7 January 2013 at 8.34am | 137 Comments
Highlights from the Royal Opera House Youtube channel.
A day of live broadcast from behind the scenes at The Royal Opera (streamed on 7 Jan 2013).
Tweet us your thoughts with #ROLive.
Schedule on the day:
- Eugene Onegin rehearsal with Simon Keenlyside
- La donna del lago Model showing with director John Fulljames
- The Minotaur stage rehearsal with the cast including John Tomlinson, Christine Rice and Johan Reuter
- Antonio Pappano and Kasper Holten interview
- Nabucco Chorus rehearsal
- The Minotaur Sitzprobe with the cast and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth
- Fight workshop. Jette Parker Young Artists
- Eugene Onegin choreography rehearsal
- Eugene Onegin vocal coaching
- La bohème behind the scenes
- Antonio Pappano vocal masterclass
- La bohème vocal warm up. Youth Opera Company
- Conductor preparation for La bohème with Mark Elder
- Die Walküre backstage pass
Royal Opera LIVE is a co-commission between the Royal Opera House, Arts Council England and The Guardian.
This article has 137 comments
can't wait!
Its not working.... :-(
Hi there,
Sorry that you have had problems accessing the live stream. As mentioned above, there were a few glitches earlier this morning, but these seem to have been sorted out now. If you are using the recommended browsers (mentioned above) you should be able to access the live stream without a problem,
All the best,
Lottie
What a great idea, sadly doesn't seem to want to play!
Hi there,
Sorry that you have had problems accessing the live stream. Earlier this morning, there were a few glitches but these seem to have been sorted out now and so hopefully, you should be able to view it without a problem.
As mentioned above, the stream provided by The Space is optimised for use in modern HTML5 browsers on Windows 7, Mac OS X Lion (10.7) and Snow Leopard (10.6), particularly the most recent versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox. If you are using these browsers and still experiencing problems, there could be Firewall restrictions from your network provider.
I do hope you are able to view the content,
All the best,
Lottie
I have tried the ROH, TheSpace and Guardian websites. All three freeze within a few seconds and stay frozen. My Broadband speed is 5.3, YouTube, iPlayer etc. work fine at full screen setting so the problem does not appear to be at my end.
So how can I watch something that does not appear to be transmitting?
Sorry to hear you have had problems. Initially, there were a few glitches but these seem to have been sorted out now and so you should be able to view it without a problem.
The stream provided by The Space is optimised for use in modern HTML5 browsers on Windows 7, Mac OS X Lion (10.7) and Snow Leopard (10.6), particularly the most recent versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox. If you are using these browsers and still experiencing problems, there could be Firewall restrictions from your network provider.
I do hope you are able to access it,
All the best,
Lottie
Thank you for this priceless opportunity to see behind the scenes. I'm really enjoying watching the artists at work.
I don't seem to be able to view the live streaming? I click the links but all that comes up are films saying "archive footage" that don't correspond to the timetable for the day. The films are interesting but is there a way I can access the live content?
Hi there,
Throughout the day, we will be showing a mix of both archive footage and live footage. You can check the schedule in the post above for a timetable of the live elements to make sure you see the live content,
Hope you enjoy it,
All the best,
Lottie
marvellous to see - such a stimulating environment, multi-lingual, multitalented people creating magic! I need to be part of this!
Thanks so much to ROH, artists and others who are participating in this live streaming event. A wonderful opportunity for us on the other side of the world to have a rare glimpse into the workings of one of the greatest opera houses!
Thank you ROH!!!!! Watching from Vienna - Austria....
CONGRATS....
that's an amasing Experience !
from Athens GREECE ......
How i miss ROH...Loved Elisir D´Amore last November and cant wait to be a part of this event!
Best regards!
Tiago S. | Portugal
Harrison Birtwiste - guaranteed to have new audiences flocking to the opera in droves.
Harrison Birtwistle - guaranteed to have newcomers to opera flocking in in droves!
Thanks so much for this! I've had no problems with the live stream, and am enjoying this very much.
Ref. reply from Lottie Butler. Failure still occurs within a few seconds at 12.45 pm. I am using Chrome, latest version. Other short ROH video clips work fine. So there must be something different in today's streaming to make it unavailable on my own and seemingly other people's machines. Is this yet another example of the ROH assuming something new will work without first fully testing it? Oh, I have asked several neighbours to check, it fails for all of them too.
