BEYOND BRUSSELS

RODERIC DUNNETT journeys to Antwerp and Gent
and finds good things on offer at de Vlaamse Opera

<< Continued from Part 3

This season's Wagner offering is a potent revival of Tristan and Isolde, directed by Willy Decker with Louis Gentile and Luana deVol as the ill-starred pair, backed up by Frode Olsen's King Mark and Jurgen Freier singing Kurwenal. Tristan opens in Gent (Thu 29 March 6.30) and after four performances (1,4,7 Apr) transfers to Antwerp for five more (13-25 Apr).

Robert Carsen, who directed Butterfly, returns for the final two stagings : a (hopefully slick) new production of Janacek's Sluwe Vosje (Cunning Little Vixen), in which Hanne Fischer and Rosemary Joshua sing the Fox and Vixen respectively, and David Pittman-Jennings the Forester. Marc Albrecht conducts. Last comes a revival of Puccini's La Boheme : Cheryl Barker sings Mimi and Rebecca Caine, Musetta. Julian Gavin is Rodolfo. Massimo Zanetti conducts.

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