April 1975

Vol 26 No 4

Founded by 1he Earl of Hareirnod

Editor Associate Editor Editorial Board

HAROLD ROSENTHAL Alan Blyth Elizabeth Forbes, Arthur Jacobs, Willia m Mann, Rodney Milnes, Charles Osborne, Andrew Porter, Desmond Shawe-Taylor, John Warrack

Personal Assistant to th e Editor Caroline Hill Editorial Offices: 6 Woodland Rise, London N JO 3 UH

Operatic Fi nances

In th e News

Rediscoveri ng Mercadante by Patrie Schmid

OPERA 's 25 th Birthday Party at Covent Garden

330

331

332

338

Peopl e: 105

Montserrat Caball e by Frank Gran ville Bark er

A note on He lm ina von Chezy by John Wa rra ck

342

349

Obituary

353

Our Critics Abroad: Reports from It aly, America, Austra li a, Austria, France

COM ING EVE "TS - SUPPLEME T

including plans for ENO, Scottish Opera, Canadian Opera ; Summer Festivals; 'We hear that. . .'; Opera Calendar 361-372

Record Reviews

372

London Opera Diary including reviews of ·La clemenza di Tito ' and ·Tannh auser' at Covent Garden ; 'Carmen', 'Der Rosenkava li er' and ·Co un t Ory' at th e Co liseum 393 University and St ud ent Performances 400 In Concert 405 On Radio 406 Readers' Letters 408

Front cover: Montserrat Caball e with Gianni Raimondi in ·Norma' at La Scala, Milan

Class ifi ed Advertisements

4 15