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Better conducting and supertitles would also help breathe life into this drab revival of Bayerische Staatsoper's Don Carlo.

The bright colours and childishness of Konwitschny’s production for the Bayerische Staatsoper shock but succeed. The cast and orchestra shine, especially in the final act.

A good staging and good acting aren't enough to make up for musical shortcomings of the Bayerische Staatsoper's Norma. 

Martin Kušej's production of La forza del destino is hard hitting and intelligent: an imperfect orchestral performance is more than compensated for by an outstanding cast of singers.

Christof Loy's modern-dress production of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux for the Bayerische Staatsoper is deliciously, darkly ironic. A dream cast handles the dramatic and musical challenges well, though the voice of the star sounds worn for this star vehicle.

Nothing will make the plot of Il trovatore less ridiculous. But a director who embraces that ridiculousness, plus stellar playing and singing, make for a great show.

Martin Kušej’s modern production of La forza del destino emphasizes that familial and religious oppressions can be one and the same, destroying the love of free spirits.      

Munich revives La traviata showcasing Diana Damrau, who is growing into one of the best Violettas to grace the opera stage today.

In Tosca there's a real sense of Puccini being at home. Written shortly after La Bohème, when he was right at the height of his powers, Tosca is a story of love, jealousy and political turmoil, taking place in Rome, the same city in which it was premiered.

Otello is usually considered to be Verdi’s most mature opera. It was one of the last ones he wrote, the result of a plot by his publisher Riccordi and the conductor Franco Faccio to draw him out of early retirement. The result is a work which combines all the aspects of Verdi’s earlier operatic style with Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk.