Bravo, Michael

Peter Gelb has become synonymous with the New York Met, yet he has only been General Manager for twelve years. Closer to home, for me, is Opera Holland Park where Michael Volpe has been General Director since OHP was founded in 1996.

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Madama Butterfly

A visit to Glyndebourne is for many a chance to admire the gardens and settle into a serious picnic in the evening sunshine, regrettably interrupted by a couple of naps during the opera.

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The Grammar of Ornament

A book first published in 1856 and still in print deserves to be called a classic. That’s The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones.

Opera

Three evenings at the opera last week and I didn’t see a single complete opera.

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Three Times a Lady

My third Tosca since October: first Rome, then Live from the Met and on Saturday, Covent Garden. Saturday matinees are always popular.

Mary Callery

You have seen this many times at the cinema or, maybe, for real. I have but without noticing it until I was watching La Bohème from the Met in Chelsea on Saturday.

More Opera

Yesterday was Fulham Opera’s spot. Tomorrow, Saturday,  Franco Zeffirelli’s production of La Bohème is on at the Met. I will not be there but I will be in the Curzon Chelsea to watch it being streamed live from New York.

Fulham Opera Night

If you find that operas can be excessively long and expensive come to Fulham Opera on Friday 9th March. Tickets are an affordable £10 bookable on line here. 

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Carmen

I was watching the second episode of Yes, Prime Minister in which Bernard explains to Prime Minister, Jim Hacker, that he has not much to do; no department to run, just chairing Cabinet meetings, Prime Ministers questions, and a chat with the Queen on Tuesday evenings.

Back to the Seventies

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) greeted the audience arriving at the Royal College of Music on Thursday evening to hear Mozart’s 24th Piano Concerto and Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony.