Off to Buxton

Broke off from the (sublime) Tristan dress rehearsal at the WMC to go to Buxton to give two lectures on three operas tomorrow - so on the train from 6 till 11. The Maiden in the Tower (Sibelius), Kashchey the Immortal (Rimsky Korsakov) and Jephtha (Handel, and not strictly an opera). For anyone attempting to lecture on operas they haven't seen, the rules are 1) read the Viking Opera guide, 2) look it up on Wikipedia (can be surprisingly good on musical items), 3) find a libretto by fair means or foul, 4) check out Spotify for the rarer items, 5) pray nobody in the audience has seen the operas in places like Savonlinna, Wexford or other locations where rarities are commonplace. Oh, and 6) don't allow questions, whatever you do. Wish me luck.