I finally got round to watching the online video of Carmen this afternoon and I thought it was a truly dreadful staging. Of all operas, Carmen has to have passion, but I've rarely seen anything so cold and lifeless. The setting was ridiculous and to exclude the dialogue seemed a very strange decision. I thought that vocally, Alice Coote was good, as was Julian Gavin, but there seemed to be little on-stage chemistry. Compared to the ROH's Carmen, which I thought was one of the best things I've seen at Covent Garden, this was flat. Contrary to problems others had, the online streaming worked fine, although because of the lighting, it wasn't always easy to see what was going on. I hope that R3 will have another go at a web-stream (and that ENO offer something better with the new Aida, which I am due to see later in the month).

Yes. I think it shows a certain innovation, which is welcome. It will be a return to the Met before long for the Saturday night broadcasts - interesting that so many of them have turned up on Sky in the past couple of months; a lovely Onegin with Hvorostovsky and Fleming, The Magic Flute (in English), Puccini's Il Trittico and, on Monday evening, Bellini's I Puritani with Anna Netrebko.