We hear by a leaked email that the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande has parted company with its latest chief executive, Henk Swinnen.

He seemed to be doing a good job.

But so did his predecessor, Miguel Esteban, who was fired without good reason or notice. Miguel’s dismissal cost the dimwit board half a million bucks. Our advice to Henk (pictured): go to the same law firm.

Meantime, to everyone else: avoid the vacancy like a dose of Zika.

The leaked email? Ah, here goes:

Mesdames, Messieurs, cher Amis,

La FOSR et Monsieur Henk Swinnen se sont séparés.

Les parties communiqueront ultérieurement.

Avec mes meilleurs messages.

Florence Notter

Florence Notter

Présidente

It’s one of those operas where you know the English team can’t win. It’s called South Pole. Captain Scott got beaten there in 1911 by Roald Amundsen’s Norwegian team. Scott’s team perished on the way home. It’s a tragedy that haunted my childhood, and my father’s before me.

But is it an opera?

The Bavarian State Opera went bold. Neither the young Czech composer Miroslav Srnka nor his librettist Tom Holloway had written a main-stage work before. The cast was business-class: Rolando Villazon as Scott, Thomas Hampson as Amundsen, Mojca Erdmann and Tara Erraught as their dream-ladies. Hans Neuenfels directed. Kirill Petrenko conducted. On paper, it was the go-to new opera of 2016.

South Pole the first opera I have seen that opens and closes with someone singing in Morse code. The set is so glaringly bright there is literally nowhere to hide – for singers, or for the director who runs out of gestures once the ponies and the dogs have been slaughtered. Neuenfels is an animal lover. His Bayreuth Lohengrin had the chorus dressed as giant rats.

Musically, the score is immense in every sense. It has six clarinets, four trumpets, an accordion and a percussion section that includes Hyoshigi, Rin Gong and steel drums. The composer clearly knows his Wozzeck but he gets over it soon enough and there are some touching lyrical passages once the women come dreaming in. Knowing the outcome in advance, the narrative is still strong enough to grip for two full hours and all the famous lines are there. ‘I may be some time…’ Petrenko’s sense of musical time is a marvel in itself.

Scott’s team occupy the left half of the stage, Amundsen’s the right. They act, but don’t sing, in counterpoint.  The glare is oppressive. The rivals are united in misery and dignity. Tara Erraught, in black, is all that Scott has given up for his mission. Mojca Erdmann, in a revealing white shift, is Amundesen’s temptation. They serenade men’s folly in soaring, flawless lines. Thomas Hampson plays the role of his life as Amundsen, his brutal ambition aligned  to a noble regard for man and nature. His musicianship in the toughest passages is a miracle of insouciance.

Villazon, sadly, is the weak link. His voice lacks power and, surprisingly beauty. His acting consists of throwing up his arms at every setback and his English is incomprehensible.

Yes, South Pole is sung in English. Much of the time, except when Hampson was centre stage, I looked up at the German surtitles to see what they were on about. In an English opera, the English language lost.

Every major opera manager in Europe was at the opening night – except the English, who cannot afford to stage anything bigger than a matchbox. Since you are unlikely to see South Pole at any British or American opera house, I urge you to see it now in Munich, while tickets last. South Pole is literally state of the art, a strong indicator of where opera is heading in the next decade.

It used to be English National Opera, until the company became over-reliant on Americans imported through the auspices of its sometime artistic consultant, Matthew Epstein.

This morning, by way of adjustment, Garsington rolls out a summer of British talent that cannot, I suspect, be matched by any other company. Among the hot tickets are the Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw in her role debut as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin opposite fellow-debutant Roderick Williams;  Toby Spence as Idomeneo; and this line up for Haydn’s Creation: Sarah Tynan (soprano), James Gilchrist (tenor) and Neal Davies (bass).

Rule, Britannia.

Press release below.

Garsington Opera’s 2016 season, from 3 June to 17 July, will present Tchaikovsky’s powerful Eugene Onegin, Mozart’s great opera seriaIdomeneo, Rossini’s sparkling L’italiana in Algeri, and an innovative collaboration with Rambert, one of Britain’s leading dance companies, with a unique realisation of Haydn’s The Creation combining music and dance.

