# The Opera Platform - live opera from Europe



## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

The Opera Platform is a new online thingy that is going to be streaming live opera from participating European houses - for free, supposedly worldwide access. A promotional effort by Opera Europa. They are starting La Traviata from Madrid in about 15 minutes (19:05 CET).

http://www.theoperaplatform.eu

I think the Royal Opera is one of the participants, so maybe they will have something on another date?


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Cool, looks like it's a go - they're live and tuning up. I can even watch it on my iPhone!

They're airing Gotterdammerung from Vienna on June 7, looks like. If so... wow!!! Can't wait.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I am watching La traviata now and it is sounding good. The stream has been hi-resolution, clear, and consistent. 

There do not appear to be any sort of subtitles (or I haven't found them). This is fine for this opera but I will be more lost for, say, Krol Roger from ROH next Saturday. There is a cast list but it doesn't specify who sings what role. There is a link to the Opera Platform page for the company (Teatro Real in this case) but there's no information on this page (yet); it's just a link to their main website. So you have to look around further if you want to find out more about this particular production.

It's a very exciting thing but there are also a few bugs to work out.



They just hit the first intermission and there is a (subtitled) discussion of the prelude with the Violetta (Ermonela Jaho) and the conductor (Renato Palumbo). This went on for a few minutes (with further examples of those themes throughout the opera) and now it's showing a view of the (beautiful) house.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Wow, this Violetta actually looks not just consumptive, but anorexic...


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

Thank you for the link! It does not work very well for me...as if it passes through too many slow servers. The video is stuttering, the audio is OK, still the sound volume is not loud enough...decent at maximum. I am using a macbook pro...Now it stalled. I guess it's at the end...Violetta must have died in the meantime.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

The telecasts will be available to watch on demand for six months afterward, with subtitles in multi languages, so I might watch this again. I had no trouble on my iPhone save for some sound sync issues in the beginning, but I was listening in crappy earbuds. This was a decent Traviata, I thought, although the singers weren't top rank, I enjoyed them. A straight traditional production, but I understand there will be a couple of avant garde productions during the "season" too.

I'm kind of enthused about this. Mainly because you'll never see the opera stars of the future unless you look beyond the Met.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I woke up right before the last act so I did not get the opportunity to watch it.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

I really enjoyed it even though I had a few issues on my PC. This was mainly because my internet speed is slow (and I'm not prepared to pay a lot for a faster speed for an occasional live stream!). It was fine on my Android phone so will watch on that in future.

La Traviata will remain on catch up for six months which is brilliant.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Got the sound but no picture.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

I'm watching the replay via Airplay on my big screen TV - the picture quality seems excellent (though not perfect 1080p HD, of course). 

I thought the caliber of singing on this Traviata was hit or miss for each principal, but the caliber of acting seemed very good. I noticed writing on floor of Violetta and Alfredo's house, and wondered if Violetta had it monogrammed.  Turns out it was a giant headstone - "ICI REPOSE VIOLETTA VALERY" with her birth and death dates.

The upcoming schedule:

Krol Roger (Royal Opera) - Saturday, May 16 - 18:45 CET
Sibelius' Kullervo (Finnish National Opera) - Saturday, May 23 - 19:00 CET
Valentina (Latvian National Opera) - Saturday, May 30 - 19:00 CET
Gotterdammerung (Wiener Staatsoper) - Sunday, June 7 - 19:00 CET


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Tried the Traviata, sound quality is terrible... can you set the quality somewhere ?


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Yeah, the volume knob.  it did seem rather low.


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

I am watching/re-watching it now, the volume is still low, the image is not stuttering anymore. After the first act it was a nice touch with the soprano singing Violetta and another guy explaining the music themes. It is not perfect, I kept clicking the volume button, but the poor volume was at its maximum. The lack of subtitles was OK for Traviata (I know it by heart) but not for other operas I don't know.
Anyway I am so happy for this link. THANK YOU!:tiphat:

OMG I don't know now who sings Germont, but he was simply amazing! WOW, great baritone!


