Culture: Opera

The Fairy Queen

Purcell’s adaptation of Shakespeare is a triumph of style over substance

Goldrush Girl

A story to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Glyndebourne by Jeanette Winterson

Uncommon man

John Adams's operas have laid the foundations of a distinctively American classical tradition. But, outside Carnegie Hall, the United States remains a nation profoundly uncomfortable with high culture

­Plastic not so fantastic

An opera about cosmetic surgery is witty, but lacks genuine feeling Skin Deep Opera North, Leeds

The drowned world

Elaborate stagecraft is superfluous in a piece as spare and grim as a Norse epic Riders to the Sea Coliseum, London WC2

The last castrato

Moreschi: the Angel of Rome Nicholas Clapton Haus, 265pp, £16.99

Back to the drawing room

Will "club-style" classical-music nights really win over new audiences? This Isn't For You King's Place, London N1

A different kind of organ

Radio 2, beset by scandal, is still the home of gloriously odd programming

Ode to electric joy

Africa Express was the jewel in the crown of a restlessly creative season The Electric Proms Various venues, London and Liverpool

1 comment

Edinburgh, open city

Every August, the Scottish capital plays host to the world's biggest season of arts events. Here, NS critics preview their highlights of this year's festival