Deserved applause

Has there been enough about Wagner in the Spec lately? Well, just one tiny snippet more. Last night at the Royal Opera House saw what was possibly John Tomlinson's farewell performance in the role of Wotan/the Wanderer in Siegfried, the third opera in the Ring cycle. Taking the place of Bryn Terfel he has proved himself resoundingly and thrillingly to be, as he has been for some years now, the great Wotan of our day. And I shouldn't be at all surprised if he doesn't relinquish that role quite yet. The reception he received from the audience at the end of the performance made the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end - there's nothing quite like the sound of sustained applause accompanied by yells of excitement and the rhythmical drumming of feet. And the latter sounds even better now that the red carpet has been taken up in the Stalls to leave a wooden floor.