OF THIS year's three opening Opera North operas at Leeds Grand Theatre, the most exciting in production and performance is Janacek's The Makropolous Case. Don Giovanni and Faust suffered from changes by the production team of Ran Arthur Braun and Rob Kearsley that were too radical.

In The Makropolous Case, there's an excitement to the way in which Richard Farnes energises the Opera North Orchestra and, indeed, the whole cast into a remarkable performance.

One slight disappointment was that Swedish soprano Ylva Kihlberg, in the title role of Emilia Marty, while accurate in her singing, lacked a degree of charisma, though she projects pathos in the finale.

The supporting cast was uniformly good: Paul Nilon as the would-be lover, Robert Hayward lustful as Baron Prus, and a vocally strong Mark le Brocq as the clerk Vitek.

Stephanie Corley's Kristina, the young opera singer, was well defined as was Nigel Robson's Count Hauk-Sendorf.

The Tom Cairns production is true to the age and with appropriate scenery, while Norman Tucker's translation of the libretto, projected on screen, works well.

Further performance at Newcastle Theatre Royal on November 15 during the Opera North residency there from November 13-17.

Dave Robson