A Lesbian in distress A Lesbian in distress

Zelmira, a work of 1822, was the last of the eight operas Rossini composed for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, then the largest opera house in Italy—perhaps in Europe.

Less than hero Less than hero

Iestyn Davies’s theatrical blandness combined with his vocal unsuitability for the role left a hole at the center of Rinaldo.

Does whatever a spider can Does whatever a spider can

The beautiful singing here is less in the sound than in the way the voice moves.

Trapped in the web of love Trapped in the web of love

Which operatic character could be best described as a spider?

The windmills of his mind The windmills of his mind

Jules Massenet’s Don Quichotte was one of a number of commissions from the Monte Carlo Opera that occupied the composer at the end of his life.