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Showing 12 of 12 reviews

Albert Dohmen (Gurnemanz), Christopher Sokolowski (Parsifal) and Dshamilja Kaiser (Kundry) © OBV | Annemie Augustijns

Digital drama, celestial singing: Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s Parsifal in Antwerp

By Simon Thompson, 14 October 2025

Digital projections make Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s Parsifal seem alienating and strange, but the singing is terrific and the orchestra sounds sensational.

***11

***11

Antwerp

14 Oct 2025

Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s Parsifal: digital drama, celestial singing

By Simon Thompson

Justice © Grand Théâtre de Genève | Carole Parodi

Geneva

Justice in Geneva: a musically appealing world premiere misses its polemic mark

By David Karlin, 22 January 2024

Director Milos Rau, composer Hèctor Parra and librettist Fiston Mwanza Mujila put the operatic spotlight on the fight for justice after a mining disaster in the DRC, with mixed results.

**111

**111

Geneva

22 Jan 2024

Justice in Geneva: musically appealing but missing its mark

By David Karlin

Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus © Christopher Bowen

Edinburgh

A neglected Schubert masterpiece from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

By David Smythe, 30 November 2023

Two short choral works and a Bach double violin concerto introduce Schubert’s neglected masterpiece, his Mass in A flat major.

****1

****1

Edinburgh

30 Nov 2023

A neglected Schubert masterpiece from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

By David Smythe

Kenneth Kellogg (The Father) and Ronald Samm (The Reverend) © Zoe Martin

London

Blue, Jeanine Tesori's new opera on urban violence, comes to ENO

By Mark Valencia, 20 April 2023

Blue could hardly have been better rendered than here. Indeed, I wish every opera I see could be staged with such grace and finesse.

***11

***11

London

20 Apr 2023

Blue, Jeanine Tesori's new opera on urban violence, comes to ENO

By Mark Valencia

John Relyea (Wotan) © English National Opera | Marc Brenner

London

Lucid in music and narrative: ENO and Richard Jones’ The Rhinegold

By David Karlin, 18 February 2023

Martyn Brabbins conducts an excellent ENO orchestra and consistently good ensemble cast as Richard Jones delivers a wealth of narrative detail to introduce Wagner's Ring.

****1

****1

London

18 Feb 2023

Lucid in music and narrative: ENO's Rhinegold

By David Karlin

London

Richard Jones’ second London Ring falters at the first fence

By Mark Pullinger, 19 November 2021

Breastplates are back in vogue, but comedy horses and cheap production values undermine the first chapter in English National Opera's new Ring cycle.

**111

**111

London

19 Nov 2021

Richard Jones’ second London Ring falters at the first fence

By Mark Pullinger

Unknown

A labour of love and determination: L’Enfant et les sortilèges

By David Smythe, 16 November 2020

Virtual Opera made real as Ravel's miniature masterpiece is recorded remotely around the world and melded with Leanne Vandenbussche’s picture-book drawings and the London Philharmonic Orchestra's soundtrack to create magic.

****1

****1

Unknown

16 Nov 2020

A labour of love and determination: L’Enfant et les sortilèges

By David Smythe

London

Prom 35: Martyn Brabbins celebrates 60th birthday in style

By Nick Boston, 13 August 2019

A fascinating new companion piece to Elgar's Enigma Variations, from 14 contemporary composers, in celebration of Martyn Brabbins' 60th birthday, performed with enthusiasm by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

****1

****1

London

13 Aug 2019

Prom 35: Martyn Brabbins celebrates 60th birthday in style

By Nick Boston

Berlin

Handel in the British Raj: Harry Kupfer returns to Komische Oper with a rarity

By Zenaida des Aubris, 16 March 2019

Loyalty and misdeeds in the jungle of emotions in Handel's Poro, re dell'Indie.

****1

****1

Berlin

16 Mar 2019

Handel in the British Raj: Harry Kupfer returns to Komische Oper

By Zenaida des Aubris

Milan

Breaking with Verismo: Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini returns to La Scala

By Renato Verga, 15 April 2018

The use in the score of ancient musical instruments is what differentiates this work: pifferi, a lute, a “viola pomposa” give this work a distinctive flavour.

****1

****1

Milan

15 Apr 2018

Francesca da Rimini returns to La Scala

By Renato Verga

Verbier

A Salome lacking drama at the Verbier Festival

By Mark Valencia, 21 July 2017

Like most honest listeners I crave a taste of turpitude in Salome.

**111

**111

Verbier

21 Jul 2017

A Salome lacking drama at the Verbier Festival

By Mark Valencia

Stuttgart

Modern terror: new production of Salome in Stuttgart

By Ako Imamura, 01 December 2015

Director Kirill Serebrennikov gives us a frightening new reality of the modern world beset by war and terrorism in his reimagining of Strauss's Salome

****1

****1

Stuttgart

01 Dec 2015

Modern terror: Salome in Stuttgart

By Ako Imamura