I'm watching from Paris and it's a wonderful opportunity to see work at the Royal Opera House whose productions are so much better than Opéra Bastille. I particularly enjoyed the rehearsal of 'Eugène Onegin', but found Kirsty Wark's butting in and interrupting with fatuous remarks extremely irritating.
I also found Kirsty Wark's manner irritating. She really should not have kept on butting in on the people she was interviewing. They were the focus of the day, NOT her!
After complaining, I finally got the strea. Very happy.
awsome ......BRAVO !!!!!
From Greece .....................
I can only find the recorded archive footage :(
It was supposed to be a Minotaur rehearsal at 12 noon... perhaps it was just a very, very short rehearsal
I was too fast in my joy and getting it to steam for awhile. Froze within 5 minutes. Very disappointed.
Try "reload" immediately, it works here (I am in the usa)
also play with stop and start on the screen. Froze 3 times here and worked again in seconds when I did that.
I wanted to see the Minotaur in rehersal, a fantastic opera, brutal sounding!
Will it be possible to re-watch some of those? I can't see everything live unfortunately. And are you going to do it again?
Hi Aurelia,
For those who aren't able to watch now, http://thespace.org/ will have the whole day on demand with highlights eventually on http://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse.
Best
Paul
Thank you. It is exciting. We saw Carmen at the local cinema here in Savannah GA, yesterday afternoon. it was fantastic.
This live streaming is fantastic - a great way to spend my 60th birthday - can't wait until tonight as I am coming to the ROH to see Rolando et al in la Boheme!
Thank you ROH ! ! ! ! ! I'm watching from Montevideo, Uruguay, South America.
It is great! Thanks from Hungary!
This is the first day of my retirement - what a wonderful way to start the next chapter of my life! ROH is such a magical place and very very special to me and my husband. Can't wait for our next visit - bringing children + partners to La Boheme 9th March - and guess what my retirement present was? ROH vouchers :-)
Absolutely FANTASTIC ! ! ! I I'm at my home in the south of France and I'm glued to it ....even though it is fabubulous sunny weather outside and I ought to be out there jogging ! ! Will you be able to keep it on your web site for several days to come, please ? I come to ROH as often as I can whenever we are in London. We used to live near Brussels so I know Antonio Pappano and Renato Balsadonna from their days at La Monnaie.
Wonderful! I only learned about this event today, not enought time to follow completely but I am happy I am able to see a part. Great! Tank you so much!
Very Enjoyable thank you, although I visit ROH often it is so interesting to have this view behind the scenes.
I have no problems with the transmission.
Loving this. Thank you ROH & Guardian. I'm not able to watch Valkyrie tonight - any chance of picking it up maybe tomorrow? Ah, just read Paul's response timed at 1.27pm so will definitely try that.
Why oh why Stephen Fry earlier? What has the opinionful poor man's Peter Ustinov got to do with opera or ballet? Poor dos – I was so enjoying the broadcast.
I seem to recall an excellent programme on Wagner which he presented.
Thank you ROH, watching you from Tel Aviv, Israel and loving every second.
From Paris I'm glued to this whole-day broadcast. Excellent initiative, thank you so much !!
This is fantastic. I wish we would have more of this.
Right now they are broadcasting the pre-opera talk for la Boheme and even if that isn't live, I'm happy is being broadcasted, as I was there and can say that it was AMAZING. On the other side, I also hope they'll show the Q&A at the end, so I will become also part of this event as I'm the girl with the pink hair putting one of the questions :).
Still a struggling "artist", I could not afford to watch the full opera afterward but I’m looking forward to the live screening at the Empire cinema in Leicester Sq on the 15th. Anyone in the same situation? :)
incidentally, re Onegin clip. This scene is supposed to take place in a country estate, but the scenery suggests a grand town house. I'd have thought they were using the last act decor, but in that case, why rehearse the
singers in such detail against it?
Later: Mark Elder rehearsing Susanna Gaspar and Michel de Souza was marvellous, enlightening, and what I'd been hoping for. Insight into singers and conductor interacting; and Elder conveys all the subtlety necessary for explaining intonation, breathing, and emphasisl Congratulations on this!
