Battered for its variable productions, ENO has decided to withdraw companion tickets from national media critics.

Instead, it will give the spare seats to novice and amateur reviewers.

Fiona Maddocks warns: ‘This decision may backfire. Expect a revolt.’

And rightly so. ENO is going from hapless to hopeless.

Read on here.

 

 

 

We’ve been hearing for months that the Met was trying to find a role for Yusif Eyvazov this season at some other singer’s expense.

Today it was confirmed that Netrebko’s husband will replace Aleksandrs Antonenko in three December performances of Queen of Spades. Antonenko will sing the first three shows of the run in November.

Eyvazov is otherwise due to appear with his wife in the Met’s New Year’s Gala.

 

The Bulgarian pianist Emanuil Ivanov, presently studying at Birmingham Royal Conservatory with Pascal Nemirovski and Anthony Hewitt, has come first in the Ferrucio Busoni International Competition in Bolzano, Italy.

The Busoni contest has been a launchpad for major careers.

Second was Shiori Kuwahara of Japan. Third was Giorgi Gigashvili.

 

 

 

This was Bernard Haitink last night in Lucerne, receiving the final applause of his career.

His wife waits to help him off the stage.

photo: private/slippedisc

And here are the final moments of music making:

One of the flutes can be seen with tears in her eyes.

The Danish commentator Henrik Engelbrecht reminds us of the glorious career of his compatriot Peter Schram, who made his debut at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen in 1841 and did not retire until 1889, after which he continued to take the stage as an actor until his death.

He made the earliest known recording of Mozart.