Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | English | Monika Bohinec

The first premiere of the new Staatsoper season is a qualified success, led by Eleanora Buratto's superb Suor Angelica and Ambrogio Maestri's masterly Gianni Schicchi in Puccini's triptych of one-act operas. 

Stoyanova’s extraordinary performance as the Feldmarschallin made 394th revival of Otto Schenk’s 1968 production of Der Rosenkavalier an occasion to savor.

Adam Palka shines as the devil in this revival of Frank Castorf's multimedia staging that relocates the work to mid-20th century Paris, around the end of the Algerian War.

Faust and Méphistophélès pal around like buddies in Castorf's multi-media staging, the devil here less diabolical and more anarchistic party-boy. 

The outstanding trio of Nylund, Stemme and Herlitzius soars above a Vienna State Opera Orchestra in thunderous form, led by Christian Thielemann to celebrate the Staatsoper's 150th birthday in style.

With a plethora of theatre seats, stools and benches it was as if Willy Decker and Wolfgang Gussman had been elected ‘Chair-men of the bored”.

German theatre director Uwe Eric Laufenberg freely incorporates some of Stanley Kubrik’s horror story concepts into his Elektra, but in ignoring both Sophocles and Strauss, is a long way from shining.  

In 2010, the première of Reimann's Medea was welcomed with enthusiasm, leading the Staatsoper to relaunch it this season for a second run.

Die tote Stadt at the Vienna State Opera features strong playing and singing but little drama.

Revival of a 2014 production of Rusalka in Vienna was a great success musically with a splendid cast headed by last minute replacement Camillal Nylund.

Young Russian coloratura soprano Maria Nazarova gets the Oscar. 

Tchaikovsky’s passionate drama is put into the deep-freeze by chilly stage designs.

Thunderous applause, numerous curtain calls; Stoyanova, Bĕlohlávek and a strong cast enjoy a fairy-tale reception in Sven-Bechtolf´s new production of Dvorak's Rusalka at the Vienna Staatsoper.

Tradition has it in Vienna that while the Wiener Philharmoniker ring in the New Year to the strains of the Blue Danube and other Strauss family hits, the Wiener Symphoniker give festive performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Konzerthaus.