Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Rebeca Olvera

Showing 25 of 25 reviews

Read reviews in other languages: Deutsch, Français

Zurich Opera’s brooding Ballo in maschera at the Edinburgh International Festival

By David Smythe, 26 August 2026

Gianandrea Noseda conducts his Zurich Opera forces as Adele Thomas' 2024 production arrives in Edinburgh with a cast led by Stephen Costello and Elena Stikhina.

****1

****1

Edinburgh

26 Aug 2026

Zurich Opera’s brooding Ballo in maschera comes to Edinburgh

By David Smythe

Günther Groissböck (Baron Ochs), Diana Damrau (Marschallin) and Angela Brower (Octavian) © Matthias Baus

Zurich

A Rosenkavalier in vivid hues opens the Zurich Opera season

By Laura Servidei, 21 September 2025

Lydia Steier stages Strauss’ masterpiece to open Zurich Opera’s first premiere under the new artistic direction – a triumphant success.

****1

****1

Zurich

21 Sept 2025

A Rosenkavalier in vivid hues opens the Zurich Opera season

By Laura Servidei

Lawrence Brownlee (Ramiro) and Cecilia Bartoli (Angelina) © Monika Rittershaus (2015)

Zurich

Cecilia Bartoli does it again: an effervescent Cenerentola in Zurich

By Laura Servidei, 8 March 2023

The Opernhaus Zürich presents yet another Cenerentola with Cecilia Bartoli in the title role, surrounded by a great cast, with the support of the period orchestra La Scintilla, under Gianluca Capuano's knowledgeable baton.

****1

****1

Zurich

8 Mar 2023

Cecilia Bartoli does it again: an effervescent Cenerentola in Zurich

By Laura Servidei

Die Entführung aus dem Serail © T+T Fotografie | Tanja Dorendorf (2016)

Zurich

Mozart’s Entführung as a jukebox musical in Zurich

By Laura Servidei, 5 November 2022

The Opernhaus Zurich revives a 2016 production by David Hermann, where the spoken dialogue is removed and the story completely altered.

**111

**111

Zurich

5 Nov 2022

Mozart’s Entführung as a jukebox musical in Zurich

By Laura Servidei

Zurich

Another triumph for Bartoli: L’italiana arrives in Zurich from Salzburg on a dromedary’s back

By Laura Servidei, 6 March 2022

Opernhaus Zürich presents a Salzburg Festival production of Rossini’s first masterpiece, with a stellar cast and an orchestra on original instruments, under the baton of Gianluca Capuano.

*****

*****

Zurich

6 Mar 2022

L’italiana arrives in Zurich from Salzburg on a dromedary’s back

By Laura Servidei

Zurich

The New Year arrives with laughter in Zurich, on the notes of Le Comte Ory

By Laura Servidei, 31 December 2021

Zurich Opera revives a successful production of Rossini’s masterpiece with a strong cast for a fun, entertaining New Year’s Eve.

***11

***11

Zurich

31 Dec 2021

New Year arrives with laughter in Zurich: Le Comte Ory

By Laura Servidei

Zurich

Operetta in Zürich: Die Csárdásfürstin with acerbic wit and winning music

By David Karlin, 27 September 2020

Kálmán's operetta brilliantly updated to the super-rich of today, with starry singing from Annette Dasch and Pavol Breslik.

****1

****1

Zurich

27 Sept 2020

Die Csárdásfürstin in Zürich: acerbic wit and winning music

By David Karlin

Zurich

Variety meets vaudeville: Rossini’s Il turco in Italia docks in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 28 April 2019

In Il turco in Italia, Gioachino Rossini’s command of spiritedness and musical timing is well matched by the plot of lovers’ infidelities.

****1

****1

Zurich

28 Apr 2019

Rossini’s Il turco in Italia docks in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Zurich

“What a commotion!” A slapstick Finta giardiniera in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 24 February 2019

Zurich Opera stages Tatjana Gürbaca’s production of Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. True to the opera buffa genre, it teems with silliness.

**111

**111

Zurich

24 Feb 2019

“What a commotion!” A slapstick Finta giardiniera in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Zurich

Endless pleasure: Zurich revives Robert Carsen’s classic Semele

By Laura Servidei, 6 January 2019

Cecilia Bartoli once again takes Zurich by storm under the guiding hand of Maestro William Christie for a wonderful evening of Handelian fun.

****1

****1

Zurich

6 Jan 2019

Endless pleasure: Zurich revives Robert Carsen’s classic Semele

By Laura Servidei

Zurich

Sensuality and solidarity in Serebrennikov's new Così fan tutte in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 8 November 2018

If ever a new production of a Mozart opera had a riveting backstory, this one is it.

*****

*****

Zurich

8 Nov 2018

Sensuality and solidarity in Zurich's new Così

By Sarah Batschelet

Salzburg

Camels and comic capers in Algiers: Cecilia Bartoli stars in a frothy Italiana at the Salzburg Festival

By Mark Pullinger, 8 August 2018

Cecilia Bartoli is joined by frequent collaborators Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier in a fun-filled Rossini farce full of Italian sunshine. Big grins all round.

*****

*****

Salzburg

8 Aug 2018

Camels and comic capers in Algiers: Italiana in Salzburg

By Mark Pullinger

Zurich

“Smile despite your sorrows”: Franz Lehár’s valuable lesson in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 29 June 2017

In a new production of Franz Lehár’s The Land of Smiles, the stoic Sou-Chong sets the melancholy tone of the operetta by singing “Smile despite your sorrows and a thousand.. aches and pains”.

