CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA & PAGLIACCI
Hairy McMungo always enjoys productions of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci because he met Mrs McMungo in the interval at a performance of these operas. But the lack of Scottish singers is shocking. In Cav, Turiddu is sung by Peter Auty who let Aled Jones take the credit for his singing for years. Hairy is glad to report Jones won’t be trying that again this time. Alfio is sung by Roland Wood who has at least performed with Scottish Opera. ENO regulars Mary Plazas and Mark Stone are Nedda and her bit on the side Silvio. The conductor is Edward Gardner, the new music director of the ENO. They should have got a Scotsman really but Hairy doesn’t know any Scotsmen who would have done it. Luckily Gardner is a good conductor.

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
The conductor at this performance is the great Rory Macdonald. Rory conducted one performance of this opera brilliantly for the ROH when he was a Young Artist. It would be very difficult for him to conduct this performance any better but Hairy can confirm he’ll do so anyway. The designer is Tanya McCallin. Hairy still isn’t sure if she’s really Scottish but as the designs for this production are so good Hairy is sure she must be. The wonderful (if English) Andrew Shore returns as Bartolo and the title role is played by Garry Magee who is very funny but Hairy would like him more if he spelled his last name McGee.

PARTENOPE
Another great conductor presides over this production, Christian Curnyn who was born in the beautiful city of Glasgow. Partenope is an opera that can drag but Hairy is sure that like the great productions of Agrippina and Alcina directed by the great David McVicar, the performances will seem too short if anything. The English but nevertheless distinguished cast includes Rosemary Joshua, John Mark Ainsley and Christine Rice.

AIDA
Most people were surprised when Aida was such a sell-out triumph last year but Hairy McMungo of course saw it all coming. He also predicted that the great Scottish bass-baritone Iain Paterson (Amonasro) would be particularly acclaimed and of course Hairy was right. The only new addition to the cast is Matthew Best as Ramfis but Hairy does not need to tell you he will do very well and Hairy is glad you do not need him to tell you this as he would rather not praise another Englishman for the time being as he has done it rather too much. Claire Rutter and John Hudson (in better voice than when Hairy saw him last) are Aida and Radames.

BORIS GODUNOV
Again there are no Scottish performers which Hairy thinks is ridiculous unless of course this is for financial reasons. But as Hairy McMungo has already granted John Graham-Hall an honorary Scottish citizenship in honour of his great performances he is free to tell you that Graham-Hall is excellent. And not even Hairy McMungo could describe performers such as Peter Rose and Robert Murray as anything other than great singers.

RIDERS TO THE SEA
Riders to the Sea is an opera that Hairy McMungo hasn’t heard of. Usually Hairy McMungo would usually not predict great success for such a modern opera but with the great Scottish baritone Leigh Melrose in the cast it can’t fail to be very much admired, even if the ticket sales aren’t quite as high as Hairy would like. But in Hairy’s experience his expectations of acceptable tickets sales seem to be much too high. The conductor is Richard Hickox and the director is Fiona Shaw. Not Scottish but certainly not bad.

HAIRY McMUNGO

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