A modern Cherubino -is Maria Jagusz's interpretation for Opera Northern Ireland closer

to Mozart's view?

Felicity Lott celebrates her

birthday

ow

CONTENTS

6 Old wives' tale Mozart liked women, and sympathized with them; so why, ask

Tim Coleman and Meredith Oakes, haven't musicologists taken the same attitude? 12 The flying Scotsman Donald Runnicles may be hardly known in Britain, but his

is a name to conjure with in Germany. He has just been appointed future musical director of the San Francisco Opera and his operatic debut in Britain is imminent. Tim Coleman meets him

16 The writing on the wall You may love surtitles or you may hate them,

but you can't ignore them. Alasdair Steven looks above the proscenium arch from London to Tokyo 2 2 Birtwistle: the story so far Harrison Birtwistle 's new opera opens at

Covent Garden in April; Nicholas Snowman fills in the background 26 Twin peaks Covent Garden isn't the only one with a world premiere.

Stephen Pettitt talks to Birtwistle about Gawain, and Stephen Oliver about his new opera, Timon of Athens, opening at the London Coliseum 31 Reviews reviewed Eugene Onegin in Venice 3 3 Peter Conrad on Sam son et Dalila in London 46 Record audition David Nice and a new series. This month: La Boh'eme 50 Opera Now Club Cost at Channel4, and David Nice's choice of Boheme 52 Birthday interview Felicity Lott, 44 in May 56 Star-gazing and talent spotting Can singers' agents reconcile the long­

term needs of their clients ' careers with their own need for star names? 60 The lost art of letter writing Eugene One gin from Venice, in colour 65 Fonteyn: dancing to a different tune We record and pay tribute to

her appearances on the opera stage 69 Win tickets to Glyndebourne, plus a special ham per 70 Once more Into the breeches ... Drotmingholm,

this month's great opera city 80 Box Office What's booking now (and soon) 96 HowldiscoveredoperaLord Goodman's brilliant career

'

La Boheme, by the pen

of bass singer Autori who performed in the opera with Toscanini (above); Agnes Baltsa

as Oallla (right)

REGULARS 4 World of Opera • • • 36 79 Reviews • • • Listings, UK and

International ... 94 Letters

CONTRIBUTORS T IM COLEMAN is the p rod uce r, a nd M EREDITH 0 AKES is th e d ram aturg, fo r Opera N orthern Ireland 's Marriage ofFigaro ... ALASDAJR STEVEN is a freelance wr i te r .. . NI CHOLAS SNOWMAN is Art is ti c D i rec t o r of the South Bank , Lo ndo n ... STEPHEN PETTITT writes o n music fo r The Times ... DAVID H IRST reach es at the Unive rsity of Ferrara ... DAVID NICE is a freelan ce writer and b roadcaster .. . NICK KIMB ERLEY reviews op era and cri me fictio n fo r City Limits ... MICHAEL] OHN W HITE is chief musi c criti c of The Independent on Sunday .. . PAUL RI CHARDSON is fe atures editor of the London Evening Standard.