a int rmediary between the principal lover in Act 3. Hi well-centred baritone ha become an exceptionally flexible in trument. lightly le extrovert, if only in compari on, wa Stephan Loge ' transve tite Schaunard, with Henry Waddington an altogeth r more thoughtful olline. Chri tine Buffle Mu ella wa rather m re c nvincing at the clo e than with Alcindoro, when he tried rather too hard and the voice I t focu . Greater relaxation would urely have brought a gain in allure. The tru ty Eric Robert doubled again a landlord and ugar daddy each quizzical in their different ways.

There wa no lack of enthu ia m in Steven Sloane' well-paced conducting, though he pu hed hi inger hard at everal climaxe . What make thi producti n o attractive till i it adventurou excur ion into both end of the tragicomic pectrum. But where fun and fever could co-exi t o feli itou ly nobody had a right to complain. Poverty- tricken or not, Opera orth wa right back on song.

M RTI DREYER

Jenufa Royal Opera at Covent Garden, Septeniber 28 Opera d e not get much belt r than thi -at lea t, not musically. It' hard to know where to begin, but the contribution of Bernard Haitink, Karita Mattila and Anja Silja are o tied up together in thi outstanding ucce that order here hardly matter . Yet first place should go to Janae k, till not recognized in all quarter a one of the very greate t opera omp er : at thi performance hi mu ic radiated and pul ed with humanity, helped by ome incomparable inging and Haitink' magnificent

• 'Jenufa' at Covent Garden, with (l. lo 1:) Jonna Silvasti as Laca, Anja Silja a the Kostelnicka and Karita Mattila in the title role