Thursday 27 January 2011

Menotti's Medium

I have just received a "flyer" from the new-born "NI Opera" advertising "NI Opera, in association with Second Movement, is delighted to present The Medium by Gian Carlo Menotti. For a limited time only, NI Opera is offering a 2 for 1 ticket deal. Book now to avoid disappointment. (Offer ends 9th Feb 2011.)".

Eh? Book now to avoid disappointment? I shan't be disappointed, believe me.

When is grand opera and, for that matter, Gilbert and Sullivan, going to return to the Grand Opera House in Belfast?

The last time I attended the Grand Opera House was on the 7th May, 2010, for a very good amateur performance of The Pirates Of Penzance.

9 comments :

Anonymous said...

Well I for one will not be attending any NI opera events.... its watered down.... taken away from Castleward.... which was a fantastic event! the funding was cut for the reason to make it more accessable to all..... ummmmm so when are they going to tour further the South of the Province?? ummmmm still not accessable to the people such as I that doesn't live near.... To me it is a joke... an embarrassment ....

Timothy Belmont said...

I imagine that's all we can expect from a bunch of left-wing socialists running the arts council (with one or two exceptions) with a prejudice against the upper classes.

Why did they wind up Castle Ward Opera? In order to promote some phoney agenda to bring contemporary opera to "the people".

Anonymous said...

that's it in a nut shell!!!

Anonymous said...

Upper classes? In Northern Ireland?

Timothy Belmont said...

Anon, NI isn't all an amalgam of ill-bred, ignorant, common demi-literates.

Anonymous said...

To be fair to anon., I think Tim means the (aspirational) middle classes!

W.

Anonymous said...

there are upper class here too you know, be it they are from England but love NI ..... Lady J.

Timothy Belmont said...

One only has to peruse my Ulster Nobility and Gentry series; and the Country Houses series to see that NI isn't dissimilar to any other part of the UK, albeit on a smaller scale.

Anonymous said...

Well, I don't think NI's "upper classes" would consider themselves English!!

Tim, quite right. 50 years ago there seemed to be more than most other parts of the UK too.

What I meant by my comment was that the opera appeals more to the urbane middle classes, and this class is numerous enough to support an opera company, whereas the remaining upper classes (in the strict sense) is not. It's largely semantics.

W.