With Maestro James Levine cancelling performances (including his beloved Walküre, though that was due to illness NOT persistent back problems), pulling out of Tanglewood and the Met tour of Japan, it seems more and more like Fabio Luisi will be keeping Levine's conductor's seat warm for good. Especially since critics and singers alike keep talking about how much they like his work, and Saturday's Ariadne auf Naxos seems to have been no exception. The reviews have been glowing for the conductor and singers, and I love the colourful juxtaposition of soothing myth and jarring shtick that comes across in the photos.