Music Reviews

Hippie Diva, Callow's Mozart, Violent Beauty: Warwick Thompson I thought I'd seen every ``Tosca'' possible: set in a wind turbine, in an abstract black box and even in the era and locations Puccini intended. Now comes a new version of the 1900 opera bursting with surprises.

`The Fly' Gets Paris Musical Makeover With Domingo, Cronenberg Paris has reason to be afraid, be very afraid: David Cronenberg's horror movie ``The Fly'' has been transformed into an opera. In the same way Jeff Goldblum is fused with an insect in the 1986 film, Cronenberg combines his own talents with those of composer Howard Shore and Placido Domingo.

Moviemaking Brothers Dardenne Film Each Other, Win at Cannes The brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have been making movies together for 23 years. They wouldn't dream of doing it any other way.

Even Fireworks Dance to the Music at Hollywood Bowl: Alan Rich There's nothing quite like the Hollywood Bowl: a summertime amphitheater within the boundaries of Los Angeles, reachable by public transportation, comfortable and even, given the proper attitude, delightful. It offers a panorama of al fresco musical events night after night, some of them even worthwhile.

Chilly Passion, Politically Correct Twaddle Surface at Aix Opera is traditionally a battlefield of passions: love, jealousy, hatred, despair.

Lumberjack Tenor, Simon Rattle Exult in Aix Wagner (Update1) Ben Heppner, in army boots and lumberjack shirt, tackled his first ``Siegfried'' at the 50th Festival of Aix-en-Provence. Conductor Simon Rattle drew luxury playing from the Berlin Philharmonic. Can Wagner sound any better than this?

Bayreuth's Wagner Festival Will Be Screened Live on Internet Wagner fans who fail to get tickets to the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany, this year can watch ``Die Meistersinger'' live on the Internet on July 27, according to the festival's Web site.

Winehouse, Jay-Z, Clapton: Tale of Three Festivals: Mark Beech Remarkably, it all went according to plan. Amy Winehouse showed up, twice, and wowed weekend festival audiences. Jay-Z defied the critics. Eric Clapton made an emotional return, and the Police said an emotional goodbye.