David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.
The Linbury re-opens its doors to opera with a new work whose libretto is superbly crafted by Francesca Simon, featuring a tour de force performance by Marta Fontanals-Simmons as the Norse goddess Hel.
In common with Satyagraha, the core of Mozart's Enlightenment opera is forgiveness: versatile opera director Strassberger discusses his forthcoming LA production and how he gets the best from his singers.
Amanda Majeski is magnificent in the title role; Ed Gardner shows total master of Janáček's music. But that's not enough to rescue a poorly thought out Richard Jones production.
On her house debut, in Covent Garden's second cast of the year, Angel Blue is completely convincing as Verdi's doomed courtesan; Benjamin Bernheim is an unconventional but compelling Alfredo; Simone Piazzola a persuasive Germont père.
Designer/director Antony McDonald treads a perfectly weighted path between light and dark of the fairytale; conductor Sebastian Weigle cooks up a Wagnerian storm; Michaela Schuster steals the show. A treat.
Outstanding vocal and orchestral performances light up La Scala's season opener, matched to a conservative but visually arresting staging from Davide Livermore.
Kosky spricht über die Natur der Opernhäuser und ihr Publikum: La Scala, La Monnaie, Covent Garden, seinen Rat an die ENO – und warum er von der Wiese in Glyndebourne geworfen wurde.
Eine ausgelassen gute Geschichte mit der Musik eines unvergleichbaren Komponisten verwoben, die operale Blüte der Hochromantik, und eine Oper, die sich selbst bei fünf Stunden kurz anfühlt.
Chen plays a fine solo part in Bruch and delights with his encore; Orozco-Estrada and the LPO provide some good moments but fall short of their best form.
Serious farce, warm-hearted sarcasm, operatic Broadway: Barrie Kosky and Komische Oper turn Bernstein's problem child into a show that thrills from start to finish.
Fine orchestral sound and outstanding solo singing from Sarah Connolly and Steve Davislim aren't enough to compensate for poor balance and timing in Beethoven's great choral work.
We drink in the atmostphere of the medieval streets of a city which feels uniquely connected to its rich history – and just happens to contain a world class orchestra and concert hall.
