Poco più tagliatelle ma non troppo

How do you recognise a great conductor when you see one? Bryn Terfel has a novel theory: just look for the pasta and parmesan on their kitchen shelves. The bassbaritone recently revealed in The Guardian how his career has seen him perform with a succession of maestros who have been obsessed with Italian food. No surprise, perhaps, to find Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Muti in that list; but, explains Sir Bryn, the gastronomic glee extends well beyond the country’s own shores: ‘Even John Eliot Gardiner and Daniel Harding (above) – they loved it. It’s ingrained in the conductor, for some reason.’