We left at the interval...

Opéra de Lille, France, Monday February 16 2026 Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies. Production: Kornél Mundruczó, reprised by Marcos Darbyshire. Sets and Costumes: Monika Pormale. Lighting: Felice Ross. Emilia Marty: Aušrinė Stundytė. Albert Gregor: Denys Pivnitskyi. Jaroslav Prus: Robin Adams. Dr Kolenatý: Jan Hnyk. Vítek: Paul Kaufmann. Krista: Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur. Janek: Florian Panzieri. Hauk-Schendorf: Jean-Paul Fouchécourt. Maid: Mathilde Legrand. Stage Technician: Jocelyn Riche. Chorus of the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Orchestre National de Lille. Photos: Frédéric Iovino/Opéra de Lille   I initially bought tickets for this Lille production of The Makropoulos Case because Véronique Gens was cast as Emilia. A favourite work, by a favourite composer, with a singer whose take on the role was one I was interested in witnessing - and in a town I like. I booked seats for the final performance, the only one compatible with my diary, then went through the usual rigmarole onlin...

Opéra de Lille, Sunday March 18 2012 Conductor: Emmanuelle Haïm. Production: Jean-François Sivadier. Sets: Alexandre de Dardel. Lighting: Philippe Berthomé. Costumes: Virginie Gervaise. Poppea: Sonya Yoncheva. Nerone: Max Emmanuel Cencic. Ottavia: Ann Hallenberg. Ottone: Tim Mead. Seneca: Paul Whelan. Drusilla: Amel Brahim-Djelloul. Nutrice/Famigliare di Seneca: Rachid Ben Abdeslam. Arnalta: Emiliano Gonzalez Toro. Fortuna/Venere/Pallade: Anna Wall. Valetto/Virtù: Khatouna Gadelia. Mercurio/Console: Aimery Lefèvre. Damigella/Amore: Camille Poul. Littore/Famigliare di Seneca /Console: Patrick Schramm. Lucano/soldato/tribuno/Famigliare di Seneca: Mathias Vidal. Liberto Capitano/soldato/tribuno: Nicholas Mulroy. Actor: Rachid Zanouda. Le Concert d’Astrée. I was too late booking for Poppea in Lille, so we found ourselves on folding wooden seats (creaking ones, too, when occupied by fidgets) on the second row of the topmost tier, just below the rim of the dome and well to one side. A...