The amazing Royal Opera House

by Gwen Herat in London

Being one of the leading British houses for performing arts trailing behind Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Opera House (ROH) is more focused on opera, music and ballet. Today it has moved beyond this range.

The Royal Opera House at night.

ROH's extension covers music-research, collections, exhibitions, sculpture, books, libraries and shops. It is also committed to the Royal Opera House Foundation, The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, The Royal Opera Chorus, New sculpture and ROH patrons and sponsors.

The huge network of happenings behind the scene is ably managed by the ROH boards and committees. That is as far as the administration goes.

However, it is an amazing structural combination for both performing and visual arts. Behind its extraordinary and spectacular facade is the history of British ballet and classical music preserved, sustained and nurtured year after year in its tradition and classicism.

Plans for the autumn season included music and dance which were exciting and challenging with the autumn feel in the air. It was a rich mixture of ballet from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries with new choreographers such as Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor along with the very new Liam Scarlet taking on the repertoires of the classics of Rudolf Nureyev, Kenneth MacMillan and Folkine to sizzle the audience. I, especially enjoyed Nureyv's Raymonda Act. 111 with Jerome Robbins.

This year, Royal Ballet celebrates 50 years of The Friends of Covent Garden with their ongoing loyalty and unwavering enthusiasm. And still on the agenda was a tribute to the great Kenneth MacMillan on the 20th anniversary of his death with a performance of The Swan Lake.

Alexie Ratmansky is scheduled to commence work on a new score which will have its première during Autumn.

Christmas is eagerly expected with the return of Jerome Robbins In the Night which has not been performed at Covent Garden for several years. Kasper Holten will debute his first opera at the Royal Opera at Covent Garden. There is also Harrison Birtwhistle's The Minotaur I heard way back in 2008 returns with three new singers.

The amazing thing about working at the Royal Opera House is the breadth of work and ideas all pooled together by the highly talented group never wanes.

On the contrary everything gets enhanced with so many new ideas among these dedicated people. It is extremely inspiring to work among colleagues whose passion rises with each new performance put together.

Opera professionals

Next, there is the Youth Opera Company absorbing young people from different backgrounds and turning them over to opera professions.

An important event that will run for six months to mark the birth anniversary of George Solti's birth, the Royal Opera House collection exhibition commemorates his career with the ROP.

The first four performances are dedicated to his memory. He played a vital role in the development of music during his long tenure ans music director from 1961-1971. Later he was made Music Director Laureate in 1991 on his 80th birthday.

The exhibition also pays tribute the soprano, Maria Callas with many highlights with her connection with the ROP.

Later, the audiences were to hear Callas in two Verdi operas none of which I was able to attend.

In 1964, ROP mounted a new production of Puccini's Tosca for Callas.

The spectacular Globe head ballerina sculpture is an exciting new addition which I never saw when I visited the ROH last time. It is sited on the exterior on the building overlooking Covent Garden.

An unusual and stunning sculpture called Globe Head Ballerina sculptured by the renown artist, Yinka Shonibare MBE had been brought down from the London Festival and will stay put for the next five years at the ROH and heavily insured. The sculpture had been inspired by Margot Fonteyn, Proma Ballerian Assoluta of the Royal Ballet.

Universality

The figure's head is a globe that reflects the international work of the Royal Opera House to emphasise the universality of ballet as an art form. The figure was created using traditional sculptural methods and the cast in fibreglass.

From the costume department, it was clothed in the fabrics synonymous with Shonibare's work and worked around a famous ballet-pose ‘freeze’ of Fonteyn.

Of his new work he has said, ‘The piece is about bringing the childhood sense of magic and wonder to the facade of the Royal Opera House in a very grown up piece of public sculpture that can be enjoyed by all. It is like a life-size fairy-tale ballerina jewellery box that will spin'.

Indeed it will spin anyone's head that way on it did to mine.

The ROH Orchestra is a spectacular ensemble that has many talented musicians from Britain and from elsewhere who play live for ballet most of the time.

The Concert Masters are Peter Manning and Vosko Vassilev with four assistants in attendance. The orchestra is made of 14 First Violins, 13 second Violins, 13 Violas, 11 Cellos, 8 Basses, 5 Flutes, 2 Piccolos, 5 Oboes, 3 Timpani, 5 Percussion, 1 Cor Anglais, 1 E-flat Carinet, 5 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 7 Horns, 5 Trumpets, 1 Corfnet, 6 Trombones, 2 Bass Trombones and 12 Harps.

Their orchestra administrative director is Sally Mitchell.