Please can you tell me how to make this work on a Nexus 7?All I get is a note saying no suitable players. Is there. App I need to load.?
on a Blackberry playbook it eventually runs but keeps freezing-I guess the device lacks adequate power to handle a high bandwidth feed.
kind regards
mervyn
Hi Mervyn,
Sorry to hear you are having trouble, The Space mention in their technical FAQs that support for Android is still a work in progress. http://thespace.org/faq
The broadcast will be repeated from tonight on http://thespace.org if you are able to catch up later on other devices. Otherwise we will have highlights available on http://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse in the coming days.
Best wishes
An amazing and enlightening day. Work wise, the performance we see is just the tip of the iceberg.
Fantastic day .
from Ennis. Co Clare , Ireland
What is a 1010 error and how can I avoid getting it every few seconds?
Using google Chrome on Win7
Very much enjoying the day, but one comment, when they are singing, can the commentators stop talking. Drives me nuts.
THIS IS A SPECIAL GIFT FOR ALL MUSIC AND OPERA S LOVER. THANKS VERY MUCH
ENJOYING THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE GREAT ROYAL OPERA HOUSE. FROM DENMARK
loved the piece with Mark Elder, watching from the Highalnds of Scotland, been watching since the start
Finally got the stream working. Watching from Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S.A. Thank you for the marvelous opportunity.
Hugely enjoying this from Singapore. Walkure will be on at 3.30am which will be a challenge as it's way past my bedtime. Will I be able to watch again tomorrow?
Thanks a lot, from Sweden. Fantastic opportunity. Sad only that I did not hear about it until late this afternoon.
I've just got it working. Can I go back to earlier in the day and see the bit about La Donna del Lago as I'm thinking of booking tickets for it?
Hi Anne,
The broadcast will be on demand from later tonight on http://thespace.org. Otherwise we will have highlights available on http://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse in the coming days.
Best wishes
Thanks a lot for this opportunity - it's a pleasure to watch! It's really amazing!
Thank you !!!!!! It is marvellous to see Royal Opera House from inside ......
From Italy, many thanks again!
Hugely enjoying this from Singapore but Walkure at 3.30am will unfortunately be way past my bedtime. Can I watch a repeat tomorrow?
Sadly I am at work and so not able to watch. Is the stream live only, or can it be viewed subsequently? Very keen to see as much as possible after a wonderful backstage tour on Saturday followed by a great perfotmance of Boheme.
I wish I could enjoy the stream as so many are but all I get on my Galaxy Android tablet using the mobile versions of Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Puffin, and the integral browser and the ROH and Thespace web sites is a message "Error loading player: no playable sources found".
Hi Alan,
Sorry to hear you are having difficulties, The Space mention in their technical FAQs that support for Android is still a work in progress. http://thespace.org/faq
The broadcast will be repeated from tonight on http://thespace.org if you are able to catch up on other devices. Otherwise we will have highlights available on http://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse at a later date.
Best wishes
Thanks a lot for this opportunity! It's really amazing and a pleasure to watch!
I have been watching the programme since this morning and it is really fantastic to have a look from inside at what means to set an opera. From now on I will consider under a new light what singers and musicians do on stage thanks to all those people who act under the curtains.
Thank you very much to ROH
Stefano, Pescara (Italy)
fabulous! Thank you
Watching some from Milan, Italy. Very impressed with the programme that's put together of all the different "behind the scenes". I'm learning so much! Thanks for everyone's hard work making it possible.
Although I often go to ROH performances this is a very enjoyable look behind the scenes I look forward to Die Walkure, I saw it in October and will enjoy it all over again.
THANK YOU
Magical! :))) thank you and lalala from Hungary
Have been following some on my iPad throughout the day from Milan, Italy. I'm learning so much. Impressed with the different types of "behind the scenes" included in the programme. Thanks to all your hard work making it possible!
Many thanks from Barcelona, It's a great idea, I enjoy a lot the broadcast! VIVA LA ROH !
Great opportunity for those of us who live in small towns, like Jefferson City, Missouri. We have had one live opera in 15 years.
