Curtain calls after Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Maggio’s outdoor theatre. A show that makes you grin from start to finish in a funny & intelligent Michieletto staging. The cast superb in every respect, making every word count, & conducted with terrific vim by Bisatti. The theatre is a gem

One hell of an intermission view

I’m delighted to be at the outdoor summer theatre of the Maggio Musicale for Il barbiere di Siviglia. With Ciaponi, De Candia. Meteleva, Kim, Caodoro, Godoy Sepúlveda, de Nardis. Bisatti conducts Michieletto’s staging.

Curtain calls after a 2nd Trovatore at the Teatro Real. Rebeka gleamed as Leonora, Beczala gave a clarion high C, Ruciński was firm. Dudnikova made me grateful for the surtitles. Luisotti’s conducting had its moments but also sagged frequently. The audience was very appreciative

I’m delighted to be back at the Teatro Real for one more Il trovatore. Tonight with Rebeka, Dudnikova, Beczala, Ruciński, Bącyk. Luisotti conducts Negrín’s staging.

Curtain calls after Trovatore at the Teatro Real. It’s said you need the 4 greatest singers in the world for this. Well we had 3 tonight. Petean’s Luna had incredible breath control, Margaine’s Azucena was thrilling, while Buratto gave us a singing lesson as Leonora. Luisotti’s conducting was slow

I’m delighted to be back at the Teatro Real for Il trovatore. With Buratto, Margaine, Eyvazov, Petean, Bączyk & more. Luisotti conducts Negrin’s staging

Curtain callas after the Opera di Roma Aida at the Circo Massimo. Livermore’s staging worked better than it did in Monaco, but it’s still unintentionally comic. The singing was honest & genuine but the real star of the evening was Pernozzoli’s Amneris. Still in her 20s she’s a name to watch

I’m delighted to be at the Circo Massimo for the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in Aida. With Auyanet, Permozzoli, Ganci, Petti, Esposito, Gramigni & more. Callegari conducts Livermore’s staging

Curtain calls after Lucia di Lammermoor at the Scala. Kokkos’ staging was static, Scappucci’s conducting woke up after the 1st intermission, and the men were robust. But the true highlight was Feola’s Lucia. She gave us a singing lesson: legato, fiato, trills & acuti. Simply fabulous.

I’m delighted to be back at the legendary Teatro alla Scala for Lucia di Lammermoor. With Feola, Pretti, Pinkhasovich, Pertusi, Cortellazzi & more. Scappucci conducts Kokkos’ staging

Curtain calls after Die Walküre at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Kratzer has done it again with a thrilling staging of great insight. As with Rheingold, we got to hear the latest generation of Wagnerian talent & hearing them grow in stature was immensely rewarding. Jurowksi’s orchestra was excellent

2 years after their superb Rheingold, I’m delighted to be back at the Bayerische Staatsoper for Die Walküre. With Bäckström, Anger, Brownlee, Roberts, Värelä, Gubanova & more. Jurowski conducts Kratzer’s staging

Curtain calls after Of One Blood at the Bayerische Staatsoper. It was performed at the highest musical and dramatic level. Guth’s staging is a major achievement in its clarity of storytelling. Boecker & Van Oostrum both unflinching. I did find Dean’s score to drag a bit though

I’m delighted to be back at the Bayerische Staatsoper for Brett Dean’s Of One Blood. With Van Oostrum, Boecker & many more. Jurowski conducts Guth’s staging

Curtain call after Elektra in Trieste. I never thought I’d see a staging that was comically camp but that’s what we got tonight. Musically it was very decent. Some superb orchestral playing, Schneider soared gloriously while Von der Damerau was utterly regal. Batoukova-Kerl made it to the end

I’m delighted to be back at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste for Elektra. With Batoukova-Kerl, Schneider, Von der Damerau, Petrenko, Schulz & more. Calesso conducts Filiberti’s staging

This was the best way to end this trip to South America musically. Goerner played the Schumann with sheer poetry & delighted with Brahms & Rachmaninov encores. Then the orcjtra played the Wagner items with fabulous lyricism making those melodies taking wing gloriously. And that building is a treat

I’m delighted to be back at the legendary Teatro Colón for a concert of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires with Marc Albrecht & Nelson Goerner offering a similar to that heard in São Paulo recently. The Schumann piano concerto and overtures by Wagner

And a very good morning to you from Good Airs. Where they’re getting ready for the Coup du monde

Then in the evening I saw a choral program of Lindstein, Stanford, Dove, Clemens Non Papa & a world premiere of a new work by 90-years young composer Jocy de Oliveira. All performed by the superb Coro da OSESP who sang with focused discipline, staggeringly accurate tuning & luminous beauty of tone

I saw 2 concerts at the Sala São Paulo today. One symphonic of Schumann with Nelson Goerner playing the piano concerto with fabulous poetry & Albrecht leafing a sprightly Spring Symphony. I can’t tell you how much I adore this hall. It’s always such a privilege to visit.

Curtain call after Intolleranza 1960 at the Teatro Municipal de São Paulo. It’s a work I’ve seen now and so never have to see it again. Superb singing from the house chorus and the principals were valiant. The staging was extremely visual with lots of random movements for the extras.

I’m delighted to be at the Teatro Municipal in São Paulo for the first-ever performances in South America of Intolleranza 1960. With Tristacci, Geluda, Alvarazi, Montoni, Oliveira, Barbosa. Bonfim conducts Ramos & Climachauska’s staging

Ewig, ewig

Curtain call after Das Lied von der Erde in Schoenberg’s arrangement at the Sala São Paulo. I really enjoyed Jabez Lima’s highly musical tenor in excellent German. The Grupo CamSons played with exquisite poetry, setting Mahler’s spell on us, the views of the beyond feeling so present.

I’m delighted to be visiting the Estação Motiva Cultural, the chamber hall of the Sala São Paulo, for the Schoenberg arrangement of Das Lied von der Erde. With Romani, Lima and the Grupo CamSons conducted by Rabelo

Curtain call after La Scala di seta at the Teatro São Pedro. What a delight to see the next generation of Brazilian operatic talent in this scintillating work. And just as much of a treat was hearing the vivid audience reaction to a performance sung in excellent Italian.

I’m delighted to be making my first ever visit to the Teatro São Pedro, São Paulo’s second opera house, for La scala di seta. With Miranda, Ceuta, Cardonha, Ohoe, Luiz, Willian. Rhein-Schirato conducts Malatian’s staging for the theatre’s Academia de Ópera

Curtain call after a program of Wagner at the Sala São Paulo. Given this is 1 of the biggest Italian cities, I was hoping for a different approach than the Teutonic one Albrecht brought, conducting it with big, romantic sound. Asszonyi was enthusiastic in the Schlussgesang & frequently in tune.