FRONT OF HOUSE EDITORIAL Handing over the Editor’s baton HAVE YOUR SAY The view from Twitter - NEWS & NOTES Opera stars urge BBC executives to save the BBC Singers, Apple Music launches its new classical app, Warner Classics celebrates 100 years of Maria Callas, and we receive a Letter from Venice ‘Your ceiling is the stars. That’s one of my favourite memories of my debut – singing to the space; singing to the stars’ Contents 14 REVIEWS - LIVE REVIEWS UK Royal Opera House Rusalka (34); English Touring Opera Il viaggio a Reims/ Lucrezia Borgia (36) Opera North Ariadne auf Naxos (38) EUROPE Teatro Real Madrid Arabella (40) USA Florida Grand Opera, Miami Gianni Schicchi (42) FESTIVALS London Handel Festival In the Realms of Sorrow (45); Janáček Festival, Brno From the House of the Dead/ Káťa Kabanová (46) - RECORDINGS New releases on CD, Digital & AV including: Amore dolore – the young Italian countertenor follows his debut album with this love-themed disc; albums from Royal Swedish Opera and Oper Graz as well as films from Théâtre des Champs-Elysée and Theater an der Wien Opera Now Choice: Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz on film from Maggio Musicale Fiorentino - SPOTLIGHT Worldwide Opera Guide and answers to this issue’s Quiz (p63) COVER PHOTO: FOTOENNEVI / FONDAZIONE ARENA DI VERONA COLLECTIVE HEADS IRANZAN PAOLO 46 I CASTIDO ZAN 32 28 CONTENTS OLBRZYMEK MAREK Cover feature The renowned Verona Arena Opera Festival celebrates its centenary this year with a new production of its first performed opera, Verdi’s Aida. Leading with honesty Conductor Dan Ettinger comes clean about the trials and tribulations of conducting and the differences between opera and symphony orchestras. Olympia Theatre Athens Meeting the French Artistic Director of Athens’s second opera house as he transforms the space with Greek opera, new music and exciting collaborations. Janáček Festival – reporting from Brno Jakub Hrůša conducts two of the Czech composer’s masterpieces – his final opera From the House of the Dead and Káťa Kabanová based on Alexander Ostrovsky’s play The Storm. My Favourite Things Jakub Józef Orliński, renowned Polish countertenor, draws on the influences of Versailles, the changing seasons and street culture. Coming into your own Sonya Yoncheva speaks to us about her new album, The Courtesan, and encouraging authentic self-expression SANTIAGO IKTOR V Quiz How well do you know Wagner’s Götterdämmerung? Test your opera knowledge in our monthly quiz www.operanow.co.uk OperaNow April 2023 3