****1

****1

Zurich

29 Jun 2017

“Smile despite your sorrows”: Franz Lehár’s valuable lesson in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Edinburgh

“Hell hath no fury": Cecilia Bartoli in Norma at the Edinburgh International Festival

By Dominic Lowe, 5 August 2016

In one of Bartoli's rare appearances on stage in the UK, she gave an utterly compelling performance as opera's ultimate woman scorned.

****1

****1

Edinburgh

5 Aug 2016

“Hell hath no fury": Cecilia Bartoli's Norma

By Dominic Lowe

Zurich

No fuss, no frills: a refreshing Così fan tutte in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 3 June 2016

In Mozart’s marvellous Così fan tutte, what begins as a harmless wager around what women left alone will do suddenly balloons into a major calamity.

****1

****1

Zurich

3 Jun 2016

A refreshing Così fan tutte in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Zurich

Tics and tricks à la Marthaler: Il viaggio a Reims in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 6 December 2015

Theatre director Christoph Marthaler is renowned – if notorious – for his “off the wall” productions and adherence to bad boy antics. This Viaggio was no exception.

***11

***11

Zurich

6 Dec 2015

Tics and tricks à la Marthaler

By Sarah Batschelet

Zurich

Love, loyalty and treason exposed: Bellini’s Norma in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 10 October 2015

A recent production of Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma starred Cecilia Bartoli, the great mezzo who lives close by, and whom the Zürcher like to claim as one of their own.

*****

*****

Zurich

10 Oct 2015

Love, loyalty and treason exposed: Norma in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Zurich

Ambiguity with a capital “A”: Julietta on a rotating stage in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 17 February 2015

Julietta, Bohuslav Martinů’s seldom performed surrealistic opera of dreams and lost identity recently premiered in a new Zurich production.

**111

**111

Zurich

17 Feb 2015

Julietta: Ambiguity with a capital “A”

By Sarah Batschelet

Golda Schultz (Rosalinde) und Matthias Klink (Gabriel von Eisenstein) © Herwig Prammer

Zurich

Willkommen im Zeitalter von LGBT: Die Fledermaus am Opernhaus Zürich

By Thomas Schacher, 7 December 2025

Anna Bernreitner inszeniert den Klassiker aus einer erfrischenden weiblichen Perspektive und muss dafür einiges zurechtbiegen. Im dritten Akt scheitert sie indes hoffnungslos. Für das Wienerische sorgt der Dirigent Lorenzo Viotti.

***11

***11

Zurich

7 Dec 2025

Die Fledermaus am Opernhaus Zürich: Willkommen im Zeitalter von LGBT

By Thomas Schacher

Vida Miknevičiūtė (Marietta) © Monika Rittershaus

Zurich

Macho bleibt Macho: Erich Korngolds Die tote Stadt am Opernhaus Zürich

By Thomas Schacher, 21 April 2025

Eine vielschichtige Partitur, ein Korngold-Fan als Dirigent, eine schlüssige Inszenierung, ein hervorragendes Protagonistenpaar: Bei der Premiere der Toten Stadt bleiben keine Wünsche offen.

*****

*****

Zurich

21 Apr 2025

Macho bleibt Macho: Erich Korngolds Die tote Stadt am Opernhaus Zürich

By Thomas Schacher

Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Mime) und Klaus Florian Vogt (Siegfried) © Monika Rittershaus

Zurich

Erfrischend neue Akzente: Wagners Siegfried am Opernhaus Zürich

By Thomas Schacher, 9 March 2023

Klaus Florian Vogt gibt ein vielbeachtetes Rollendebüt als Titelfigur, Generalmusikdirektor Gianandrea Noseda setzt seine italienische Wagner-Interpretation fort, und Regisseur Andreas Homoki bleibt dem problematischen Ansatz einer Deutungslosigkeit treu.

****1

****1

Zurich

9 Mar 2023

Erfrischend neue Akzente: Wagners Siegfried am Opernhaus Zürich

By Thomas Schacher

Monte-Carlo

Un Comte Ory survolté à l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo

By Manon Decroix, 23 February 2021

Déprogrammé du printemps 2020 à cause de la pandémie, l'opéra de Rossini revit à Monte-Carlo, servi par une mise en scène explosive et une distribution excellente.

****1

****1

Monte-Carlo

23 Feb 2021

Un Comte Ory survolté à l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo

By Manon Decroix

Paris

Une Norma sur mesure pour Cecilia Bartoli au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

By Jean-Marc Piriou, 12 October 2016

On ne peut demeurer indifférent à cette Norma, qui a l’immense mérite d’innover et ce faisant, de démontrer que l’opéra est bel et bien un art vivant.

****1

****1

Paris

12 Oct 2016

Une Norma sur mesure pour Cecilia Bartoli

By Jean-Marc Piriou

Salzburg

„Myself I shall adore“: Cecilia Bartoli brilliert in Semele bei den Salzburger Pfingstfestspielen

By Daniel Url, 23 May 2015

Cecilia Bartoli zeigt, dass auch eine konzertante Aufführung mithilfe gekonnter Schauspielkunst zu einem überaus überzeugenden Konzerterlebnis werden kann.

***11

***11

Salzburg

23 May 2015

"Myself I shall adore"

By Daniel Url

Salzburg

Die ungeschönte Wahrheit: Iphigénie en Tauride bei den Salzburger Pfingstfestspielen

By Larissa Schütz, 22 May 2015

Wild, grob und grausam - bei der diesjährigen Eröffnung der Pfingstfestspiele wird Glucks Iphigénie en Tauride in eine kalte Gegenwart versetzt und ein ungeschönter Blick auf menschliche Abgründe geworfen. Umso strahlender tritt dabei einmal wieder die musikalische Qualität der Festspiele und allen voran Cecilia Bartoli in den Vordergrund.

****1

****1

Salzburg

22 May 2015

Die ungeschönte Wahrheit der Festspiele

By Larissa Schütz