English National Opera have tweeted news of the death of John Brecknock, a company star in the 1970s and 1980s.

He sang opposite Valerie Masterton in La Traviata and Janet Baker in Werther. He also played a number of roles in the US, notably Dandini in La Cenerentola with Marilyn Horne at San Francisco Opera.

He retired with a heart condition in 1992 and moved with his wife to Spain.

His autobiography, Scaling the High C’s – The Musical Life of Tenor John L. Brecknock”, was published by Scarecrow Press in 1996.

John died on May 30, 2017 at his home in Benissa, Alicante. He is survived by his wife Lore and daughter, Kim.

 

In a slightly macabre Czech ritual, the coffin containing the body of  Jiří Bělohlávek, who died last week of cancer, was displayed yesterday on the stage of the Rudolfinum concert hall, where thousands filed past to pay homage.

The funeral will be private.

photos (c) Petra Hajska

The Richard Wagner Prize of the city of Leipzig for 2017 has been awarded to Oswald Georg Bauer, former press chief of the Bayreuth Festival.

Bauer presided over a press office whose job was the keep the press out of Bayreuth as much as possible, except for a handful of trusted critics who would not ask awkward questions. His press office never obligingly picked up a phone or answered a reasonable inquiry. Or ever smiled.

He is a worthy winner of this year’s Wagner prize to add to his Slipped Disc award.