The Brazilian pianist, who fractured his upper right arm in a fall in Rio de Janeiro, has undergone a complex four-hour operation, which surgeons believe was successful.

He is expected to leave hospital in 2-3days.

Freire, who is 75, will be out of action for three months.

‘He was trying to proect his hands when he fell onto his shoulder,’ said his companion Rosana Martins.

 

The orchestra leader Stephen Morris is back in possession of the 1709 David Tecchier instrument that he left late at night last week on a suburban train.

Police say the violin was handed over in a supermarket car park in Beckenham after secret negotiations. Earlier, police published a photograph of a person of interest. An individual contacted Morris by Twitter.

The man who returned the violin said he had made a mistake and apologised. Police say no further action will be taken.

More here.

Lyndon Terraccini, newly renewed boss of Opera Australia, tells the SMH: ‘I will always argue that pieces like South PacificMy Fair Lady and West Side Story are better pieces than many operas.’

Terraccini runs ‘the only opera company in the world where more than half our budget is funded by ticket sales.’

Discuss.

 

At least a dozen members of the Mariinsky Theatre suffered severe food poisoning from a takeaway meal for 205 ordered during their current Moscow residency.

Six were detained in hospital, including one child.

The meal had been ordered from an online site.

The victims became unwell during an evening performance of Debussy’s opera Pelléas et Mélisande, but the performance was concluded without incident.

More here.

Read Basia Jaworski’s new picture essay here.

 

The diva posts a letter to her younger self:

If it gets really tough, she says, you could always go into arts administration…

Oh, surely not!

Must be heard.

Max Lima has uploaded a radio broadcast recording of Marthita playing Beethoven’s first piano concerto at the age of 8.

The sound is pretty awaful but check in at 2.45 for the soloist’s first entry and you’ll be amazed at her precocity.