At the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Claus Guth’s production—which, twenty years on, has lost none of its appeal. The poetry of certain moments, such as the feathers falling from above during ‘Non più andrai’, or the final scene turned upside down, mirroring the characters’ lives, is something difficult to describe; it simply has to be seen.

Benjamin Britten’s infallible masterpiece opened the 20th edition of the festival, the first under the artistic direction of Speranza Scappucci. The performance by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra and the choirs of the Regio di Torino was remarkable.

The Pesaro Opera Festival is all about Rossini. Forget the controversy over Nolan’s "Odyssey": the finest of the young generation went to sacrifice themselves for Hellas, from Byron to Santorre di Santarosa

Bizet’s work seems to have become a sort of ‘greatest hits’ collection of the composer’s works, like those summarised books for readers in a hurry. Furthermore, the director, Gabriela Carrizo, is a choreographer. The main highlight of the production is the lighting design by Tom Visser