FRONT OF HOUSE

˘ EDITORIAL

Looking across opera’s life-cycle

˝ YOUNG ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Meeting rising star, conductor Adam Hickox

-˛˘ NEWS & NOTES

Opera achievements at the Olivier Awards, Opera Rara announces a recording project, Paris Opera Play is launched and mezzo soprano Jennifer Johnston writes to her daughter about body image in opera

REVIEWS

ˆ˜-˜ LIVE REVIEWS

UK English National Opera The Rhinegold (34); Ulster Touring Opera The Barber of Seville(36) Scottish Opera Il˜Triccio (38)

EUROPE Teatro dell’Opera di Roma Aida (40)Country Focus –France (43)

USA Metropolitan Opera, New York Lohengrin (46)

˜-˘˛ RECORDINGS New releases on CD, Digital & AV including: Turandot – a new studio recording from Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia and other recordings from The Bach Choir and Bevan Family Consort as well as Karajan’s Don Carlo from 1986 captured on film; Opera Now Choice: Michael Spyres’s new album Contra-tenor comes with a glowing recommendation

˘˘-˝ˆ SPOTLIGHT Worldwide Opera Guide and answers to this issue’s Quiz (p 63)

COVER PHOTO: TAMARA THALHAMMER

CONTENTS

˛˝ Cover feature

British Soprano Mary Bevan emerges from a family of singers to find her own identity through recording collaborations, shining worldwide in major operatic roles

˙ˆ Anna Pirozzi

Soprano Anna Pirozzi takes us through the surprises of singing Turandot and the intense emotional world of Cherubini’s Medea at Greek National Opera

ˆˇ Britten and Gloriana

A disaster in post-war 1953, but Britten’s opera has seen tremendous revivals. David Patrick Stearns looks back over its history

˜ˆ French Focus

From Versailles to Paris, we take a look at the work of Christophe Rousset, Helen Charlston and the Opéra national de Paris and their performances this spring

˝˜ My Favourite Things

Director Deborah Warner gives us a glimpse into her world through treasured moments

˝˝ Quiz

How well do you know Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin? Test your opera knowledge in our monthly quiz

˜° Romeo and Juliet

Joyce DiDonato and Cyrille Dubois shine in John Nelson’s new recording of Berlioz’s choral symphony

NICHOLAS ROSES