February 1998 Volume 49 No 2

Founded by 1h e Earl of Harewood Edi1or 1953-86 Harold R osemhal, OBE

era

Edi1or Rodney Milnes Co-Ediwr John Allison Marke1ing Direc1or Alice Lindsay Edi1orial Assis1am Stefanie Brilggemann Edi1orial Board Martin Bernheimer Alan Blyth Ian Brunskill Andrew Clark Andrew Clements Richard Fairman oel Goodwin Michael Kennedy Fiona Maddocks Charles Osborne Andrew Porter John Warrack

Editorial Offices la Mountgrove Road London N5 2LU Telephone: 0171-359 1037 Fax: 0171-354 2700 e-mail : operamag@cl ass ic.msn.com WEBSITE: http ://www.opera.co.uk

Advertising orders and copy to Emma McQuade Cabbell Publishing Ltd 31 Hartfield Crescent London SW19 3SG Te l: 0181-395 3808 Fax: 0181-395 3999

139 140

144 147

153 154

155

166 168

177-182, 201-207

207 231

242 246 248 250 256

Future indefinite The Editor Brave but overworked Max Loppert on the Royal Opera·s 'Bunyan' Readers ' Letters People 238: James Conlon Patrick Smith Opera ewsdesk Answers to 'The ew Grove Dictionary of Opera Quiz' The true 'Hoffmann' Michael Kaye introduces his edition Obituary Opera Around the World: reports from America, Argentina, Austria , Belgium, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Russia COM! G EVE TS SUPPLEMENT including plans for the UK houses; San Francisco, Dresden, Beijing; Festivals; 'We hear that .. : ; Opera calendar home and abroad Opera books British Opera Diary: The Royal Opera ·s 'II bar bi ere di Siviglia ' and 'Otello'; 'Yevgeny Onegin' at the Coliseum ; Scottish Opera's 'Tosca· Opera on the fringe Opera at the co1leges In concert Opera on disc Class ified advertisements

From Cover: Peter Coleman-Wright as the arrator in the Royal Opera's 'Paul Bunyan' (Photo: Catherine Ashmore)