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Contents 14

FRONT OF HOUSE | Contents

G U Z E L I A N

A S A D O U R

I C S

C L A S S

/ D E C C A

F O W L E R

I M O N

‘I don't try to sing like a Golden-Age tenor – I just try to sing what the composer wanted.’ Joseph Calleja

I LV A

SD A

T H E O D O R O

I R O

A L C

P H O T O G R A P H Y

M A S S A

K E L LY

FRONT OF HOUSE 5 EDITORIAL State of play in the new opera season

6 FEEDBACK Readers’ letters, emails and online posts

9 NEWS & NOTES Legendary Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi dies aged 90 | Labour dispute rages at New York’s Met | 50,000 items of opera memorabilia to go under the hammer | and more…

MAIN STAGE 14 COVER FEATURE ‘The Maltese tenor’ Joseph Calleja, aged 36, is already a firm favourite on the international opera scene. He shares some candid thoughts on the growing demands on opera singers in a busy modern world

18 LIBIAMO! We complete our survey of opera in the great wine regions of the world with a visit to Southwest France – the market garden of the nation, with its operatic ecosystem rooted in Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux and the festivals of Aix and Orange

22 WINE CLUB Take advantage of this month’s special offer on a mixed case of wine from Bordeaux, exclusive to readers of Opera Now

25-35 SEASON PREVIEW Our correspondents bring you the highlights of the 2014/15 international opera season, from regional touring productions across the UK to grand stagings at the world’s major houses

36 FISH TALES Simon Rees visits the Norwegian island of Røst, where a 15th-century shipwreck that transformed the fortunes of the local fishing community is being celebrated in a new opera

38 OPERA BLUFF Become an instant expert on Beethoven’s Fidelio

40 INTERMEZZO Nicholas Cleobury, artistic director of Mid Wales Opera, introduces the company’s 25th anniversary tour, which takes a fresh look at an old favourite…

THE CRITICAL VIEW 45-70 LIVE REVIEWS Wagner’s Ring in Erl, Austria |

Handel festivals in Göttingen and Halle | Verdi’s Requiem gets a sublime staging in Quebec | US summer highlights from Santa Fe, St Louis, Spoleto and Caramoor Festival | Aix-en-Provence Festival | Rotterdam Opera Days

MULTIMEDIA 73 NEW RELEASES Opera on CD, DVD and Blu-ray

BACK STAGE 76 COMPANY PROFILE Opera Philadelphia – a company with an illustrious pedigree and big plans for the future, including a series of new initiatives to preserve and celebrate the great history of opera in the city

85 SQUILLO Michael White explores the fallout from Glyndebourne’s ‘Chubbygate’ scandal and wonders if there are some subjects that critics would be wise to avoid…

86 EPILOGUE Opera Now’s cryptic crossword and monthly prize draw for opera lovers

79 84 SPOTLIGHT

Opera Now’s INTERNATIONAL GUIDE to the best live performances this autumn

PLUS Opera on TV, online and in cinemas

COMPETITION 86 Win 17 CDs of the legendary Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi, including six complete Verdi operas!

COVER: Joseph Calleja. Photo by Simon Fowler / Decca Classics

Opera Now SEPTEMBER 2014