Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | English | Karen Vourc'h

A fascinating sneak preview of Pascal Dusapin's new opera Penthesilea forms the centrepiece of a fine performance by the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire.

The lights dimmed and an announcer explained that following the destruction of earth’s ecosystem, there had been a scramble to rocket bases and a rush to transport surviving life to the nearest planet, Mars.

Opera at the 2012 Proms began with a performance of Debussy’s only completed opera, Pelléas et Mélisande. Conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the production celebrated the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, and marked the 24 years since Gardiner first brought the work to the Royal Albert Hall with the Opéra de Lyon.