As general director from 1985 to 1993, he, along with director of productions David Pountney and chief conductor Mark Elder, “fostered a production style based on radical, dynamic dramaturgy, underpinned by the highest musical standards …, leaving behind a series of productions that have entered the annals of operatic history.” He had a similar run at the helm of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich from 1993 to 2006. – The Guardian