There are two new productions running at the COC; a fun Così fan tutte with Sir Thomas Allen, Tracy Dahl and a fabulous quartet of lovers and an inriguing, Kennedy era, Un ballo in maschera with a superb performance by Adrienne Pieczonka. I also got out to York Uni to see The Beggar's Opera and to UoT to see works by student composers. There were recitals by Tracy Dahl and the COC Ensemble Studio and I wrote a bit of a rant about misconceptions about modern/contemporary music.

2014 kicked off with my annual physical because nothing says "Happy New Year" like a finger up one's arse.  I seem to be in reasonably good shape bar this cough that won't go away and rather high blood pressure.  Those two mean I have the bumper fun bag of inhalers and meds to work with for the time being.  Also I'm being good about exercising again (so far).

Work now includes a rather intimidating strategy project on top of everything else but no definitive word about my future post March 30th.

Recent DVD reviews include Busoni's Doktor Faustus; a christmas present from the lemur, a rather unthrilling Elektra from Baden-Baden and Puccini's Il Trittico from the Royal Opera House.  Live performances are a bit thin on the ground right now but I'll kick into high gear on January 18th when COC starts up again with Così fan tutte.  I'm hoping to interview Sir Thomas Allen ahead of the premier.

Otherwise it's snow, freezing rain and arctic temperatures.

The COC announces its first new opera project since 1999. Rufus Wainwright gets another go at writing an opera.  My take, and better, the comments on my take are here.  I also liked Peter Tiefenbach's tweet.  "Neef hat der Ihrfisch gesprungen".

Also two more DVD reviews; a rather unsatisfactory Tristan und Isolde and a very good Turn of the Screw.

An intense Dido and Aeneas on Blu-ray.

I go to the National Ballet to celebrate Britten's 100th and see a programme of new works.

The cough I mentioned a few days ago turned into a really nasty viral infection. I had to leave the Opera 5 gig on Sunday at the interval; pale, sweating and coughing my guts up. Since then I've been having trouble sleeping as every time I move slightly I start to cough again. All in all it's been a rough few days. I did see the quack yesterday. She's reasonably sure it's only a virus but did, comfortingly, mention an outside chance of whooping cough, TB or cancer. I think I'm on the mend and may even brave the office tomorrow if I get a good night's sleep. Apart from the second half of Sunday's show I've missed Opera Atelier's Abduction from the Seraglio and will miss Talisker's Cities of the Mind gig tonight. I may be able to catch the last performance of the Opera 5 show tomorrow if things go really well. I've been in the workforce for 35 years and this is the largest number of days I've lost to one illness.

Review of tenor Chris Gillett's somewhat irreverent books on life as a jobbing singer.

The Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcast of Shostakovich's The Nose.

Patricia Petitbon shakes her booty in a Blu-ray recording of Berg's Lulu from Salzburg.

Messiah Wars.  The line up for the holiday season in Toronto.

Back to the Four Seasons Centre again last night for a second look at Peter Grimes.  This time with Ben Heppner in the title role.  More...

Michael Sturminger's Giacomo Variations looks much the same on DVD as it did in the theatre.

There's only one DVD version of Britten's Albert Herring and it dates back to 1985 but it's a good one.

Krzysztof Warlikowski’s 2011 production of Cherubini’s 1797 opéra comique Médée is dramatic and well sung.  More...

Loose TEA Theatre's readaptation of Peter Brook's adaptation of Bizet's Carmen featured a rather stunning performance by Cassandra Warner in the title role.  More...