Renato Balsadonna rehearsing the chorus was also interesting= having watched his work for years am very impressed at how italian he makes the chorus sound = strikes me as modest and dedicated.
alas cannot say the same for the running commentary, or the appearance of Kaspar Holten who comes across as bland and unmusical - quite unashamedly so. But that goes for most opera directors today.
what about a director working with the score and knowing the libretto in it's original language is unmusical? maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge :-)
that was meant to read "its" not it's, sorry
I have been loving it, quite fascinating but now it has crashed and I can't get it back.
Amazing!, I've told most of my friends to watch it. However, since 5pm the sound has become very patchy. I'm particularly interested in La Boheme which I'm going to see at my local cinema next week. This is a wonderful opportunity for others to be involved in opera/classical music. Thank you so much for this broadcast.
I hope you will post many rehearsals on youtube. One learns how to listen ! Thank you, it is enjoyable.
Watching the livestream all day long - thanks to a day off - greetings from from Munich! Now I'm longer forward to Wagner behind the scenes
Are you guys recording this lovely event for all the people whom had trouble watching it?WIll it be on your youtube?
Really enjoyed it with my husband who has worked in every English opera house as a repetiteur except ROH (he's retired now). But I can't get sound now...:(
What a great way yo spend the day. Watching Papano work with singers is illuminating.
A techy at the ROH made that statement that their back stage system is more advanced than the Met. Is this true Mr. Gelb?
great show! can't wait for the act 3 of "Die W"!! hope internet and connection won't let me down. Maestro Pappano greatest communicator ever, amazingly good.
We have "wasted" (only joking) practically the whole day watching this and intend to waste most of the evening too. It has given us a fabulous insight into the artistry and craftsmanship behind your productions. What a good idea it was to open up the ROH as you have. We are coming to Eugene Onegin next month and, of course, were fascinated by the rehearsal of it and also much taken with the revival of Minotaur. Thank you so much.
It was a great idea to show some events live! I am an orchestra conductor, working in Poland. I am a great fan of ROH and Antonio Pappano!The streaming worked quite well, needed sometimes to refresh. Please make it more frequently! Best greetings!
Brilliant work! Fascinating interviews with 'backstage' people, esp David Syrus. Pappano masterclass a delight.
Fantastic that a light has been shone in the areas of the theatre that often go unseen by the general public, talent , skill, experience and creativity abounds... thank you for sharing this with the world... Best wishes form Cyprus
Thank you very much for great pleasure!
Enjoying both the live and archival footage on Royal Opera Live today! Bravo! What a treat! Thank you so much, Suzanne from New York City
I'm so envious - you are all having SO much fun, and getting paid for it too! (Okay, there is clearly a great deal of hard work to do - but it must be a fantastic feeling when things go right). Bravi tutti!
I watched all day but now I cannot see Die Walküre backstage pass, which I was looking forward to. Will it be possible to see it later? The video keep saying there is an error and stopped working in the middle of Conductor preparation for La bohème with Mark Elder.
I'm so gutted to miss exactly the last highlight
It's really great, to have a look behind the scenes.
So much to see. I can look all the day, the marvelousness technics at the backstage, on and under the stage. The songs, the explanation. Yes I was a part of it, great:
But it could be even more if you make an open event. Like an WWW Opera; you can conncet the Royal Opera House with German, French, USA, Australia, Perhaps Japan Opera Houses, to play e.g. Fidelio, some parts played in GB, some in German, some in French and everytime there where a break after c.a. 20 min. so it can be explained, what happens next etc.
The Opera was everytime an image, sometimes a mirror of the life in the equivalent timeperiod.
Fabulous! Loved it!
More please 8-))
It's been a fascinating day, so thanks - but since late afternoon, like others, I've also suffered from increasingly frequent and lengthening freezes. (My setup meets the ideal requirements mentioned here much earlier today.) I mention it as I don't recall anything of the kind happening during the Royal Ballet streaming day last year. Different teams at work or somesuch?
What a wonderful insight into the work of Covent Garden, a great start to the week and to the new year. Many thanks to all at ROH who were involved in this marvellous innovation. Very much hope you will do this again.
What a great day with ROH ! Greetings from Slovakia!
Hi, thanks for a great experience and a really interesting look behind the scenes. One question: I get the impression that all cues are given via headset. Do you not use signal lamps at all?
