Opera North last week gave the British premiere of The Portrait, an opera written thirty years ago by the little-known Russian composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg.

Adapted from a Gogol short story, it tells of Chartkov, a talented but impecunious young artist who bought a portrait painting which later seemed to have strange ghostly properties. These he exploits, selling in effect his soul to the devil. Soon he regrets and dies miserably.

The first act was better seen than heard with bright colours and comrades on stilts. But the second act recovered with greater orchestral inspiration and excellent singing from Paul Nilon as Chartkov which was filmed live on stage to tremendous close-up effect. Altogether quite a scoop.

John Pettit