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

I liked the Germont too, although he seemed to show some strain by the end of Act II.

NYT article about the Opera Platform:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/arts/international/europe-sees-free-streaming-of-opera-as-a-way-to-stay-relevant.html?ref=music

45,000 viewers watched the Traviata on Friday. (63,000 if you count those who watched via the theater's own livestream.) BTW, there were no subtitles, but reportedly they will be in place for Krol Roger on Saturday.

I think it would be just great if Opera Europe mounted a free, online annual "festival" of these live performances, keeping it a varied diet of works (as they appear to be trying to do) but getting the best productions from the best houses. Make it an "event," have it last a few weeks.

Too bad there is not a similar coalition of American opera houses willing to do the same thing.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

graziesignore said:


> Too bad there is not a similar coalition of American opera houses willing to do the same thing.


It would be wonderful if opera in the United States was at such a level as to allow this. As it stands there's the Met with their Live in HD and DVD/Blu-ray releases and then nearly nothing else.

I'm trying to come up with other opera companies in the USA that have released DVDs and all I've come up with is SFO, LAO, HGO, and WNO, and none of these have very many. The Canadian Opera Company has done some DVD releases if we want to allow Canadian companies.

I understand that DVDs and livestreams are different but wow, the USA is nowhere near Europe. It's maybe on the level of the UK and nowhere near France, Germany, Italy, and others I'm missing.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Additional opera being livecast (in July, I think): Abduction from the Seraglio, from Aix-en-Provence.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

graziesignore said:


> Additional opera being livecast (in July, I think): Abduction from the Seraglio, from Aix-en-Provence.


Also, Aida from Torino, in October, directed by William Friedkin (yes, that William Friedkin). It looks like, after the initial weekly offerings in May, there will be one offering a month.

This story has more details on future transmissions, including this quote:



> Although no-one's saying it, Opera Platform is, in part, a bid to break the Met's global streaming hegemony.


So I wonder if this is going to eventually become a pay service, with weekly livestreams instead of just monthly...


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

graziesignore said:


> Also, Aida from Torino, in October, directed by William Friedkin (yes, that William Friedkin). It looks like, after the initial weekly offerings in May, there will be one offering a month.
> 
> This story has more details on future transmissions, including this quote:
> 
> So I wonder if this is going to eventually become a pay service, with weekly livestreams instead of just monthly...


I think they're on a fishing expedition. Get enough people hooked and used to their weekly/monthly fix of live opera direct to their home and then start charging.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Am I mistaken that the Met does not offer pay live streams - just live HD in theaters? I find that puzzling. I probably would pay up to a $30 price point to see, say, 2 live Met productions in my home per month. I currently have the $15 per month Met archive but am considering dropping it because there's just so much Placido Domingo I can take and I've watched all the Piotr Beczala they have ;-)

BTW, YouTube is an option sometimes though it's a grab bag of what's been posted in HD. AppleTV recently improved their YT app so that HD videos actually play in HD, so I have seen some decent stuff via YT lately, like Muti's Simon Boccanegra or the Rigoletto with Diana Damrau I watched last week. (Not live obviously but productions of recent vintage) I'm just looking to stay in touch with recent European productions (on a budget) so hopefully Opera Platform succeeds.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

graziesignore said:


> Am I mistaken that the Met does not offer pay live streams - just live HD in theaters? I find that puzzling. I probably would pay up to a $30 price point to see, say, 2 live Met productions in my home per month. I currently have the $15 per month Met archive but am considering dropping it because *there's just so much Placido Domingo I can take* and I've watched all the Piotr Beczala they have ;-)


I know what you mean! (BTW I don't know if the Met offers live streams)



graziesignore said:


> BTW, YouTube is an option sometimes though it's a grab bag of what's been posted in HD. AppleTV recently improved their YT app so that HD videos actually play in HD, so I have seen some decent stuff via YT lately, like Muti's Simon Boccanegra or the Rigoletto with Diana Damrau I watched last week. (Not live obviously but productions of recent vintage) I'm just looking to stay in touch with recent European productions (on a budget) so hopefully Opera Platform succeeds.


