Niobe, Regina di Tebe, Royal Opera

ye gods, you must be joking - never been so bored in all my born days

Is this a review or an advertising pitch to the ROH ?

Loved it absolutely. Gorgeous music and great perfomace by everyone. Just amazing: I was totally transfixed by it

You really can't be serious calling it a masterpiece or the operatic revelation of the year! This has filled a slot for the ROH, quiet cheaply I suspect, while their orchestra is on tour. Midly interesting at best. I read the synopsis before going and still had no idea what was going on. Some of the production was pointless and stupid. Agree the best part was the conducting and orchestral playing and the thrilling high notes of the male soprano. But your review is totally over the top and needs to be a bit more balanced.

Wonderful and amazing production. A creative team which really worked so it was visually stunning, musically moving, constantly surprising - the audience was entranced. It was witty, sophisticated, glamorous - all the kinds of things I do not associate with baroque music. Agostino Steffani is not even in Kobbe so I did not know what to expect. On the edge of my seat for three and a half hours- what a treat!

Flew halfway around the globe to witness this event and found it well worth the trip. At times fascinating, intruiging, glorious music, occasionally palls but not enough to detract from what was on the whole a wonderful performance of this rarity. Very sad then, as seen from a few comments made here, that some patrons were seemingly incapable of appreciating what was undoubtedly a highly innovative, entertaining and clever production. Congratulations to all inlvolved.

I came away from the first night feeling disappointed despide the inventige staging. I felt little sympathy for the characters. I think it must have been the singers who often weren't up to the job in a large house, a notable exeption being the soprano Niobe. Jacek Laszczkowski had some beautiful music but I was concerned from the outset that he was saving his voice to ensure he made it to the end. It was interesting to hear the mini da capo arias as a foundation for more elaboate versions later from Handel, etc. If you want to hear magnificent male sopranos, try the William Christie DVD of Landi's Il Sant'Alessio. A unique work. Philippe Jaroussky is a revelation of Alfred Deller proportions.

I absolutely loved this work. Steffani's music is glorious - wonderful melodies, beauty of texture, gorgeous harmonies especially in the duets, originality, subtlety and sheer expressive power - in other words, just about all of the qualities which make Baroque music so appealing to us today. Hengelbrock and his orchestra sounded superb and played magnificently, and most of the singing and acting were well up to the task - my own favourites being Iestyn Davies, Amanda Forsythe and a truly wonderful Veronique Gens. Visually, the production has its ups (heavenly smoke and spheres) and downs (male costumes), but altogether the opera was an absolute delight. Just as well, because we travelled 400 miles to see it. In summary, please can we have more Steffani, from Covent Garden or anywhere else with the enterprise to perform it? Congratulations to Thomas Hengelbrock and to all concerned!

I absolutely loved the music and the singers - though I would really like to hear Michael Maniaci have a go at the male soprano role. However, I thought the staging was really crude and let the whole thing down. I have recently seen the Glyndebourne Fairy Queen and the ROH Artaxerxes in the Linbury and both were FAR better as far as staging went. Nevertheless, an event I really wouldn't have missed for anything. You could always shut your eyes - which I did. Also,sitting in the Upper Amphi, the surtitles were often blotted out by the fierce lighting below - did the director ever go that far up in the house to check?