Performer: Elena Stikhina

Director Dmitri Tcherniakov and a talented cast do everything to make Tchaikovsky’s opera work in Amsterdam, but problematic elements persist. 

It may be on its 663rd outing, but Margarethe Wallmann's Tosca is a classic for a reason, as proved in this outstanding performance at the Wiener Staatsoper. 

Barrie Kosky brings his trio of Puccini productions to a close with another triptych: Il trittico in a triumphant staging. 

Soprano Elena Stikhina is in demand at the world's major opera houses. Isabella Steppan meets her in Salzburg to discuss the role of Tosca – which she is currently singing in Amsterdam and Vienna – and the reality of life as an opera singer.