Very recent performances can be found on YT but you have to be quick as they're taken down again quite smartish!


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Some European opera houses do put their productions on an archive stream, for instance La Monnaie has a production of Un Ballo in Maschera right now that I'm interested to see and it will be posted on their site as soon as the actual run is over with. They leave them available for 3 weeks.

http://www.lamonnaie.be/en/402/free-online-streaming

I wonder if there is some sort of bulletin or web page that gathers this sort of information together, where to watch things live or recent, pay or free.

Edited to add: I guess operacast.com maybe does, but that seems more radio-oriented (and is hard to read...)


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Heads up: Krol Roger livestream starts at 1:40 Eastern (performance starts 20 minutes later, I think).

It's also live at the Royal Opera House Youtube channel (seems to be better HD on my TV that way)

https://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

graziesignore said:


> Heads up: Krol Roger livestream starts at 1:40 Eastern (performance starts 20 minutes later, I think).
> 
> It's also live at the Royal Opera House Youtube channel (seems to be better HD on my TV that way)
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse


:tiphat:

Thank you! Yes much better!


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Yeah it's strange because the La Traviata had no such picture quality problems.

BTW, this production is fantastic! Especially Act II. Awesome tenor (though I admit I can't help wondering how devastatingly perfect Piotr Beczala would be in the Shepherd role...)


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

For those who missed it, the Krol Roger performance is now archived on the Royal Opera's Youtube channel.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

I'm going to have to miss today's live Kullervo, but I will catch it on demand. I think it starts at the same time as the others have.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

I'm possibly the only person who bothered to check out Kullervo...  Attractive choreography and lighting design, but I can't say the story, music or singing really grabbed me... in a way, it's kind of a cliche of things that many people don't care for in modern opera (utterly grim storyline, highly stylized, Very Serious cultural references you don't understand). 

The next production, this Saturday, is a new opera, Valentina. I have a feeling this will probably be a more rewarding watch.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I must say I really enjoyed the Finnish national opera performance of Kullervo.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Götterdämmerung starts at 15:50 CET today which is earlier than past start times... 9:50 Eastern.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

The July 10 streaming production of Abduction from the Seraglio is being replaced by Handel's Alcina.

Also:

August – Focus on Festivals with videos from Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro, Bregenzer Festspiele, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Wexford Festival Opera, Garsington Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Operadagen Rotterdam, Macerata Opera Festival and Festival Castell de Peralada
12 September – La bohème by Giacomo Puccini from Den Norske Opera og Ballett Oslo
3 October – Powder her face by Thomas Adès from La Monnaie Brussels
22 October – Aida by Giuseppe Verdi from Teatro Regio Torino
8 November – Straszny Dwór (*The Haunted Manor) by Stanisław Moniuszko from Polish National Opera Warsaw

Also (not Opera Platform), Royal Opera will be live streaming Don Giovanni on July 3 (that's tomorrow!) at 2 pm Eastern via their Youtube channel.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

ROH's Don Giovanni livecast from yesterday was streamed on their Youtube. (starring Not Mariusz Kwiecien as the Don.)

I found this staging to be very meh. I liked the Zerlina and Masetto, but then again, I always do. But someone please tell them that artsy image projections are sooooo 2009.


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## Creatio (Jul 2, 2015)

graziesignore said:


> The July 10 streaming production of Abduction from the Seraglio is being replaced by Handel's Alcina.
> 
> Also:
> 
> ...


Thank you for these informations! It sounds really interesting.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Reminder that Handel's Alcina is streaming from The Opera Platform today, at 22:15 CET (seems kinda late but that's the time?)


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Though they have announced that _Alcina_ will only be available in European countries. Oh well!


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Who's up for some La Boheme today? Starting in a few minutes on the Opera Platform stream.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

This staging is actually working for me. Right now there are two Mimi's on stage though...

