▁to ▁severe ▁criticism , ▁from ▁Cov ent ▁Garden ' s ▁Der ▁Ring ▁des ▁N ib el ungen ▁when ▁his ▁six - year - old ▁son ▁required ▁several ▁operations ▁on ▁his ▁finger . ▁But ▁he ▁did ▁successfully ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁Met ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁sing ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Fig aro . ▁ ▁He ▁told ▁rep or ters ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁ret ire ▁Fig aro ▁from ▁his ▁re per toire . ▁But ▁he ▁did ▁sing ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁W ot an ▁in ▁Cov ent ▁Garden ' s ▁rev ival ▁of ▁the ▁Der ▁Ring ▁in ▁September ▁to ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Ter fel ▁intended ▁to ▁take ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁as ▁a ▁s abb at ical ▁from ▁opera ▁performances , ▁but ▁broke ▁this ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁title ▁role ▁in ▁W NO ' s ▁rev ival ▁of ▁Fal st aff . ▁He ▁had ▁s ung ▁in ▁this ▁production ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁when ▁he ▁played ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Ford . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Ter fel ▁sang ▁Sc arp ia ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch man ▁for ▁the ▁Royal ▁Opera ▁House . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Ter fel ▁made ▁his ▁debut ▁as ▁Hans ▁Sach s ▁in ▁Wagner ' s ▁Die ▁Meister sing er ▁in ▁a ▁production ▁for ▁Wel sh ▁National ▁Opera , ▁in ▁Card iff ▁and ▁on ▁tour . ▁▁ ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 0