Garsington Opera welcomes celebrated British artists of international distinction. Toby Spence (tenor) and Roderick Williams (baritone) make both title role and festival debuts, the former in Idomeneo and the latter Eugene Onegin.  Michael Boyd (director), former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Tom Piper (designer), praised for his commemorative poppy installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, produce Eugene Onegin, conducted by Douglas Boyd (Garsington Opera’s Artistic Director).  Tim Albery (director) and Hannah Clark (designer), whose recent designs for Queen Anne at the RSC were critically acclaimed, produce Idomeneo with leading Swedish conductor Tobias Ringborg.  Will Tuckett (director), director of The Royal Ballet’s acclaimed production of Elizabeth, and George Souglides (designer) combine with distinguished Rossini expert David Parry (conductor) for a new production of L’italiana in Algeri.

Garsington Opera continues its policy of seeking out the very best singers from around the world and showcasing rising stars from Britain.  The distinguished Garsington Opera Orchestra, many of whom have been with the company for over 20 years, will be joined by the Garsington Opera Chorus, comprising emerging talent from the UK and beyond.

EUGENE ONEGIN

Based on Russian poet and author Alexander Pushkin’s novella, Tchaikovsky’s powerful and moving opera about youth and first love features British baritone Roderick Williams making his debut in the title role and Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw making her role debut as the young heroine Tatyana.  Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Jurgita Adamonytė sings Olga and Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 finalist Ukrainian tenor Oleksiy Palchykov sings Lensky.  The role of Prince Gremin is sung by international bass Brindley Sherratt.  They are joined byLouise Winter (Larina), Kathleen Wilkinson (Filippyevna) and Mark Wilde (Triquet).  Douglas Boyd conducts with Michael Boyd, a fluent Russian speaker, directing and Tom Piper designing.

IDOMENEO

War hero Idomeneo, to be sung by international opera star Toby Spence making his debut in the title role, promises the gods he will sacrifice the first person he sees in return for a safe passage. That person is his son Idamante, to be sung by Australian mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup.  Added to the anguished love triangle between his son, the Trojan princess Ilia, performed by rising star Louise Alder, and Greek princess Elettra sung by Rebecca von Lipinski, a terrible struggle ensues between fatherly devotion, staying true to a promise and young love.  Timothy Robinson (Arbace), Robert Murray (High Priest) and Nicholas Masters (Neptune) complete the cast.  Swedish Tobias Ringborg conducts with distinguished international opera director Tim Albery directing with designs by Hannah Clark.

L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI

Written at the height of Rossini’s inventive powers, madness, hilarity and a sense of the surreal permeate the opera with the courageous heroine Isabella at the centre of a maelstrom of confusion, suffused throughout with humour and tenderness. Ezgi Kutlu sings the young Isabella searching for her beloved Lindoro sung by the Brazilian tenor Luciano Botelho.  The blustering Mustafà is performed by Quirijn de Lang and his long-suffering wife Elvira by rising star Mary Bevan.  They are joined by Geoffrey Dolton (Taddeo), Katie Bray (Zulma) andBožidar Smiljanić (Haly).  Conductor David Parry returns to conduct his thirteenth Rossini opera for Garsington with Olivier award-winnerWill Tuckett directing and George Souglides designing.

THE CREATION

Conductor Douglas Boyd, Garsington Opera’s Artistic Director, collaborates with Mark Baldwin, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Rambert, to bring an inspiring realisation of  The Creation through music and dance.  40 dancers from Rambert and the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance will be joined on stage by Garsington Opera’s orchestra and chorus with soloists Sarah Tynan (soprano),James Gilchrist (tenor) and Neal Davies (bass).  Designs by renowned visual artist Pablo Bronstein, whose site specific work for the Duveen Galleries at Tate Britain opens in April, will add a spectacular visual dimension to Haydn’s music.

We understand that Yuja Wang, one of the few international names still listed on the Seoul Philharmonic website, has told them she is not coming.

Like a host of other artists, she has no confidence in an organisation that has lost its music director to a vendetta by its former chief executive.

The only way to save Seoul is for the city mayor to step in and restore street cred.