Edited to add: Well. I thought that was a fine example of the right way to do regietheater, although I doubt you could really call that production "regietheater." I don't even like La Boheme and that held my interest, just because I wanted to see how the ending would be staged. I guess this is a well known production but I had never seen it. The first scene is awkward and I'm not sure it works, but the constant switching back and forth between the traditional setting and the conceit of the modern hospital room, was surprisingly well done and not distracting at all.

Musically it wasn't particularly outstanding, but I didn't get bored. Catch it on replay if you can.


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## Creatio (Jul 2, 2015)

What do you mean about yester streaming of Puccini´ La Bohéme? I was overwhelmed because of the opera (the first time with subtitles for me), but what do you think about this performance? I´m not sure.

But these streamings are very, very good idea. Recommend.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

Well, performance wise (the singing, etc), I thought the Mimi and the Musetta were both pretty good. The male roles, not so much. 

I was referring to the staging itself as what caught my interest - although at the very start, I was rolling my eyes because it seemed pure regietheater, in the sense that the onstage action just had no match with the libretto itself and seemed highly forced. However, the pleasant surprise and the "Ahhh!" moment came when the setting abruptly reverted to the classic Gay Paree La Boheme setting we know and love - and then moved in a kind of dreamlike manner back and forth between the modern hospital room. It held my interest, and parts were even actually moving.

I had also been afraid that the "Mimi is Dying" theme of this production would feel like being hit over the head for two hours, but really, traditionally La Boheme feels that way anyway  I found it a mostly well-judged reimagining of the opera. This is the sort of production where liberties are taken intelligently, and where you (potentially) go away feeling like you've seen a definitive restaging that will stick in the mind. What I hate about regietheater is the sense of throwaway, of infantile "Look what I can do ma!" with no attempt to create a work of art that will stand the test of time. I felt the conception behind this production was honest and wanted to stand the test of time. (Whether it did or not, your mileage may vary)

Anyhow - I wasn't aware of this production but it is a few years old and apparently was appreciatively received at the time.

This is the third Opera Platform presentation I have found very worthwhile. The first being a terrific La Traviata, the second being Krol Roger. I have not been disappointed by the productions they have chosen to livestream.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I am a big fan of the Herheim productions I have seen so I will definitely watch this when I get a chance even though I am not into this opera. Herheim as a director seems to me to be sensitive to the music, very theatrical, and quite creative.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Oh wow, that Herheim _La bohème_ is glorious. I mostly don't care for Puccini but, this, this was arresting. It actually deals with the themes of fantasy and escapism in the opera. I almost watched it without subtitles but I'm glad I didn't; I would have missed how tightly the stage action is tied to the libretto (the words, though not the stage directions or sets). He is the poet, and her his poetry.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a "traditional" production of the opera and after seeing this I'm not sure how it could work. Like my entire idea of this opera - which, to be fair, I've mostly ignored - has been upended. I'm starting to hope this could be like _Der Rosenkavalier_, far more aware of itself than typically presented. But probably not.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

graziesignore said:


> However, the pleasant surprise and the "Ahhh!" moment came when the setting abruptly reverted to the classic Gay Paree La Boheme setting we know and love - and then moved in a kind of dreamlike manner back and forth between the modern hospital room.


I was delighted to learn that the classic sets and costumes were actually from the previous Den Norske Opera production, from 1963. It was the production that Herheim - and some of collaborators - grew up with.


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## cheesdown (Nov 19, 2016)

If you Want to download opera video from The Opera Platform to MP4, to AVI, to MKV, to FLV, etc*,you may try use Allavsoft.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

cheesdown said:


> If you Want to download opera video from The Opera Platform to MP4, to AVI, to MKV, to FLV, etc*,you may try use Allavsoft.


Do you have good experience or are you owning it?


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## timh (Nov 14, 2014)

I watched Żeleński Goplana. Very enjoyable lyric c19th fairy tale.


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