|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
25/06/2004 Free opera in London
English National Opera attempts to reach a new audience by performing extracts from Wagner at this weekend's Glastonbury Festival. While the Wagner is music for grown-ups, it's in poor company: I'd probably choose to listen to less than 5% of this year's Glastonbury musos. In a couple of weeks ENO plays another free gig - La Boheme in London's Trafalgar Square on 7 July. To convert the Square into a picnic-friendly arena, it's being covered with artificial grass. I'm not over-fond of ENO, but the company deserves success for these daring attempts to widen its net. Music lovers in London wishing to try out opera without risking any money are likely to see a superior Puccini show when the Royal Opera House production of Tosca is relayed live on big screens both in the Covent Garden Piazza and at Canary Wharf at 7.30pm on 13 July. The ROH free live screenings are a popular feature of the summer season and attract large crowds who picnic on the ground (on cobbles at Covent Garden - so take a blanket; and on plastic sheets thoughtfully supplied by the organisers to keep out the damp from the grass at Canary Wharf). The pictures and sound are unusually faithful. If you want a decent spot with good sight lines, particularly at Covent Garden, get there early. Unlike groups of voluble drunks encountered at many other open air gigs, most ROH freebie attenders tend to concentrate on the music. They tend not to spend the time regaling each other with tedious complaints about the difficulties of finding decent au pairs, plumbers and authentic ciabatta and sund-dried tomatoes. Both gigs are recommended to readers wishing to sample opera free of charge. Both operas have tons of familiar, whistler-friendly toons. I'd expect the ROH production to be better sung and better staged, but will be going to both with a sense of keen anticipation. Gerry Smith
[Previous entry: "Dylan's blues roots"] [Next entry: "Wagner at Glastonbury: ill-chosen opera, targeting the wrong audience"] Search entries:
Copyright © Music
for Grown-Ups Ltd. 2005
www.musicforgrownups.co.uk
|
[Archives]
[Previous entry: "Dylan's blues roots"] [Next entry: "Wagner at Glastonbury: ill-chosen opera, targeting the wrong audience"]
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Site design by watson press website design & authoring |
