Olga Mykytenko’s indisposition during the last rehearsals was the reason for Anett Fritsch’s debut at Liceu as Almaviva Countess. The young German soprano (1986) triumphed at Salzburg in 2015 with the same role and will soon be debuting at La Scala as Donna Elvira. Anett Fritsch possesses all the attributes for a great Countess: the most beautiful voice, good style, scenic presence and a sensual elegance that adds very interesting nuances to the character. Her “Dove...

Carmen in Orange is a classic!Here people have applauded some of the greatest, particularly Béatrice Uria Monzon who provided thrills for audiences on three occasions at the Théâtre Antique.But this time, Carmen was forgotten, and the 9,000 or so spectators had eyes (and ears!) only for Jonas Kaufmann’s Don José. Not that Kate Aldrich is a poor Carmen:she is beautiful and has a certain noblesse (almost too much, sometimes evoking...