Glyndebourne: The Untold History Page #9

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And Richard's made that

exceptionally clear.

Yeah, it's a very delicate, lovely

piece but, actually, is quite heavy

and quite strong and probably could

cause someone some kind of anguish.

'Rosenkavalier is the opening

production of the 2014 season

'and it's just one of

six productions and 76 performances

'we're doing at Glyndebourne

this summer.'

REPORTER:
At Victoria Station in the

middle of the afternoon it is unusual

to see one's fellow travellers

in evening dress.

But the train for Glyndebourne

leaves at 3:
45,

so as to be in time

for the evening performance.

John Christie wanted people

to dress in evening dress

to respect the artists. He said,

"The artists have made an effort

"and we as audience members

should make an effort."

Mother's coming by car.

Mm. Father told me.

The first night of the season

is the reopening of the theatre

that has been closed

for several months.

So there's a huge amount

of preparation that is needed

just to start the festival off

again each year.

I suppose we're one of those

organisations where we want

everything to appear very smooth

and there's a lot of paddling

that goes on underneath.

So first night's completely

nerve-racking for everybody here,

not just the artists on the stage,

but actually let's not forget

the people working front of house.

I will be over there and when I give

clearance to the stage manager

to say we're ready, I will cue

the doors to close on that side.

So you all just need to keep

an eye on those doors.

And as soon as that one closes,

everybody just follow suit.

OK? Great.

And is there anything anybody

wants to ask me, tell me? Say?

MAN:
We haven't had any payslips

for the last week.

No payslips for last week? OK.

We were paid...

You were paid, that's the main thing.

REPORTER:
Outside the station,

a number of coaches stand by

to take the London audience

to the Sussex opera house, in time

for the evening performance.

Follow that bus.

Glyndebourne? Right, sir.

It's incredibly important

that people come here

and have a great experience

when they arrive here.

And Jules is one of those

remarkable people who cares

passionately about how people feel

when they're here and has

extraordinary levels of customer

service, which we're very proud of.

The audience come off the train,

get onto the bus,

and they get brought up

to Glyndebourne

and at the end of the evening

they're taken back to Lewes Station.

This is our coach park

and it's also for chauffeurs.

You can walk wherever you want to

and you can bring whatever

you want to for a picnic.

We see lots of people here with very

lavish picnics. You can come here

with your sandwiches from

Marks & Spencer if you want to.

And I've done that myself

in the past before I worked here

and it's a very easy way and relaxed

way of spending the interval.

And indeed,

if you have a simple picnic,

you've got even more time

to walk around the grounds.

It's a perfect Glyndebourne day -

hot and sunny.

A lot of our audience

go to the restaurants

but some people bring

their own picnics.

And people have their favourite spots

as well, so they try and get here

as early as they can

to grab their favourite place.

The shows start quite early,

so it's very light,

it's sunny outside

and the audiences are there,

you can hear the audience

having their picnic

and doing all of that stuff.

So it is quite hard to focus.

What I'm interested in

is value for money.

I've been here once before

and that was six years ago.

I've been saving up to come back

again and tonight's the night.

Look, the first thing to say is that

opera is a very expensive art form,

wherever it's put on, Glyndebourne

or anywhere else.

I think people often

don't do the maths

when they go to an opera performance

and realise that, you know,

take this Rosenkavalier,

there are 70 people in the pit

playing in the LPO,

there's a chorus of 30,

there's another 15-odd principals,

there's probably six actors,

and there's always people backstage.

Did you want to go in today?

Is it one or two? Just for me.

Yes, I think I've got one for you.

Being a conductor, you probably

like to be over the pit.

PA SYSTEM:
Mr Ticciati, Mr Ticciati,

this is your call.

Thankfully, I'm not singing.

BELL RINGS:

Ah, the bell.

Now for your initiation. Perhaps

we'll see you in the interval.

BELL RINGS:

First bell.

Blue circle, box G.

Quickest way is just to go straight

ahead there, up to the next level.

OK.

He's just gone...I mean, he'll be

back in a second. OK. That's fine.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

You guys don't have a Swish Car,

do you?

Jules...

I'm so sorry.

INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER

OK, all the doors are closed now.

APPLAUSE:

OPERATIC MUSIC BEGINS

A Broadway show doctor says, "Always

put in an amazing 11 o'clock number."

And, of course, it's got the best

11 o'clock number of all shows

in the form of this trio

between these three women.

THEY SING IN GERMAN

'Which is launched

by the Marschallin'

in this incredibly taxing

opening phrase.

It's just so iconic and everyone's

waiting for that line.

'It is one of the only moments

where we just stand and sing.'

SHE SINGS IN GERMAN

'But then, of course,

Sophie dovetails with her

'and at times goes above her.'

'Strauss just pulls it all together

'and produces this extraordinary,

affecting moment.'

THEY SING IN GERMAN

'And the way he blends the three

voices together in that trio

'is so beautiful.'

'The female voices

shamelessly consume you.'

'And they're always rising phrases

and climaxes'

and it goes on and up and up.

I'm not very articulate about

describing music, I just...

I just love it and it

seems absolutely...

..right and perfect to me

for what he's describing.

THEY SING IN GERMAN

'The Marschallin is engaging

in a soliloquy with us

'of remembering things

she said in the first act -'

' "I've got to give up this boy,"

' "He's got to go off with this

beautiful girl and they're going to

' "marry and I've got to realise

that I'm getting older."

'So, in a sense,

it is through her eyes.'

It is the farewell

to an older world.

And she realises that she has got to

move into a new kind of life.

THEY SING IN GERMAN

'I had to really think carefully

about how I was going to not allow

'that to affect me

and not allow yourself to get

'too emotionally involved,

personally involved.'

And that's something which,

as a singer,

is crucial because

if you let yourself go,

emotionally, you can't sing,

you know?

And nobody wants to see

a weeping soprano

struggling their way

through the trio of Rosenkavalier.

THEY SING IN GERMAN

'Strauss, he understood very well

a woman's soul.

The feeling of a young woman

like Sophie.

The feeling of an older woman

like the Marschallin.

'Octavian, he is in

such a difficult position.'

THEY SING IN GERMAN

'He's not over the Marschallin

but he has to let her go.

'And he knows she's going

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