From this month's Opera

I see from this month's Opera magazine, that Julian Anderson is writing an opera for ENO, to be premiered in 2013 directed by Pierre Audi. Now that's a combination which certainly sounds interesting and it is great that ENO have secured a production from Audi at long last.It seems to be Anderson's first opera, but he has already demonstrated that he can write sympathetically for voice. The piece is to be based on Sophocles Theban plays, so expect a nice cheerful evening!

Still in a new opera vein, Bejun Mehta is singing the leading role in George Benjamin's new opera for Covent Garden to be premiered in February 2013. His first opera was such a hit that inevitably it will be a hard act to follow, so seeing that Benjamin does in the 'big house' will be fascinating. I can't wait.

And Neil Bartlett, whom I still remember fondly from his days working on the gay fringes of theatre, is directing a new Queen of Spades for Opera North next season, with Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, Orla Boylan, Jonathan Summers and Josephine Barstow. Quite a cast!

Covent Garden as celebrating the Wagner centenary with a new Parsifal (though I must confess to a sneaking fondness for Bill Bryden's unpopular production). And still on the subject of Wagner, Wim Wenders is cutting his operatic teeth on a new Ring at Bayreuth for 2013, nothing like starting small.