In the UK my opera career was almost entirely taken up with 500-odd evenings at Kent Opera. Glyndebourne and the Welsh asked me a couple of times, but either dates or pieces didn’t suit me.

One Glyndebourne production I did conduct was a revival at Covent Garden of Britten’s Albert Herring, directed by Peter Hall. It was a delightful show, with my good friends Felicity Palmer and John Graham-Hall singing  principal roles. In this opera scene changes take place during orchestral interludes, and the big Covent Garden stage made it difficult to do some of them in time. I remember having to solve the matter at a crisis production meeting, by creating a few ingenious repeats in Britten’s sacred score. It was a joy to work with Peter, one of the most distinguished theatre directors of our times.

My debut at the Garden had been a staging of Handel’s Samson, with my old mate Bob Tear as the hero. It was interesting persuading the excellent orchestra to play in a more Baroque style than they had been used to.

My last appearance there was a revival of Britten’s Peter Grimes, one of the greatest operas of the 20th Century. My very good friends Felicity Lott and Philip Langridge, both new to their roles, were the much admired principals. It was extremely exciting for me to be conducting such a big iconic piece, which I had seen performed by both Pears and Britten, and listened to on record a hundred times. A great experience.

At English National Opera I also conducted three operas. The first was Rossini’s Barbiere on tour, jumping in without rehearsal, in Sunderland.

The second was a revival of Figaro with a nice young cast. I got the orchestra a little way on the road to Classical performance practice.

Lastly a revival of Jonathan Miller’s production of Don Giovanni. I didn’t push for pure tone from the orchestra, but this time I really got Mozart tempi and phrasing. It was interesting to read some of the reviews. In the past critics, even those who should have known better like Stanley Sadie, had often failed to understand where modern research was going. This time things were changing. At least one writer, while shocked at the Andante Alla breve opening of the Overture, wrote that it was “probably right”. This is a piece which was (and often still is!) played at under half Mozart’s quite specific  tempo marking. Some of the orchestral players were quite encouraging. At rehearsal the viola principal was actually in tears: “I’ve been waiting for phraseing like this for 40 years!”

On performance days at either house it was pleasant to drive the Jaguar quietly up to town in the afternoon from Berkshire; then after the show to drive back with a flask of hot tea and a chat with the Missus.

OTHER OPERA PERFORMANCES

Zauberflöte in Vienna

Orfeo in Florence, Rome, Lodon, Bath, CardiffMitridate and Idomeneoin Salzburg

Fidelio in Mannheim

Rigoletto in Florence

Figaro in Cincinnati

Britten Turn of the Screw in Como and Venice

Noyes Fludde

RCM Haydn

RAM Rameau

RNCM Werther

IN CONCERT

Figaro, Carmen, Rakes Progress,  Cellini and Trojans with Chelsea Opera Group

Cellini tour with SWR

Trojans with Bournemouth

Idomeneo in Boston, and at the Edinburgh Festival

2 Rossini operas with Orchestre de Chambre de Paris

La Vestale, Fairy Queen, and Don Quichotte, for Radio France.

RECORDINGS: Idomeneo, Flute, Giovanni, Fairy Queen, Cellini, Mitridate, Vestale