Rolando's werther in Lyon.

Rolando Villazon will be directing Werther.
A real thrill to see what he will do, knowing he always was a good actor in this role even when his voice did not follow him as it used to.It will be my only trip in January and it is much awaited.

I will not manage a fair account of that magic Alcina. All I keep in mind is the heraldic beauty of Anja Harteros as the sorceress and the extraodinary Ruggiero of Vesselina Kasarova. The two of them were fantastic. This is a poor illustration: Ruggiero


Vesselina is just having fun and with jaring sounds from the depths of her voice she still soars with amazing tops, she is a wonder! And she is physically built for this role. Both singers made the show. I loved the whole cast and orchestra. Handel is really winning as a baroque composer! No wonder Antony Burgess in his witty 'Mozart and the Wolf Gang'
made a funny portrait of him through Beethoven 's imaginative vision:
""I have visited that giant two or three times , though he does not wish to be visited.
He converses his blindness even in this afterworld and consumes phantom meals. He will not discuss music. He says he wrote it only to make money. He is not happy in heaven. He wants the candlewax stink of theatres and quarrels with castrati. Nor will he admit his own greatness."
and Bliss (typical British second rate composer) says to Beethoven:
"He wrote great tunes. Perhaps that is all that music is really about. Great tunes..."

Best wishes to you all, special thoughts to Will and Smorgy.
I have to cross a bad spell of inner weather!
But I hope to be ready for Werther on the 24th of January!