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Eugene Onegin revival fails to find the magic spark in Toronto

By John Gilks, 02 May 2025

Robert Carsen’s 1997 production of Eugene Onegin has aged remarkably well but the latest Canadian Opera Company revival of it doesn’t quite recapture its magic.

***11

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***11

Toronto

03 May 2025

Eugene Onegin revival fails to find the magic spark in Toronto

By John Gilks

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Sydney

Triple triumph: Puccini's Il trittico opens at Opera Australia

By David Larkin, 06 July 2024

A fine ensemble cast brings Puccini's triptych of one-acters to the Sydney Opera House stage, with stand-out performances from Lauren Fagan, Viktor Antipenko, Simon Meadows and Angela Hogan.

*****

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*****

Sydney

07 Jul 2024

Triple triumph: Il trittico opens at Opera Australia

By David Larkin

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Baden-Baden

Nina Stemme stars in an unforgettable Elektra in Baden-Baden

By Ako Imamura, 26 March 2024

The Baden-Baden Easter Festival presents an extraordinary performance of Elektra, with Nina Stemme in the title role and the Berliner Philharmoniker, led by Kirill Petrenko, in a stark and modern production.

*****

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*****

Baden-Baden

27 Mar 2024

Nina Stemme stars in an unforgettable Elektra in Baden-Baden

By Ako Imamura

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London

Impressive Royal Opera debut by Ruzan Mantashyan in Bohème revival

By Stephen Pritchard, 24 January 2024

The Armenian soprano sweeps all before her in a delightfully controlled, touching performance, enhanced by a voice that would melt the stoniest of hearts.

****1

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****1

London

25 Jan 2024

Impressive Royal Opera debut by Ruzan Mantashyan in Bohème revival

By Stephen Pritchard

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Glyndebourne

Britten at Glyndebourne: A Dream staging that works its sinister magic once again

By Mark Pullinger, 01 July 2023

A strong revival cast, conducted by Dalia Stasevska, demonstrate why Sir Peter Hall's 1981 vintage staging of Britten’s A Midsummer Night's Dream is such a classic.

****1

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****1

Glyndebourne

02 Jul 2023

A Glyndebourne Dream that works its sinister magic

By Mark Pullinger

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Toronto

Canadian Opera Company's sexed up Figaro: beautifully sung, creepily funny

By John Gilks, 27 January 2023

The COC revival of its 2016 production of Le nozze di Figaro is still rooted in Claus Guth’s gloomy Scandinavia but it’s lightened up to become much sexier and funnier.

****1

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****1

Toronto

28 Jan 2023

COC's sexed up Figaro: beautifully sung, creepily funny

By John Gilks

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Glasgow

Deborah Colker gives Golijov's Ainadamar energetic grit at Scottish Opera

By David Smythe, 29 October 2022

Scottish Opera’s visually stunning new production is headed by a strong trio of Lauren Fagan, Julieth Lozano and Samantha Hankey.

****1

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****1

Glasgow

30 Oct 2022

Deborah Colker gives Ainadamar energetic grit at Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

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Adelaide

Lauren Fagan and Kang Wang excel in Adelaide's new Traviata

By Brian Angus, 25 August 2022

Sarah Giles directs a no-frills production for the State Opera of South Australia, but one that brims with emotion.

****1

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****1

Adelaide

26 Aug 2022

Lauren Fagan and Kang Wang excel in Adelaide's new Traviata

By Brian Angus

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Glyndebourne

Rare and intense drama on the Cornish coast: Dame Ethel Smyth's The Wreckers at Glyndebourne

By David Karlin, 21 May 2022

Smyth's rarely performed tale of evil deeds on the Cornish coast provides searing drama marred by poor intelligibility and an overpowering orchestra.

***11

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***11

Glyndebourne

22 May 2022

Rare and intense drama: Smyth's The Wreckers at Glyndebourne

By David Karlin

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Zurich

Ballett Zürich's Monteverdi celebrates music in dance

By Sarah Batschelet, 15 January 2022

Blending the music of Monteverdi with lesser-known contemporaries, and even some pop, choreographer Christian Spuck takes leave of Zürich with a work that is as full of poetry as it is of emotional charge.

****1

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****1

Zurich

17 Jan 2022

Ballett Zürich's Monteverdi celebrates music in dance

By Sarah Batschelet

Leeds

Another sparkling revival of La bohème by Opera North

By Richard Wilcocks, 12 October 2019

Michael Barker-Craven directs and Renato Balsadonna conducts this successful revival of Puccini's La bohème in Opera North's production at Leeds Grand Theatre.

****1

****1

Leeds

13 Oct 2019

Another sparkling revival of La bohème by Opera North

By Richard Wilcocks

Karlsruhe

Handel's Alcina in Karlsruhe: a great production with great singing

By Sandra Bowdler, 23 February 2019

Handel's Alcina at the Karlsruhe 2019 Handel Festival scores on all fronts, with two Australians taking the main roles.

****1

****1

Karlsruhe

25 Feb 2019

Handel's Alcina in Karlsruhe: a great production with great singing

By Sandra Bowdler

London

Milling’s powerful Hagen drives a dramatic Royal Opera Götterdämmerung

By David Karlin, 01 October 2018

A standout performance from Stephen Milling complements all-round excellence of cast to provide a satisfying end to the Covent Garden Ring.

