariadne - I thought that was a real highlight last year. But is Tosca really AG's role ? I saw her debut in the role at ROH several years back and thought it really didn't suit her. In last outing as Magda in Rondine - one of her past career triumphs - she seemed distinctly out of sorts . I am not sure of the wisdom behind this casting . Surely she needs a bit of nurturing for want of a better word ?

80. A different opinion responded on 23 April 2015 at 10:24am Reply

    It is a shame to read all the negative comments on here. The arrogance of people that don't believe you can be a proper opera fan or somehow lack intellect or class if you like Romantic opera such as Verdi/Puccini etc is disappointing. If you look at global CD and ticket sales - these are the most popular operas and therefore would expect to be featured several times a season. They also allow for less popular (proper - according to the commentators above) operas to be put on which aren't going to cover their costs and I can see a number of these next season. Incidentally as the ROH is part public funded there may be an argument that the majority of people who like their Italian Romantic Style opera shouldn't have to fund those that prefer the less accessible music - would people who want challenging music be willing to pay 3x the price in order to break even? (I do agree though with the ROH's stance that it should provide a varied programme) I can see the case for people that are disappointed that the ROH hasn't secured various 'Stars' for the next season but as they are the certain way to sell the house out then I think we are safe to assume that every effort would've been made to sign them up. The ROH has very rarely given me anything other than a world class evening of opera and I look forward to next season

81. Damian R responded on 23 April 2015 at 4:06pm Reply

    Yes - there are the standard pot-boilers there; but there are enough interesting productions, including some revivals that I've wanted to see (like Trittico).

    As always, I'd like to see a little more pre-1800 (why not explore some of the excellent Salieri or Paisiello or even Haydn)?

    Best of all - when you look at the ROH season next to ENO is that they work quite nicely as a pair.

82. Martin Compton responded on 23 April 2015 at 10:22pm Reply

    I dont know why people are complaining about the new season. I often go to the Vienna Staatsoper, but their new season is really disappointing and uninspiring - it probably does not help that they have not got a music director. So I shall certainly be a frequent visitor to the ROH for the new season!

83. Michael Siravo responded on 24 April 2015 at 10:45pm Reply

    Rene Fleming is walking the boards on Broadway in New York this summer. "living for Love"; if you can believe it. Kaufmann manager has told him to only sing 2 performances at a time. Keep them guessing. At the Met he was to sing only twice in Carmen, but didn't show.

84. Lily responded on 25 April 2015 at 4:59am Reply

    I would love if one day the Royal Opera House performed a ballet of Dracula.
    It would be amazing.
    All their ballets are.

85. Ruth Shaw responded on 26 April 2015 at 11:36pm Reply

    Please can you do 'The Bohemian Girl' by Balfe? The music is glorious.

86. ericB responded on 27 April 2015 at 10:28am Reply

    Kasper Holten wrote :
    "I would only be very happy if it was as easy to sell 'interesting' titles as it is to sell Traviata..."

    Here's the key question. By only offering always, always and always the same VERY LIMITED repertoire, the programmers tend to reduce audiences' curiosity and culture. Yes, it's probably harder to sell Oedipe than it is to sell Traviata. But it's part of the work and the challenge of opera directors (and, more generally of any artistic programmers).
    Why is it that when someone makes a first move on some neglected repertoire, soon after we see blossoming productions of that work (same thing happened with l'Etoile, with Die Tote Stadt, with Der Zwerg, Ariane et Barbe-Bleue, the new Meyerbeer tide, and probably a few more) ? So, be not afraid of giving more room for new and exciting repertoire ; there are still LOTS of worthwhile works waiting to be discovered and performed, alongside the (too) much trampled repertoire. If you want titles, just ask. Greetings.

87. Julia Prola responded on 27 April 2015 at 5:08pm Reply

    I am delighted that the fine Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda will finally be making his debut, and great that he makes it with a new production of Trovatore. Can't wait !!

88. John James responded on 27 April 2015 at 6:07pm Reply

    Very pleased to see the new works by young contemporary composers, especially Mark Simpson, but why not one opera by a major English composer, alive or dead, in the main house?

89. ericB responded on 28 April 2015 at 10:32am Reply

    "but why not one opera by a major English composer, alive or dead, in the main house?"

    Exactly. And for once, NOT Britten !

90. Chris Partridge responded on 1 May 2015 at 12:02pm Reply

    I will not be going to see Cav and Pag. I am fed up with updated productions which do not suit the subject

91. Opera at cinema responded on 6 May 2015 at 4:22pm Reply

    Why didn't you programmed a so beautiful season at cinema.

    What a pity to program me only five operas

92. Paula Wall responded on 13 May 2015 at 3:51pm Reply

    Will definitely try to see Diana Damrau as Lucia - saw her at the Met a few seasons back and she was superb - without prejudging the new production I wish we were borrowing theirs as it was gorgeous. Must be a nightmare balancing the books and understand the need for Traviata etc but some of the casting is a little predictable. Will have to go elsewhere for a Handel fix but the Gluck is a welcome sight and, as one of my favourite ROH productions was the King Goes Forth to France in Finnish, I will be tempted to try some of the more avant garde works

93. Liam Mansfield responded on 15 June 2015 at 6:51pm Reply

    Interesting program with lots of new operas in the linbury and the Rossi by candlelight .

