Work: Fidelio, Op.72: Gott! Welch Dunkel hier!

A celebration of composer, soloist and orchestral excellence in an eclectic, if slightly eccentric, gala opening program to launch the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's 2018 season.

The bicentenary of Méhul's death in 1816 was used by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, along with the enterprising Palazzetto Bru Zane, to showcase his music in a varied and entertaining programme.

Tony Pappano’s recipe for a concert programme: take a 20th century Italian one act opera, follow it with a romantic symphony chopped in half, then throw in a related German aria; play without a break. It may sound like a train wreck in the making, but the result was a triumph.