Thanks!
Greetings from Macedonia to Royal Opera House :)
Just gorgeous, please don't do it to often, I will become a couch potato!!
Hi! Unfortunately I was not able to join the event as I was at work but I was told that during Nabucco rehearsal you presented a video of "SING Va Pensiero" which included part of the one I sent (Va Pensiero from Porto Antico in Genoa). I'd love to see it!!! Would you publish it on the web? Thanks for letting me know! Congratulations for the great initiative, very well done, ciao!
Flame is working! What an effort...... Well done for a fantastic behind the scenes look at my favourite opera.
Great idea, but mastery over the technicalities of the performance were not matched by the capabilities of the internet. Constant interruptions to continuous streaming were very frustrating.
Wonderful production and fantastic broadcast. We (and our two children) have been totally enthralled! Well done ROH! More please!
Fantastic broadcast. So fascinating to see what was going on behind the scenes. We loved seeing it live and this really enhanced it. Wish we could see it all over.
What a fantastic idea. Thoroughly enjoyed Die Walkure; it gave me a total new perspective on the production of operas. Keep up the fabulous work! Can't wait to watch the earlier content that I missed.
What a fantastic achievement even if some people had problems viewing the relay. Despite some buffering I had no problems in watching the relay from 11.30 until close of play.
After 40 years of coming to the ROH and some 560 performances there, I can now fully appreciate all the hard work that goes into to making an evening at the opera. I was at the Die Walkure performance and had no idea of what went on behind 'the wall'. Thank you to all the staff that made this possible.
Huge Heartfelt Thank You to all at ROH for bringing us 11 hours of complete magic. How much we learned, and how grateful we are for this day of joy!
From Montreal Canada.
This was a magical experience to share . All other plans for the evening abandonned.A wonderful night.Thank you to the 189 plus plus plus who made it possible .
Thank you from France for a day full of inspiration. Now that I have witnessed the complex backstage operations, I appreciate even more La Traviata and Don Giovanni I've had the great pleasure of seeing last year.
Fantastic day! thank you so much I really enjoyed it. Greetings from SANTIAGO DE CHILE!!!!!
I have been gripped all day watching this - all of it fascinating!!
This was wonderful and hugely inspiring. I have always considered the ROH as the best of the best and now seeing all the amazingly talented people who work there making it tick my admiration has grown.
Thank you so much - please do more!!
It's been great. Congratulations. Hope you repeat and upload the complete event since obviously it's difficult to see all. Many thanks indeed.
Thank you ever so much for giving such an extensive insight into the art of opera production. What an incredible variety of glimpses into life at Covent Garden. I do believe that this live stream will attract many people to opera who have not ventured into an opera house before.
To me this recalls numerous wonderful evenings in the house; and I have made up my mind to travel to London as soon as possible to enjoy a performance at Covent Garden.
I unfortunately missed the live stream today but have been catching up with the replay. Briliant initiative - huge thanks to the ROH. However, the replay cuts off soon after Antonio Pappano's vocal masterclass. I would so love to watch the remainder, especially Bryn Terfel in Die Walkure. How could I watch this section of the replay please? Many thanks.
I am in the island of Bali, internet is too slow here, cannot watch, I am not sure if there's an encore?
From Mexico City. Althogh reception was not 100% perfect, the content was thoroughly enjoyable. I could only watch part of the trasmission as I had a busy day (we are six hours behind London time). The portions I saw, such as the debut of the young conductor with La Bohéme, were very exciting. Thank you and best wishes.
I can only thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. What a privilege and a honour, to have had the opportunity to watch this in my life time. Who would have thought this was possible,even 20 year's ago.Sarah did a magnificent job, as assistant stage manager. I alway's wanted to be involved in the art's,unfortunately I never had the opportunity. I am going to cherish and embrace these memory's for ever.
Have managed to catch ROH Live a few occassions throughout the day, especially this evening. What an excellent, enjoyable and informative event. "Die Walküre backstage pass" was the highlight, but I enjoyed every item I watched.
I had no technical problems at alll, and watched partly on a windows PC, and partly on my iPad - not even a hint of buffering.
