This opera season starts with Jenůfa by Leoš Janáček. It is directed by Olivier Tambosi, originally for the Hamburg State Opera. Karita Mattila sings the role of Jenůfa, which she did for the first time in 1997 - now for the last time, she says, in the future she will be Kostelnička, Jenůfa's stepmother. Jorma Silvasti (Laca) will also retire as a singer after this.

On the first intermission I was first at the bar, but the waiters started serving people who formed a queue next to me, and after the tenth I left fuming to take a cup of water at the fountain. Consequently I spent the second act yawning - besides being irritated by the enormous rock inside Jenůfa's room - which supposedly is justified by the mention of a rock hanging over her head. Anyhow, on the second intermission I was determined to have a cup of tea in spite of everything, and there at the counter a brown concoction in a cup persuaded me to have one. It turned out be a chocolate and cherry mousse so supremely delicious that I was completely mollified. "Good food, better mood," as the commercials used to say.

Of course, Karita Mattila was brilliant, besides looking surprisingly girlish at 53, and as a whole the performance left a good impression.