Live, Video: Kritiken zu klassischen Konzerten, Opern, Ballett und Tanz finden | Hong Kong Cultural Centre: Grand Theatre

Veronika Dzhioeva presents a menacing Turandot in Opera Hong Kong's latest production which attempts to merge historical accuracy with the complexities of Orientalism. 

This production brought the work into the 21st century, at least visually, with a more modernised and digitally-stylised telling than their recent attempts.

Stellar voices and orcheatra and some inspired staging choices elevate an otherwise heavy-handed production of Pelléas et Mélisande from the WNO at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Saburo Teshigawara's condensed reading of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde plays down notions of an adulterous union, a lovers' pact and spiritual journey, instead delivering a powerful image of female resilience.

Israel Galván breaks a lot of sacred eggs at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. A few serendipitous moments add to the fierce beauty of this defiant, narrative-free meditation on a life in flamenco. 

Superstar husband-and-wife team, renowned violinist Vadim Repin and "tsarina of the dance" Svetlana Zakharova, go on a date and take us with them. The music fared much better than the ballet.

Ballett Zürich's Anna Karenina travels to Hong Kong (sadly, sans orchestra.) Nevertheless, the dramatic staging, score, and outstanding performances, among them mezzo soprano Lin Shi, prove dazzling.

National Theatre Brno brings David Radok’s 2014 staging of Janáček’s Makropulos Case to the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the opera's first-ever journey to Asia, with Annalena Persson in the lead.

Patrice Bart's staging of La Bayadère for Bayerisches Staatsballett may have been an unadventurous choice of program to kick off the Hong Kong Arts Festival but nevertheless there was much to admire.

Opera Hong Kong’s Roméo et Juliette: a gigantic effort marred by confused artistic vision and irritating production choices.

Patchy vocal offering saved by superb orchestra in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra.

Elegance and wit are on ample display in Pär Isberg's new Pinocchio for Hong Kong Ballet, with a score by Respighi, arranged by maestro Benjamin Pope and vibrantly delivered by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. 

Balanchine’s Jewels is the perfect showcase piece to display the excellent dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Alexei Ratmansky's The Flames of Paris shows the Bolshoi Ballet in top form at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Rimsky-Korsakov's opera remain rarities outside Russia, but the Bolshoi Opera made The Tsar’s Bride the anchor of this year's Hong Kong Arts Festival programme. 

The first ballet company appearing in this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival was the Dutch National Ballet, with Christopher Wheeldon’s production of Cinderella. 

The Hong Kong Ballet graced the staged of the Cultural Centre with Natalie Weir's Turandot. Though interesting, and very well performed, the ballet lacks focus at first, and Pucini's music sometimes overtakes the music.

Hong Kong Ballet presents a very mixed oprogramme , in celebration of their 35th anniversary.

Director Andrejs Zagars went for a multimedia presentation of Salome modernised to the 20th century, which had its moments, but left serious questions about deviations from Strauss’ score built around Oscar Wilde’s play unanswered.

Does the classical warhorse that is Petipa's Don Quixote suit Hong Kong Ballet's 40-strong troupe? Guest dancers Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding  are the highlight of this new, two acts Ananiashvili production for the Hong Kong Ballet.

Gounod’s evergreen Faust is the Consul General of France's “Le French May” offering, enjoyable despite its blemishes. 

The opening dance programme of this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival was Giselle, performed by La Scala Ballet, who made a welcome return to Hong Kong after seven years. Reviewed by Kevin Ng at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman is a tale not only about redemption through love, but also about the helpless plight of human beings in the face of wilful and vindictive supernatural forces. In the hands of Wagner, the mythical Dutchman, instead of being a collector of itinerant souls at sea, has become an intrepid adventurer condemned to eternal maritime wandering.

Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann is a fine example of how the ridiculous can indeed be sublime. Three E.T.A. Hoffmann stories about otherworldly love affairs with defective femmes fatales, one of whom turns out to be a mechanical doll, connected only by the author’s gullible alter-ego as protagonist, scale the heights of the phantasmagorical.

Verdi’s La Traviata is frequently listed as one of the most often programmed operas worldwide. Since it premiered in 1854, it must have greeted audiences around the world tens of thousands of times.

For its 40th anniversary, the Hong Kong Arts Festival chose Mozart’s Così fan tutte as its main opera offering. Whatever you may call it – opera buffa, comedy of manners, or “dramma giocoso” – Mozart’s lovely music makes Così fan tutte wonderful entertainment. That’s what the Bavarian State Opera delivered on Sunday afternoon to commemorate this important milestone of the Festival.