    Amazed with so many new names of singers. I remember Gilgi and co.
    Some singers now appear only once or twice and then disappear.

94. Irena responded on 15 July 2015 at 11:37am Reply

    So disappointed in the cast of Boris Godunov. One of the most fascinating operas in the entire season, why wouldn't you invite Russian-speaking singers? Especially there are so many great once. The accents make this opera unlistenable. And hope Khvorostovsky would recover for Onegin.

95. Karen Patricia Smith responded on 17 July 2015 at 11:36pm Reply

    I am so disappointed that no Handel will be performed either by ROH or by ENO during 2015-2016. When can we next expect a Handel Opera?

    • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 24 August 2015 at 10:51am

      Hi Karen,

      No Handel operas are scheduled for the upcoming 2015/16 Season and future Seasons are still TBC.

      Thanks

      Chris
      ROH Content Producer

96. Marina Gratsos responded on 18 July 2015 at 11:28pm Reply

    So happy you have Joyce DiDonato appearing summer 2015 - probably the top lyric coloratura mezzo of our times - and curious to see her Werther. She aced your Cendrillon a few years ago. So a major coup for the ROH☺

97. Ellen Jones responded on 22 August 2015 at 2:45am Reply

    Will previous seasons' performances, filmed for limited screenings, become available for purchase? I'm especially interested in performances by Jonas Kaufmann. Thank you.

    • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 24 August 2015 at 10:49am

      Hi Ellen,

      Details of DVD/Blu-Ray releases will be publicized via this section of the site, as well as via social media. Do keep an eye out

      Thanks

      Chris
      ROH Content Producer

98. Anita O'Brien responded on 29 August 2015 at 8:43pm Reply

    Emma Bell .... Fabulous!

99. Günter Wolter responded on 12 October 2015 at 2:36am Reply

    Hi Chris,

    Orphée et Eurydice by Gluck, performed by John Eliot Gardiner last September - when will it be published on DVD/Blue-Ray?
    It is the best performing of this work I ever have heard and seen.
    greetings from Hamburg
    Günter Wolter

    • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 12 October 2015 at 12:04pm

      Hi Günter,

      I'm afraid no DVD/Blu-Ray release is scheduled.

      Sorry to disappoint you!

      Chris
      ROH Content Producer

100. Liam Mansfield responded on 5 December 2015 at 6:14am Reply

     Great to read all the different opinions.
     It's sad when ones favorite singer or opera does not appear in the season. I think opera manage et may be more complicated than one thinks!,

     Often wonder how the curtain ever goes up each evening.
     It's all magical

101. Natalia K responded on 5 January 2016 at 10:27am Reply

     A lot of discussions about opera titles, cast and performance. My concern is a concept of production! Unfortunately, I can’t accept Kaspen Holten’s interpretation of Eugine Onegin which is overdramatic instead of being lyrical. Sorry to say, there is lack of Russian identity or Russian images in it. Wish ROH could bring Maryinsky theatre recent production by Gergiev and Stepanuk.

102. Jules responded on 24 January 2016 at 11:49pm Reply

     Great season!!!!
     Thank you ROH! :-)

     Hopefully we can see and listen to DON CARLO, RIGOLETTO, LA RONDINE and FAUST in the upcoming seasons!

     ...and the best thing (in the world!!!) would be to see Bellini's NORMA...with the one and only ANGELA GHEORGHIU! She would be the absolute perfect fit for this role!! What an event that would be!!!...Please bring back Norma at the ROH!...with Angela!!!!

     All the best,
     Jules

103. Hilary responded on 13 March 2016 at 9:13am Reply

     Delighted to see some people are so sniffy about repeated Traviatas, since this enabled me and my husband to attend our first opera yesterday and we will certainly be back for more. If folk are so jaded that they believe they may kill themselves following such a performance, perhaps they should look elsewhere for their entertainment and free up the seats for those who actually want to go. We thought it was spectacular and will certainly come again. We would not have visited the opera for the first time to see a lesser-known production.

104. Diane Marino responded on 13 April 2016 at 4:56pm Reply

     Can anyone tell me if there is a schedule for operas to be shown on screen and where in the United States they can be seen. I am part of a loyal opera group that see all the Metropolitan productions on screen and would love to see some of the ROH Sunday productions on screen. I live in Maryland, USA and have not been able to locate anything nearby. The theatre we go to for the Met is the Regal at Constant Friendship and they asked me to get contact information so they could look into it. Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

     • Sarah Walsh (Cinema Account Coordinator) responded on 13 April 2016 at 5:14pm

       Dear Diane,

       If you'd like to ask the Regal to email their details to cinema@roh.org.uk then I'd be happy to put them in touch with our international distributors.

       Thank you!

       Sarah

     • Chris Shipman (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) responded on 13 April 2016 at 5:14pm

       Hi Diane,

       Details of specific venues and territories screening Royal Ballet and Royal Opera productions will be confirmed in due course prior to going on sale next month. Watch this space!

       Thanks,

       Chris

105. Paul Smith responded on 18 April 2016 at 11:25am Reply

     The whole of the media and most of the UK.is full of brexit and our relationship with the EU. When, in fact THE most important and exciting event of 2016 is Anna Netrebko coming to ROH in September. I can't wait , thankyou ROH.