Opera and prices

Posted by: yeti42 on 07 April 2013

I never really appreciated opera on record until I went to see it live though it did prepare me for the live event.

My first opera was The Valkyrie performed to piano accompaniament by a group calling themselves the Master Singers as part of the Newbury Festival about 15 years ago, it cost me £15 and inspired me to want to see it again with the orchestra. This resulted in a visit to the English National Opera a year or so later, a second tier ticket was ~£30 and you couldn't make out the words (ENO sing in English) so I decided I needed to get closer to the stage. Next was Tristan in the stalls at ~£70, a fairly significant spend for me at the time, even more so when I decided I needed two tickets but that's another story.

The Eno has three balconies the uppermost of which is  ~£20 a ticket and has no legroom except for the back row but once they started using surtitles so you could work out what was going on this became a viable option. The Royal Opera House is up to roughly double the price of ENO except for modern works where the price is capped (I was in the front row of the dress circle for £50 for Thomas Ades' Tempest, normally ~£200) but there's standing room for ~ a fiver. The prices in Munich, Bayreuth (though try getting a ticket), Orange (amphithetre in the south of France) and Paris are roughly comparible. As none of these can survive on ticket sales alone I think they're not unreasonable. The bigest problem is actually getting a ticket for the popular ones.

How do things compare in the rest of the world, would anyone care to relate their experience?

Posted on: 07 April 2013 by Huwge

Munich Staatsoper is not much different to London prices, Bayreuth is a bit of a schlepp and tickets are like hen's teeth but if the stars are in alignment then you can get lucky.

 

The Opernfestspiele in Munich this year is offering the complete Ring cycle and most of Wagner's other operas. I'll be going to the Dutchman and hopefully some Verdi as well.

 

Salzburg is expensive and also difficult to get tickets but a worthwhile experience even if the audience can get a little hostile, I lose track of who they are booing 

 

Zürich is more expensive than Munich and I've never been impressed by what I have seen there.

 

Paris used to be more expensive but I haven't been for a dog's age.

Posted on: 08 April 2013 by Richard Dane

I've been to the ROH a few times in the past 6 months, mainly for the ballet - Swan Lake, The Firebird, and Onegin.   A box cost £60-80 for 4 people, which considering what you pay for the cinema these days, I actually thought it was pretty good value.  As you say, if you go up top then it's usually around £5-10 per person.  While you may have a slightly restricted view off to one side, when you're right over the orchestra it can sound pretty amazing up there.

Posted on: 08 April 2013 by Cbr600

My most memorable experience was at the large open air amphitheater in Verona. We went to see Aida and spent 4 hours in the open air, sat on the stone steps and under a full moon.

 

The event was magical, cannot remember how much the fee was though. Do recall the cost of the inflatable seat pads was around a fiver. such joy !!

Posted on: 10 April 2013 by yeti42

Verona sounds similar to Orange where I saw La Boheme last year, the hotel offered us legless seats with backrests to go on the hard stone but foolishly we thought our rolled up beach mats would be enough, they weren't.