Stormin' Norman writes about modern works without slating them?  The Poisoned Pen of the Purcell Room has detected that praise might sell better than than proseletysing, and has achieved a remarkable u-turn in his views on contemporary opera:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aTCCZKVFVvxc&refer=muse


But it's DEAD, Norman?  You said so yourself.  Whoever would have put Norman down as a necrophile?

I reckon only an eejit could say this about Punch and Judy:



The following is actually the case:
"The music, which is almost always atonal, is vibrant and frequently tuneful."

Thank you, Stuart.

I am unable to recognise a key when I hear it, but I had assumed there were none in the score.  I found I could hum and recognise tunes and motifs easily enough.  Since all Punch's victims, except the baby (a rather big exception) are joining in after their murders, I don't think we are meant to take the murders literally.

In the Young Vic prod the victims all removed their slap after their murders, thus becoming recognizable humans.  And I liked the way that when celebrating the union of Punch and Polly, Judy was wearing a hat, as is proper at weddings.