December 2012 Volume 63 No 12 Editor John Allison Deputy Editor Erica Jeal (on leave) Assistant Editor Hugo Shirley Commercial Director Megan Jackson

Editorial Board Martin Bernheimer Hugh Canning Rupert Christiansen Andrew Clark Andrew Clements Richard Fairman George Hall Michael Kennedy Fiona Maddocks Rodney Milnes (Chairman) Roger Parker Andrew Porter

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Front cover: Chen Xinyi’s 2008 production of Turandot at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing (see. pp. 1473-9) (photo: NCPA)

Founded in 1950 by the Earl of Harewood

Past Editors Harold Rosenthal and Rodney Milnes

1459 Rhapsody in red

By the Editor 1460 People 406: Warren Mok

John Allison 1469 Readers’ letters 1473 A princess comes home

Ken Smith explores how ‘Turandot’ became China’s national opera 1479 Newsdesk 1484 Houses of the rising sun

Victoria Newhouse surveys China’s new opera theatres 1493 Years of the dragon

Ken Smith considers China’s recent engagment with Wagner 1498 Obituary 1500 Opera around the world 1520 Opera in Britain 1546 Opera on CD 1559 Opera on DVD and Blu-ray 1567 Opera books 1571 Coming events including plans for the UK houses; ‘We hear that …’; Opera calendar home and abroad 1583 Classified advertisements 1584 Wish I’d been there …

Julian Grant

Opera, December 2012

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