The Covent Garden-based Royal Opera House has launched a new online subscription-only streaming service. Royal Opera House Stream offers instant, unlimited access to 45 contemporary and classic productions from the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet, as well as a selection of extra content.

Royal Opera House Stream is available to watch via the Royal Opera House website on your computer, laptop or tablet. You can also access the platform on your television using a free app on Firestick TV, Apple Airplay or Google Chromecast.

Operas currently on offer include David McVicker’s stunning staging of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte, 1791). In a kingdom of monsters, temples and enchantments, Prince Tamino resolves to rescue the beautiful Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night. But no sooner does he find her, than he is ordered to undergo a series of trials to attain enlightenment. Meanwhile Papageno, his reluctant sidekick, just wants to find a girlfriend.

Recorded on 20 September 2017, this performance includes Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg as Pamina, Swiss tenor Mauro Peter as Tamino, English baritone Roderick Williams as Papageno and French soprano Sabine Devieilhe as the Queen of the Night. Julia Jones conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Subscribers can learn more about the opera with extra content such as a behind-the scenes look at McVicker’s much-loved production, an exploration of Mozart’s music and a discussion by the cast as they share their thoughts on this hugely popular work.

Completely different is composer Mark-Anthony Turnage’s opera Anna Nicole, which tells the story of Anna Nicole Smith, complete with sex, drugs and a modern-day tragedy. The former waitress leaves her home town in Texas determined to become famous, but she soon finds success comes with a price.

Anna Nicole is played by Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House is conducted by ROH music director Antonio Pappano.

The opera received its world premiere at the Royal Opera House in 2011. A special Insight provides an introduction to the production through the eyes of the cast and creative team.

Further operatic content includes productions of such classical fare as Verdi’s La traviata (The Fallen Woman, 1853), Tosca, La bohème (The Bohemians, 1896) and Manon Lescaut, all by Puccini, as well as George Benjamin’s modern opera Written on Skin. Behind-the-scenes films provide introductions to Bellini’s Norma (1831) and Wagner’s Parsifal (1882), plus interviews with performers, musicians and creative teams.

In addition, the service includes a selection of productions from the Royal Ballet. These include old favourites such as The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, as well as contemporary pieces such as Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern and Wayne McGregor’s The Dante Project. Again, behind-the-scenes footage, Insights and interviews provide more information on all the productions.

More content will be added on a monthly basis. The service is subscription only and is available to audiences worldwide, although some productions might not be available to view in some countries due to copyright issues.

Subscriptions to Royal Opera House Stream cost £9.99 on a pay monthly basis, or £99 for an annual subscription. Special prices are available to ROH members.

 

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Richard Eyre’s classic production of Verdi’s La traviata is among the 45 full-length productions available to view on new online streaming platform Royal Opera House Stream (Catherine Ashmore).