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Wexford Festival thrives on resurrecting long-forgotten operas, so is the perfect place for Halévy's take on Shakespeare, neglected for 170 years.

187 years after its Parisian debut, Halévy's La Juive receives its Australian premiere. A sterling cast under Carlo Montanaro reveals some unexpected beauties (and occasional longueurs) in this classic of French grand opéra.

Peter Konwitschny's production strips away much of the religious symbolism, presenting the difference between Jews and Christians as little more than the dyed colour of their hands. 

Top tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres dared to duel at the Concertgebouw. Both emerged victorious, and not just because of the volley of sensational top notes.

Rare repertoire, polished orchestral playing, thrilling singing – it's no wonder London's operatic cognoscenti were out in force.

Richard Wagner, reviewing La Reine de Chypre for the Dresden Abend-Zeitung, praised Halévy's opera as “decidedly the best that has appeared on the Opéra's boards since Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots”. It's impossible not to agree. 

Those who are able would be wise to scare up a ticket for Shicoff’s swansong – it would be a shame to miss an historic performance. 

La Juive, Fromental Halévy's grand opéra, makes a powerful return to Gothenburg, the same city where it received its Swedish première 150 years ago, in Günther Krämer’s stark staging.