With Wagner’s anniversary year in full swing, Der Spiegel published a long article by Dirk Kurbjuweit on the sensitivities caused by Wagner’s association with Hitler’s politics, which they helpfully translated into English. It made for a fascinating read, focused as it was on the strong emotions felt by people on both sides of the argument.
Gale Martin writes the well-loved opera blog
For an opera lover, the highlight of a visit to Palermo is the giant Teatro Massimo, in its day the third largest opera house in Europe (after the Palais Garnier in Paris and the Staatsoper in Vienna). It's an imposing building fronted by Grecian columns in the local yellow sandstone, set in a square named after Giuseppe Verdi, overlooked by a large bust of the old master sporting a fine moustache and looking rather cheerful.