Intermezzo

The Two Tenors

Swapping Tosca tales backstage at the Royal Opera House, Roberto Alagna and Jonas Kaufmann.

More on Roberto's Facebook page.

Jonas Kaufmann is pleased to see you

Jonas Kaufmann 'rummages for a hanky' during an extended interview to be broadcast on Radio 3's Music Matters this Saturday at 12.15pm.

 

*UPDATE* The ROH have published a digested version of the interview.

Jonas Kaufmann's double debut

The 2015 Salzburg Easter Festival programme was announced today, and the big draw is Jonas Kaufmann.

He makes role debuts in Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, topping off his Salzburg stay with the tenor part in Verdi's Requiem - all conducted by Christian Thielemann.

The rest of the four-night programme has a Russian flavour, with a symphony and a concerto each from Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

If you fancy going, you'd better have deep pockets. Festival tickets are notoriously pricey; this year's maxed out at €490. But with only 12% of the festival's €6m budget covered by the public purse, there isn't much scope for cuts.  

To be certain of tickets, you need to buy a membership (€300, or €50 for under-35s), then a four-night subscription (€410 to €1,190). These will go on sale at the end of this month. Any single tickets not bought by members are sold later in the year (€170 to €490 for the opera).

Jonas Kaufmann's Wigmore date confirmed

Turn to page 86 of the just-released Wigmore Hall 2014-15 season brochure, and there it is, in black and white.

As noted on Intermezzo back in February, Jonas Kaufmann is to play Wigmore Hall on 11 January 2015. Helmut Deutsch accompanies; programme to be confirmed.

Tickets are expected to go on sale in September/October. Prices are not mentioned, but the normal range for a song recital is £15-£50.

Unless you want to rely on returns, your best (though not guaranteed) chance of getting one is to become a Wigmore Hall Friend. Experience suggests all or most requests at Patron or Benefactor level are likely to be satisfied. Lower levels may miss out due to demand.

Jonas Kaufmann's Winterreise comes to the Royal Opera House

Jonas Kaufmann Winterreise - Royal Opera House, 6 April 2014

While opera squeezes itself into pubs, clubs and underground bunkers, could piano recitals take over its abandoned theatres? Jonas Kaufmann's sold out the Royal Opera House instantly. Some may have come for the Schubert; I suspect most were after the man.

Get ready to book for Royal Opera House summer season 2014

Friends booking opens on 19 March  - that's tomorrow - and general booking on 8 April for the final chunk of the ROH's 2013-14 season.