“The BBC will transmit 16 performances on television over the next four years, backed by documentaries such as an Imagine special on the ROH’s music director, Antonio Pappano, while Radio 3 will broadcast 48 productions. It is a significant commitment for the BBC, not just in terms of airtime but also logistics: for each opera and ballet the BBC records, they talk to the director, choreographer and designer, then rehearse one or two performances before recording a third.”