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FRONT OF HOUSE | Contents

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‘I like the independence that working in offbeat places gives me.’ Gianluca Marcianò

FRONT OF HOUSE 5 EDITORIAL Opera beyond the comfort zone

6 FEEDBACK Readers’ letters, emails and online posts

8-12 NEWS & NOTES Sir Colin Davis remembered | International Opera Awards launched in London | New York opera companies form alliance to foster diversity | All points Norse at Oslo’s new house | A letter from Beirut | and more…

14 ARTIST OF THE MONTH South African soprano Pretty Yende

MAIN STAGE 16 COVER FEATURE The mild-mannered Italian maestro Gianluca Marcianò talks about life as a globe-trotting musician, his penchant for unconventional destinations, and gives us a glimpse of his wild side

22 POSTCARD FROM… Eastern Europe – nations once locked behind the Iron Curtain are rediscovering their rich cultural heritage,

including a fascinating and often forgotten musical legacy

29 STAND UP FOR WAGNER Amanda Holloway introduces this year’s BBC Proms programme, including the festival’s first ever complete Ring cycle

32 FESTIVAL PREVIEW – QUÉBEC Canada’s newest summer festival is already attracting worldwide acclaim thanks to the leadership of Québecborn director Robert Lepage

35 LATE SUMMER FESTIVALS Opera Now’s pick of the best international festivals running through late summer into autumn

39 A STEADY STREAM As online streaming of opera becomes more popular, we talk to some of the key players and explore its benefits and challenges

42 OPERA BLUFF Become an instant expert on Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus

THE CRITICAL VIEW 46-57 LIVE REVIEWS New York City Opera’s spring 2013 season | Plácido

Domingo as Nabucco at Covent Garden | Richard Jones directs Gloriana in Hamburg | Nancy’s The Importance of Being Earnest | Sarasota Festival focus | New productions in Rome, Oslo, Bergen and Beijing

MULTIMEDIA 58 NEW RELEASES Opera on CD, DVD and Blu-ray

60 SHEET MUSIC Stefano Donaudy: 36 Arias in Antique Style

BACK STAGE 62 COMPANY PROFILE Cape Town Opera – a strong foothold for opera at the tip of the African continent, providing a platform for young singers from a diverse background to make an impact on the international scene

70 SQUILLO Michael White considers some ambitious attempts to stage opera in real settings, from Carmen on the streets of Seville to this year’s Peter Grimes on the beach at Aldeburgh…

64 – 69 SPOTLIGHT

Opera Now’s internationaL GUIDE to the best live performances this summer

PLUS: Opera on TV, online and in cinemas

COMPETITION 7 Win a case of Champagne Louis Roederer

COVER PHOTO Gianluca Marcianò. Photo by Eric Richmond

Opera Now JUNE 2013

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