It really was.

Rarely heard such a beautifully sung P+M. A near-perfect cast with superb diction. Very impressive orchestra and conducting. Staging was a bit
conventional but with some intelligent and nicely observed touches. Montague Rendall, Desandre + Finley worth the trip alone, though. A dream team

Here’s the full cast

And today my first visit to Opéra de Monte Carlo (Pelléas et Mélisande w/ Huw Montague Rendall + Léa Desandre)

First time at Opéra de Nice

A bit of a rarity this afternoon in Strasbourg

Today a quick trip to Toulouse for the first staging in France of Weinberg’s Die Passagierin

In this neck of the woods, they're doing Die Englische Katze in Munich in January and El Cimmarón in Aix in July.

An operatic rarity tonight in Lille

Ah yes, an anti-Covid conspiracy theorist. Very unpleasant man, whom I’ll gladly never listen to ever again.

Allan Clayton stunning as Peter Grimes in Frankfurt. I’d forgotten how good Keith Warner’s staging is. Great ensemble as always and Guggeis very convincing in the pit.

Musically excellent with superb cast. Orchestra hugely impressive. Even more satisfying than the recent production in Frankfurt. Andrea Breth’s staging is intelligent and intriguîng.

C’est un chef-d’œuvre

Surprisingly, Pénélope wasn‘t staged by any French house during the centenary of Fauré’s death last year. Thankfully, Munich is staging it this year to mark the 150th anniversary of the Opernfestspiele

Same seats as they were in all those years of 10-year waiting lists

And here are the still-empty seats for Parsifal on August 26.

More a case of: “Well, it’s the Valentin Schwarz Ring”, I feel

The days when there was a 10-year waiting list for tickets to Bayreuth are long gone. These are the as-yet unsold seats for Siegfried on July 29…

A curate’s egg of a piece, a curious mixture of elements of Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. Some surprisingly satisfying moments musically, weighed down by a pompous, indigestible text. Well sung and played. Entirely vacuous staging. #Sigurd #Reyer #OpéradeMarseille

A rarity tonight at Opéra de Marseille to celebrate its 100th anniversary #Sigurd #Reyer

Back in Frankfurt for some Janáček

News from Kazan this morning: Sofia Gubaidulina has died, aged 93

realnoevremya.ru/news/330788-...

realnoevremya.ru/news/330788-...

This afternoon’s entertainment in Sceaux

Huw Montague-Rendall cancelled the second performance of Pelléas et Mélisande at Bastille

One of the greats. Flott at the Athénée

Excellent staging of Guercœur by David Hermann at Oper Frankfurt, convincingly sung and played. Well worth the trip

Back in Frankfurt for my second production of Guercœur after last year’s staging in Strasbourg

Oh no! Hope it’s not the dernier soir you’ll get to see it. Bon rétablissement!

S’aimer sur le charnier : Pelléas et Mélisande par Wajdi Mouawad à Bastille L’actualité de l’opéra : S’aimer sur le charnier : Pelléas et Mélisande par Wajdi Mouawad à Bastille

This is a fair and just review of last night’s Pelléas et Mélisande www.olyrix.com/articles/pro...

Tonight Pelléas et Mélisande in a new staging by Wajdi Mouawad at Opéra de Paris