Live, Video: Kritiken zu klassischen Konzerten, Opern, Ballett und Tanz finden | Vicki Mortimer

Die Nationaloper Bergen feiert ihr 20-jähriges Jubiläum mit einer Gala und einer ganz besonderen zeitgenössischen Oper: George Benjamins Written of Skin.

Ein aufwühlender Opernabend, an dem vor allem in der Musik das grandiose Drama stattfand.

Sir David McVicars Inszenierung ist ein bemerkenswertes Psychogramm, das jede Note und jede Zeile des Werks ins richtige Licht setzt. Ein Muss nicht nur für Britten-Freunde.

George Benjamins neue Oper beschreibt eindringlich einen durch Liebe hilflosen König – Hannigan und Degout füllen die tiefgründige Musik mit hingebungsvollem Emotionsspiel.

Mit Händels Ariodante liefert David McVicar seine bisher beste Staatsopernarbeit, die trotz groß aufsingender Ensemblemitglieder unter den Erwartungen blieb.

Diese Vorstellung war Sir Mark Elders Debüt mit der Kompanie und von der Ouvertüre an bot er seine individuelle Lesart der Partitur, mit einer enormen dynamischen Bandbreite und je nach den emotionalen Werten jeder Szene stark variierenden Tempi.

Thanks to a vibrant clutch of performances and abetted by designer Vicki Mortimer‘s detailed, exotic sets, director Sir David McVicar tells it straight.

Rory Kinnear directs a minimally semi-staged performance of Debussy's problematic opera at Snape Maltings, but Ryan Wigglesworth and the BBC Scottish SO provide the detail. 

Katie Mitchell wheels out her tired old tropes in The Makropulos Case, redeemed by its musical performances. 

A dramatic staging of two Greek myths, Wayne McGregor’s Jocasta’s Line is an epic production for Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, a truly modern and totally original work.

Katie Mitchell's provocative staging is revived to great effect, elevated by glorious music-making led by Nadine Sierra's sensational Lucia. 

When the director walks four weeks ahead of opening night, Dutch National Opera and Ballet hastily create a searing double bill of classical tragedy. 

McGregor's new creation for the Milanese company imagines Les Noces as a sequel to his take on The Rite of Spring.

Lush visuals and appealing singing do not quite make up for a somewhat lacklustre revival of Nicholas Hytner's acclaimed 2006 production of Mozart's late comedy.

The Royal Opera House responds to current global turmoil with a double bill by four women composers. Baritone Peter Brathwaite delivers a tour de force in The Knife of Dawn and A New Dark Age is a powerful emotional journey.

Benjamin Britten's final opera hasn't been staged by The Royal Opera in over 25 years, but his setting of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice receives a great new production by Sir David McVicar. 

George Benjamin and Martin Crimp's second full scale opera is a refinement of the craft showed in Written on Skin – but the lessons are less in love and violince than in power, tension and beauty of the score.

Issues that cropped up in the first run of Mitchell's production have been ironed out. In the hands of a strong cast, a chilling interpretation of Donizetti's masterpiece.

In Nicholas Hytner's chocolate box production, lovingly revived by Bruno Ravella for Glyndebourne's tour, Alfonso is the most charismatic character on the stage.

Grange Park Opera scored a direct hit with a fine production of Janáček's masterpiece, led by a superb performances from Natalya Romaniw and Susan Bullock as Jenůfa and the Kostelnička.

A strong, compelling staging – coherent in aesthetic and philosophy, if a little restrained in performance. 

An operatic take on The Winter's Tale – categorised as one of Shakespeare’s ‘problem plays’ – premieres at English National Opera. 

The Royal Opera's first revival of George Benjamin's medieval shocker is characterised by stellar singing performances, notably from Barbara Hannigan and Iestyn Davies.

“Honour your masters!” Sachs instructs Walther in the final scene. Wagner's spirit was honoured well as Glyndebourne's festival opened, but did the song contest necessarily crown the right winner?  

A new cast arrives for Katie Mitchell's gothic Lucia di Lammermoor – and, despite caveats about the staging, deliver some excellent performances. 

“Prepare to be shocked!” was the warning issued before this new Lucia di Lammermoor from Katie Mitchell at the Royal Opera House. Shocking? Yes, but in a good way. 

Bringing out the unabashed colour and detail of the score, Andrew Davis delivered a superb reading in the pit, tightly coherent and with exemplary attentiveness to articulation. 

David McVicar's production is visually stylish, superbly acted and the attention to detail is pervasive. Show-stealing acting from Franck Saurel's Selim and a fine Osmin from Clive Bayley help make this a memorable evening's opera.

First seen at the innovative, fearless Aix-en-Provence festival three summers ago, George Benjamin’s riveting, grisly Written on Skin has arrived in New York. 

David McVicar updates Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail to the time of composition in a stylish, tender production at Glyndebourne.