Ring cycle sells out – before booking opens
OperaNow here’s a Wagner mystery.
Booking has yet to open for next summer’s Ring at Longborough Festival Opera in Gloucestershire, and already the fest has posted a sold-out notice.
Mopped up by friends and donors?
They are putting on a couple of extra Walküres to cope with extra demand.
Read here.
The Bayreuth of the tone deaf manages to sell a few hundred barnshed tickets. Bravo negus
Such a sour comment. Anthony Negus is the finest Wagnerian of our times. Having worked closely both with the inspirational Reginald Goodall and with Barenboim and Kupfer at Bayreuth, his credentials are also impeccable. Longborough’s 2024 Ring will be the high point of next summer’s opera in the UK.
Yep!
Negus is inspirational guy and attracts the best players. He’s central to Longborough’s well-deserved success.
The sheer nastiness of some people here beggars belief.
Nastiness coupled to a cloth ear, in this case.
Wagner’s music and nastiness are inseparable.
For SD readers who don’t know it, Longborough has only 500 seats, but nonetheless, for the house to be totally sold out seven months ahead for all performances (three cycles of the four operas, each cycle occupying a week), with a couple of extra performances having to be scheduled, is impressive.
At least Martyn Brabbins is not destroying it with his mediocre baton wagging.
Oh well. Sofia did pretty well with their Ring this summer, at much lower prices and with the estimable Constantin Trinks in the pit. Basel in 2025 looks promising too…
A good point. A shame I didn’t realise there was a new Sofia production this year, I enjoyed the last one, and the city, a lot.
In 2024 I’ll be in Wiesbaden in March for one cycle, and Deutsche Oper Berlin in May for another. Decent tickets for both at less than the cost for the lucky Longborough 500. And still available I think (3 cycles at each venue).
The Staatsoper Berlin had an “interesting” Ring cycle earlier this year. You don’t have to pay Longborough (or Bayreuth) prices to enjoy quality productions.
Obviously, tickets are going to be cheaper when other people (ie taxpayers) are covering most of the price. That’s no bad thing, of course – but it’s not the same thing, either.
Would appreciate info on Wiesbaden Ring. Looks like a lovely small house, but know nothing about Manuela Uhl or the Hessian Orchestra. Does anyone have any info? Thanks
I can only point you to the web site below for info on the forthcoming cycles. I am booked for the Easter cycle.
But what I can say is that the Wiesbaden opera house is delightful, the city itself is charming, and Frankfurt airport is only a very short rail journey away, so perfect for a short visit.
https://english.staatstheater-wiesbaden.de/opera/ring-cycle/
BTW the Sofia opera is also presenting their new Ring production in June next year.
Thanks!
I wish I’d know about Sofia next summer. I’ve already made plans that would prevent my adding that to my schedule.
Based on the website: Booking will take place in priority order by membership level.
In the first instance only tickets to the full cycles will be available, and bookings cannot be split across multiple cycles. Booking a Ring Cycle ticket secures the same seat for all Ring productions.
Full Ring Cycle tickets only
Wagner Production Circle and above: Monday 9 October
Wagner Benefactors: Monday 23 October
Wagner Patrons: Monday 6 November
Wagner Friends: Monday 20 November
Public booking: Monday 4 December
It seems like members can book it earlier.
Mystery solved.
Except ALL tickets sold to Patrons etc.SOLD OUT
leaving NO tickets for general sale. Utterly disgraceful and upsetting. I am a longtime supporter of LFS & had been looking forward to The Ring. Would be interesting to know if all Patrons etc got tickets or if some of them did not.
Logged on when Wagner Friends booking opened. Only a handful of seat left then! Surely they should have enough seats for members?? Bonkers!
Well, no, the number of seats is obviously limited and judging from the info on the website, membership at that particular level (the lowest) guarantees only a particular position in a (clearly lengthy) queue. Supply and demand, you see. This is the world of opera without public subsidy.
They’re offering something outstanding and it seems that a lot of people are willing to pay for that. Inspiring on one level; frustrating, of course, on another.
Can you explain what is so “outstanding” about this offer please?
Conductor, cast, production, atmosphere, for starters. But of course, if you need it explaining, there’s a good chance you’ll never understand.
Thank you for the response. But I am starting thinking this is not a venue I want to attend if fellow customers are so patronising and arrogant.
PLease don’t be put off by any comments here. We went for the first time in 2011 and just fell in love with the whole set up. You really should try it once at least – you will probably be amazed. Or may be read the history on the web site before writing it off.
not great for those who have no car either; and I really want to hear the full-size orchestra Wagner intended.
This is very disappointing news to me! I was hoping to attend and have had the December 4 date on which tickets were supposed to go on sale to the general public on my calendar for months.
Did you apply to be a member or supporter??
No, I might have if I’d had any idea that the December date would arrive with tickets already completely gone.
Concert tickets are often offered to members first, e.g. SouthBank Centre, the Barbican and the LSO.
Maybe this was sold out to supporters in this way.
This is not exactly accurate. Bookings for full cycles opened on October 9. They have been made available to “members,” which means donors, class by class, and that has seen them sold out.
Tough on the non-member Wagner fan, or those who could only spare time (or cash) for anything less than the full cycle. But heartening to think there is such enthusiasm for a challenging offering as this.
If you need Wagner fix a little earlier, I can highly recommend Regents Opera’s, ‘Siegfried’ at the Freemasons’ Hall, Covent Garden in Feb 2024…
Yes yes yes! Rheingold was good, Walküre was better, and I’m confident that the strongly-cast Siegfried will be great. Sadly we won’t hear Keel as the Wanderer but his replacement will be announced next week. The immediacy of these performances, where the audience space starts within one metre of the performance space, with no pit or proscenium arch to get in the way, is breathtaking!
Went to Longborough’s ‘Götterdämmerung’ a few years ago. A tolerably good performance but a lot of fun getting nicely dressed up, arriving in a Malvern built Morgan, enjoying a food hamper and staying at lovely pub in Bourton on the Hill. The music really of secondary importance (as it is for most of the smart set who go there).