Jolly British fun
We had fun today of the wholesome British sort that johnny foreigner (with his constant sunshine and laid-back personality) just doesn't quite understand: we went to a fete in the rain. At one point, there was thunder and lightning too. There were a surprising number of people sloshing about on the (rapidly churning) sward of Bushy Park in cagoules and luminous cycling gear, pretending that they were having fun.
The exhibits at the fete primarily consisted of marquees full of picture boards extolling the virtues of "health walks" in the park and the evils of litter etc. The park bee-keeper (?!?) was there with a mini glass bee house full of glum-looking bees. I felt a bit sorry for them, but my dad bought some of the honey so their misery was not entirely in vain. Well, I suppose that's not quite true for the bees, since they didn't look fussed whether we bought their honey or not.
Once we were all thoroughly soaked through, we gave up and came home.
Last night, we went to see English National Opera's production of On the Town (Bernstein) at the Coliseum. For lovers of musicals it is much less well-known than West Side Story, but for fans of Lenny's serious stuff may also be under the radar, being decidedly lighter than, say, the Chichester Psalms.
The biggest tune, which you might know if I whistled it to you, is "New York, New York" (no, not that one):
New York, New York!
A helluva town
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down
The people ride in a hole in the ground
New York, New York -
It's a helluva town!
Despite it being an ENO production, a good proportion of the cast were of the west end persuasion (dancers who happened to be able to sing a bit, rather than the other way round). The only recording I've heard of it also goes in for a combination - of the five main leads, three were opera singers, two were broadway stars. The ENO version tipped the balance even further - only one of the five was an opera singer, and the production was (sadly) the worse for it. The main character, played by Super-creamy-double-whipped (TM) Thomas Hampson in my recording, has some of the most beautiful songs you've ever heard. Of course, comparing anyone with SCDW(TM) TH is a little unfair, given that he is probably the best baritone in the world. But even so, the sporting little fella up on the stage last night - although I admit he danced up a storm in his little white sailor suit - did not really have the voice for the part.
Not to say that I didn't enjoy the production. I'd go again if it wasn't so expensive. You can understand why these things cost so much to attend - at the final curtain there were 56 principals and chorus on the stage, and that's before you get on to orchestra, costume, lighting etc. Not forgetting also the person who makes the surtitles appear. I've met the man from the Royal Opera House who has that job (he's an amateur bassoonist: I met him playing chamber music). He really does sit through each performance pushing a button to make the next line appear at the appropriate moment. I'm not sure if I envy him the job or not.
And let's not get on to why you need surtitles at ENO, given that all the productions are in English.
The exhibits at the fete primarily consisted of marquees full of picture boards extolling the virtues of "health walks" in the park and the evils of litter etc. The park bee-keeper (?!?) was there with a mini glass bee house full of glum-looking bees. I felt a bit sorry for them, but my dad bought some of the honey so their misery was not entirely in vain. Well, I suppose that's not quite true for the bees, since they didn't look fussed whether we bought their honey or not.
Once we were all thoroughly soaked through, we gave up and came home.
Last night, we went to see English National Opera's production of On the Town (Bernstein) at the Coliseum. For lovers of musicals it is much less well-known than West Side Story, but for fans of Lenny's serious stuff may also be under the radar, being decidedly lighter than, say, the Chichester Psalms.
The biggest tune, which you might know if I whistled it to you, is "New York, New York" (no, not that one):
New York, New York!
A helluva town
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down
The people ride in a hole in the ground
New York, New York -
It's a helluva town!
Despite it being an ENO production, a good proportion of the cast were of the west end persuasion (dancers who happened to be able to sing a bit, rather than the other way round). The only recording I've heard of it also goes in for a combination - of the five main leads, three were opera singers, two were broadway stars. The ENO version tipped the balance even further - only one of the five was an opera singer, and the production was (sadly) the worse for it. The main character, played by Super-creamy-double-whipped (TM) Thomas Hampson in my recording, has some of the most beautiful songs you've ever heard. Of course, comparing anyone with SCDW(TM) TH is a little unfair, given that he is probably the best baritone in the world. But even so, the sporting little fella up on the stage last night - although I admit he danced up a storm in his little white sailor suit - did not really have the voice for the part.
Not to say that I didn't enjoy the production. I'd go again if it wasn't so expensive. You can understand why these things cost so much to attend - at the final curtain there were 56 principals and chorus on the stage, and that's before you get on to orchestra, costume, lighting etc. Not forgetting also the person who makes the surtitles appear. I've met the man from the Royal Opera House who has that job (he's an amateur bassoonist: I met him playing chamber music). He really does sit through each performance pushing a button to make the next line appear at the appropriate moment. I'm not sure if I envy him the job or not.
And let's not get on to why you need surtitles at ENO, given that all the productions are in English.
posted by OboeJane at 9:19 pm
4 Comments:
IMO, you need surtitles at the ENO because:
a) it is a huge auditorium so you can't make out the words clearly if you're in the cheap seats.
b) 90% of the opera singers there don't have very good diction (many are insultingly bad) so you wouldn't be able to understand them even if you were in the posh seats
c) it makes it accessible to the casual opera goer (newcomer perhaps) who may not be familiar with the work, the story, and have more trouble than the seasoned opera goer when it comes to understanding what is going on.
ok, ok. i never said you didn't need them. Just that i wasn't going to list why you did need them (cos i already had this debate with someone on saturday)
In any event, the diction was crystal clear (for once) - possibly because there were more west end singers? possibly because people were miked? who knows. i agree that it is normally pretty duff.
i couldn't see the surtitles from my seat anyway, but i know the words to On The Town backwards and forwards due to an unhealthy obsession with aforementioned SCDW TH. but i didn't feel the need to mention that either, as it makes me look just a little bit sad.
Hark at you two seasoned Opera goers!
I am going with the above Chris to Covent Garden on Saturday. I am excited because I have never been to that Opera House before and it is supposed to be an architectural delight. Looking forward to the music too, naturally.
I agree that for someone like me who doesn't know much about the story, the surtitles are very useful. I am also lucky in that I am longsighted so can read things from a long distance!
hey - you didn't mention you were down this weekend. Got time for a quick drinkie somewhere?
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