May2001 Volume 52 No 5

Editor John Alli on Marketing Director Alice Lind ay Assistant Editor Erica Jeal Editorial Board Marlin Bernheimer Alan Blyth Hugh Canning Rupert Christiansen Andrew lark Andrew lements Richard Fainnan Michael Kennedy Fiona Maddock Rodney Milnes (Chairman) Roger Parker Andrew Porter

Founded by the Earl of Harewood

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Past Editors Harold Rosenthal and Rodney Milnes pera 525 Losing direction

By the Editor 526 Reader ' Letter 530 Mean street

Andrew Porter on the Royal Opera' 'Boulevard Solitude' 534 People 274: Dmitry Hvorostov ky

George Loomis 543 Newsde k 548 Verdi and his Milaoe e circle

Jonathan Keates 556 Keeping up with the pa t

Alan Blyth 563 Obituary 564 Opera Around the World: report from

America Au tria, Belgium, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherland , South Africa 569- 584 OMI G EVENTS SUPPLEME T

Editorial Offices 36 Black Lion Lane London W6 9BE Telephone: 020 8563 8893 Fax: 020 8563 8635 e-mail: editor@operamag.clara.co.uk WEBSITE: http://www.opera.co.uk

Advertising order and copy to GrafnneGillis Cabbell Publishing Ltd Woodman Works 204 Oum ford Road London SW19 8DR Tel: 020 897 l 8450 Fax: 020 8971 8480

Front cover: Dmitry Hvorostovsky (photo: Bettina Rheim /Philips Clas ics)

including plan for the 2001-2 ea on at Engli h ational Opera Dallas, Hou ton, ew York (Metropolitan Opera), Wa hington, Buenos Aire ; 'We hear that. .. ', Opera calendar home and abroad 584 Verdi competition result 612 Briti h Opera Diary: 'Cenerentola' and

'Turandot' at Covent Garden; 'Carmen' and 'Il t:rittico' at the Coli eum; WNO's 'Traviata' and 'Beatrice and Benedict', . 'Aida' at the Royal Albert Hall 625 Opera on the fringe 629 Opera at the colleges 632 Opera books 634 Opera on di c 639 Cla ified advertisements 640 I can't live without ... the R CM

Joyce Bourne