Gold Standard: Mike Ashman relishes an exemplary commemoration of the Covent Garden ‘Ring’

Gary Kahn’s volume on the 2004–6 Antonio Pappano/Keith Warner/Stefanos Lazaridis/Marie-Jeanne Lecca Covent Garden cycle is, I believe, unique in having its look masterminded by a distinguished graphic designer (Beard) and in presenting sequential interviews (by Kahn himself) not just with the production team – lighting designer and movement director not excluded – but with all the performing cast. The ‘sequential’ aspect enables the reader to experience in print much of the growth and excitement of a production being assembled, a process that could normally be glimpsed (and hardly in this detail) only by a fly-on-the-wall TV documentary.