Contents

FRONT OF HOUSE 5 EDITORIAL I ) o criti cs matter?

6 FEEDBACK 8-15 NEWS & NOTES

ew te::~ m appointed to run Danish N ational Opera I Jonas Kaufmann withdraws from ROH Les 7/·oyen~· I 13ryn Terfel carri es the Olympic torch I Opera 01-th 's Carousel comes to London I Obituary: Dietrich Fi scherDie bu I and more .. .

MAIN STAGE 18 COVER FEATURE Opem ow celebrates the I i fe and work of I 0 li ving legends of th e oper::~ti c stage, in cluding an exclusive interview with the 71 -year-old global operatic superstar, Placido Domingo

26 POSTCARD FROM ._. Canada -a vast territory with a lively operatic scene, which ince the 1960s has been a ferti le seedbed for many leading international singers and directors

34 OPENING GAMBITS Our pick of the new season 's best opening nights around the world

40 BIRTHDAY BOYS Travel highlight · that mark the birth bicentenari es of Wagner and Verdi in 2013

44 INSPIRATIONS Canadian bass-baritone Gerald Finley describes the unique qualities of director Peter Sellars and why working with him is so special

47 NATIONAL TREASURE Introducing a new ])V]) and CD collection fi-om Warner Classics that explores th e extraordinary artistry of Dame Janet Baker

48 OPERA BLUFF Become an instant expert on Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande

51 SQUILLO Michael White weighs up the challenges faced by translators of opera libretti and makes a case for freedom over literalism

THE CRITICAL VIEW 54-63 LIVE REVIEWS Barry, Glass and Weber at London's 13arbi can I umi Jo triumphs in Adams' N ixon iu China I Flemish Opera presents Donizetti's Le due d'Aibe I ew producti ns in London, ewYork, Berlin, Mun_ich, Hanover, Mannheim, Li.ibeck, Dui burg and Bielefcld

MULTIMEDIA 65 NEW RELEASES Opera on DVD and CD

BACK STAGE 68 COMPANY FOCUS LA Opera - just 26 years old but already a major player on the international opera scene

78 CURTAIN CALL Ashutosh Khandckar questions the wisdom of the Met's recent atten'lpts to quash negative media coverage of its productions

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