With opera house attendances falling alarmingly, venues such as La Scala in Milan are trying to titillate and lure the young
 

Plácido Domingo, the star tenor, said his usual prayer to St Blaise, patron saint of healthy throats, skipped on to the Berlin stage — and promptly transformed himself into a baritone.
 

In recent years, classical music in China has been experiencing a crescendo. China’s conservatories are turning out child prodigy musicians. Cities are sprouting concert halls, and factories are cranking out violins and pianos. And Chinese cultural officials seem determined that their country will become a world-class power in opera, as well.