avo ▁in ▁Ver di ' s ▁Un ▁bal lo ▁in ▁mas ch era ▁several ▁times ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁most ▁recently ▁for ▁the ▁Op éra ▁National ▁de ▁Bor de aux ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁but ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁he ▁made ▁the ▁news ▁for ▁not ▁singing ▁it . ▁Before ▁re he ars als ▁began , ▁he ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁English ▁National ▁Opera ' s ▁not orious ▁production ▁by ▁C ali xt o ▁B ie ito ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁ch orus ▁of ▁men ▁se ated ▁on ▁to ile ts , ▁a ▁mass ▁Naz i ▁sal ute ▁and ▁a ▁hom osex ual ▁ra pe ▁scene . ▁He ▁was ▁widely ▁quoted ▁as ▁calling ▁the ▁production ▁" a ▁trav esty " ▁and ▁" an ▁act ▁of ▁art istic ▁v andal ism ". ▁ ▁Although ▁G av in ' s ▁principal ▁re per toire ▁is ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁Italian ▁and ▁French ▁opera , ▁he ▁has ▁s ung ▁in ▁several ▁works ▁by ▁Czech ▁and ▁German ▁compos ers , ▁not ably ▁L aca ▁in ▁Jen ů fa ▁( Oper a ▁North ); ▁Jen ik ▁in ▁The ▁Bar tered ▁B ride ▁( G ly nd eb our ne ▁Festival ▁Opera ); ▁Flor est an ▁in ▁F idel io ▁( Oper a ▁Australia ) ▁and ▁The ▁Prince ▁in ▁Rus al ka ▁( Oper a ▁Australia ). ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁appeared ▁in ▁two ▁r ar ities : ▁B iz et ' s ▁un fin ished ▁opera ▁Ivan ▁IV ▁at ▁the ▁Thé âtre ▁des