****1

****1

London

02 Oct 2018

Milling drives a dramatic Royal Opera Götterdämmerung

By David Karlin

London

The assault on Valhalla begins: Das Rheingold at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 24 September 2018

Antonio Pappano and the Royal Opera Orchestra get the Ring cycle off to a blazing start; unusually, it's Lise Davidsen and the female cast who take the vocal honours.

***11

***11

London

25 Sep 2018

The assault on Valhalla begins: Das Rheingold at ROH

By David Karlin

London

Peacocks in Paris: an engrossing La traviata at Opera Holland Park

By Dominic Lowe, 29 May 2018

Opera Holland Park starts its 2018 season with a bang (and a cough), offering a splendid new production of La traviata. Lauren Fagan is a sensational Violetta, but the production is a real company effort and achievement.

****1

****1

London

31 May 2018

An engrossing La traviata at Opera Holland Park

By Dominic Lowe

London

Don Giovanni all at sea at Opera Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger, 03 June 2017

Mozart's Don Giovanni is transported by director Oliver Platt to The Queen Mary in the 1930s. It looks handsome enough, but the concept is flawed.

**111

**111

London

04 Jun 2017

Don Giovanni all at sea

By Mark Pullinger

Cardiff

A musically and visually opulent La bohème from Welsh National Opera

By Rohan Shotton, 28 January 2017

A musically excellent and unpretentious performance of Puccini's masterpiece from Cardiff.

****1

****1

Cardiff

30 Jan 2017

WNO's musically and visually opulent Bohème

By Rohan Shotton

London

Prom 75: Partygoers, pomp and Paddington Bear

By Rohan Shotton, 10 September 2016

The 2016 Proms come to a riotous close at the Royal Albert Hall.

***11

***11

London

13 Sep 2016

Partygoers, pomp and Paddington Bear

By Rohan Shotton

London

Bright singing, grim staging: the JPYA Summer Performance at Covent Garden

By Mark Pullinger, 17 July 2016

A disappointing staging for the Jette Parker Young Artists' annual showcase at the Royal Opera House.

***11

***11

London

17 Jul 2016

Bright singing, grim staging

By Mark Pullinger

London

Visually spectacular, musically even more so: Enescu's Oedipe at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 23 May 2016

Johan Reuter leads an all star cast in a revelatory performance of George Enescu's masterpiece, aided by spectacular La Fura dels Baus staging.

*****

*****

London

24 May 2016

Enescu's Oedipe at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin

London

Jaho and Larsson break hearts, Gallo and Hurrell mend them in The Royal Opera's Trittico

By David Karlin, 25 February 2016

A blistering performance of Suor Angelica is the highlight of this strongly performed revival of Richard Jones' 2011 production.

****1

****1

London

26 Feb 2016

Jaho and Larsson break hearts, Gallo and Hurrell mend them

By David Karlin

London

Sophisticated Christmas sparkle: The Firework-Maker's Daughter at the Royal Opera House

By Charlotte Valori, 10 December 2015

Philip Pullman's exotic adventure about a girl determined to follow her father's footsteps gets a gently magical outing with Sri-Lankan inspired shadow puppetry and a strong cast.

****1

****1

London

11 Dec 2015

Sophisticated Christmas sparkle at the Royal Opera House

By Charlotte Valori

London

The cradle of French Grand Opera: Rossi's Orpheus at the Sam Wanamaker

By David Karlin, 23 October 2015

A somewhat overly manic production of Luigi Rossi's version of the Orpheus tale, originally written for the French court in 1647, is lit up by some great singing and a show-stealing comic performance by Graeme Broadbent.

***11

***11

London

24 Oct 2015

The cradle of French Grand Opera: Rossi's Orpheus at the Sam Wanamaker

By David Karlin

London

Betrothal and Betrayal in JPYA's end of term performance at the Royal Opera

By Mark Pullinger, 18 July 2015

School’s out for summer and with it the opportunity for the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists to showcase their talents in the end of term main stage performance.

***11

***11

London

18 Jul 2015

Betrothal and Betrayal: JPYA summer performance

By Mark Pullinger

London

Jette Parker Young Artists step up to deliver a vivacious Rossini Silken Ladder

By Mark Pullinger, 23 October 2014

Figaro rules the roost on the main stage this autumn, but buried in the Nibelheim of the Linbury Studio, Rossini'ss early comedy La scala di seta receives its first ever production by the Royal Opera.

****1

****1

London

24 Oct 2014

Jette Parker Young Artists deliver vivacious Rossini

By Mark Pullinger

London

From the sublime to the fashion-fabulous: Debussy and Donizetti at the Guildhall School

By Charlotte Valori, 04 November 2013

A double bill of rare operas: it’s like Christmas has come early in London. The Guildhall School are pairing Debussy’s The Prodigal Son with Donizetti’s sparkling court comedy Francesca di Foix.

*****

*****

London

06 Nov 2013

Guildhall School: Debussy and Donizetti

By Charlotte Valori