To those people who have complained about presenters 'interrupting' - you've missed the point of the day; this is not intended to be a substitute for watching a performance, but is intended to illustrate the depth and breadth of skills and talent required not only from the on-stage performers and musicians but also from the many unseen team members. So I for one welcomed the explanatory remarks from Kirsty.well done ROH for a fascinating insight.
The opportunity to watch the backstage work during 'Die Walkuere' was fantastic, so many people contributing to a great performance. Thank you very much!
This is great! Thank you.
Kirsty Wark mentioned yesterday that we could send in Va pensiero clips "for the next couple of days". Is this the case? (I've finally worked out how to do video on my camera!)
Hi Lucy,
Yes, we'd love to see your clip - they'll be used to create a piece separate to Royal Opera LIVE, which will premiere later this year.
Thanks,
Chris
Online Content Producer
A fabulous acheivement! Totally engrossing and a brilliant idea. I could watch this all day!!
Watching Die Walkure backstage was as exciting as watching a Die Hard movie for the first time: there were so many things that could have gone wrong! I was in the audience for the actual performance, and seeing the amount of work that went on backstage has given me an even greater appreciation of what was achieved. Thank you!
Hi everyone,
Really pleased that people tuned in to enjoy Royal Opera Live on Jan 7. However also very sorry that some of you experienced difficulties with the stream from The Space.
We hope that you will be able to view the broadcast that is repeated for 72 hours in this news post. Otherwise we will have highlights available (in perpetuity) on our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse in the coming days.
Best wishes
Paul Spear
Digital Producer
Unfortunately I could not watch any of it because my elderly computer is not up-to-date enough. I hope the item about Donna del Lago will be included in the highlights put on YouTube (which I have no problem with) as I was particularly interested in that, and also something about Onegin.
Watching from Washington, DC, USA. Streaming from a Facebook link to my Television using Apple TV. Works great. Wish there were more opportunities for this sort of programming!!
I do agree with Miriam. For a number of reasons various people were not able to get the streaming and so far all that seems to be on Youtube is "Va pensiero". Please can you get the parts of substance, like La donna del lago featue and Eugene reheatsal, there. It is infuriating not to be able to discuss these. I did find what I was able watch interesting.
Hi David,
Thanks for your comments. With the amount of material from Royal Opera LIVE, the editing job for this is substantial but these will be posted as soon as possible on YouTube. We hope you enjoy them.
Chris
Online Content Producer
Wounderful and magic. I hope this could be repeated many other times. Great Maestro Pappano. Thamks ROH. Susana Iglesias from Argentina.
this insight was incredible and really made me realized how much I miss the UK and the ROH now that I live in the States
The artistic director Kasper Holten: bla, bla, bla, bla, bla... Great Simon Keenlyside. No atention to Tatiana at all...
The rest is really interesting. I wish Keenlyside tons of patience to endure this bla, bla, bla...and would love to hear his no doubt great Oneguin!.
I miss Villazón, and wish him good health.
From Barcelona with love to ROH!
Bravo, ROH!
Thanks a lot!
Can't wait for the next ROlive!
Olivia Mo
from Shanghai, China
Excellent idea, I watch it in US; can you extend the time frame for the available stream? For those who have to go to work is a bit challenging to watch all this after work, so I do this in segments.
What a wonderful insight to the amazing work that goes on behind the scenes. They are all stars (notably Sarah, the ASM). Here in Suffolk, the broadband is appalling so I had to watch continuously buffered streaming. Is there a chance you might broadcast this on the BBC? - especially the section on Die Walkure - terrific stuff. Stephen Curtis, Suffolk
I saw most of it, but like others had problems with the streaming stopping. It was not alway easy getting it back. Mark Elders masterclass was the highlight, and I was sorry that so much ot the back stage parts were hardly visible due to the very low lighting. Except for the stage hand making rabbit shadows on the back of the canvas! What a star the girl Ass Stage manager was. Kirtsy was a bit of a pain and intrusive, her links could have been better, as indeed could a lot of the sound by hand mikes. Briliiant concept however.
Mark Elder's La Boheme masterclass with the wonderful Susana Gaspar was the most enjoyable section for me, in fact I would prefer to hear SG on the main stage than many of your recent Mimis!
Unfortunately this is not among your youtube highlights yet, I hope it's coming soon.