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The Met's Ballo falls flat in its latest revival

By Kevin W Ng, 31 October 2023

An attractive supporting cast isn't sufficient to bring this revival of David Alden's Ballo in maschera to life in New York.

**111

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**111

New York City

31 Oct 2023

The Met's Ballo falls flat in its latest revival

By Kevin W Ng

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Federica Lombardi headlines the Met's latest Bohème revival

By Kevin W Ng, 10 October 2023

Franco Zeffirelli's perennial Bohème returns for yet another revival, with Federica Lombardi's luminous Mimì the standout performance.

***11

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***11

New York City

10 Oct 2023

Federica Lombardi headlines the Met's latest Bohème revival

By Kevin W Ng

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London

Donizetti's L’esule di Roma: a Roman triumph for Opera Rara

By Dominic Lowe, 11 May 2023

This is the 27th Donizetti opera given the Opera Rara treatment and their ability to spot a hidden gem remains as adroit as ever.

****1

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****1

London

11 May 2023

Donizetti's L’esule di Roma: a Roman triumph for Opera Rara

By Dominic Lowe

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A fine showing for the 1884 Italian version of Don Carlo at the Met

By Robert Levine, 07 November 2022

A revival for Sir David McVicar's staging from last season, but this time reverting from French to the four-act Italian version, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

****1

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****1

New York City

07 Nov 2022

A fine showing for the 1884 Italian version of Don Carlo at the Met

By Robert Levine

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Kurzak and Fabiano star in a fresh, lyrical Tosca at the Met

By Kevin W Ng, 04 October 2022

Aleksandra Kurzak's lyrical Tosca brings out the woman behind the caricature in this revival of Sir David McVicar's lavish production.

***11

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***11

New York City

04 Oct 2022

Kurzak and Fabiano star in a fresh, lyrical Tosca at the Met

By Kevin W Ng

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Radvanovsky triumphs as Cherubini's Medea opens the Met Opera season

By Robert Levine, 27 September 2022

Sir David McVicar's new production opens the Met season with house's first ever staging of Cherubini's Medea.

*****

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*****

New York City

27 Sep 2022

Radvanovsky triumphs as Cherubini's Medea opens the Met Opera season

By Robert Levine

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Pesaro

Not so hot off the press: La gazzetta returns to the Rossini Opera Festival

By Mark Pullinger, 10 August 2022

Rossini's 1816 farce fails to make a splash as Marco Carniti's frenetic staging returns to Pesaro.

**111

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**111

Pesaro

10 Aug 2022

Not so hot off the press: La gazzetta returns to Pesaro

By Mark Pullinger

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London

Love and death in Cromwellian Scotland: Mercadante’s Il proscritto from Opera Rara

By David Karlin, 28 June 2022

A great orchestral performance of an exciting score don't quite mask the dramatic weaknesses of Opera Rara's latest.

***11

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***11

London

28 Jun 2022

Love and death in Scotland: Mercadante’s Il proscritto

By David Karlin

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Bristol

Welsh National Opera on tour: a musically powerful Madama Butterfly

By Mark Valencia, 26 October 2021

Lindy Hume's new production works reasonably well in allowing the story to be told with sufficient emotional weight.

****1

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****1

Bristol

26 Oct 2021

Welsh National Opera on tour: a musically powerful Madama Butterfly

By Mark Valencia

Berlin

A “poem of blood and lust” reconsidered: Deutsche Oper Berlin’s Francesca da Rimini

By Kevin Wells, 14 March 2021

If you have dismissed this opera as overstuffed kitsch in the past, you might want to take a look at this production. It could well change your mind.

*****

*****

Berlin

14 Mar 2021

A “poem of blood and lust” reconsidered at Deutsche Oper Berlin

By Kevin Wells

WNO’s Figaro revival crackles with humour and exudes joie de vivre

By Alice Hughes, 16 February 2020

A solid Figaro in Cardiff, in which individual performances are a joy, and humour abounds.

****1

****1

Cardiff

16 Feb 2020

WNO’s Figaro revival crackles with humour and exudes joie de vivre

By Alice Hughes

Welsh National Opera tackles Les Vêpres siciliennes but the vocal fireworks fail to ignite

By Mark Pullinger, 08 February 2020

David Pountney completes his “Verdi trilogy” for the company but although his staging has fluidity, it lacks an explosive ending... and the vocal performances disappoint.

***11

***11

Cardiff

08 Feb 2020

WNO tackles Vêpres but the vocal fireworks fail to ignite

By Mark Pullinger

Toronto

Classic Robert Wilson: Turandot opens Canadian Opera Company season

By John Gilks, 28 September 2019

Director Robert Wilson and conductor Carlo Rizzi combine effectively to create a visually striking and musically memorable Turandot that emphasizes the hieratic and the mythical with a notable absence of unnecessary histrionics.

****1

****1

Toronto

28 Sep 2019

Classic Robert Wilson: Turandot opens Canadian Opera Company season

By John Gilks

Pesaro

Puns, dirty jokes and bizarre misunderstandings: L’equivoco stravagante at the Rossini Opera Festival

By Laura Servidei, 13 August 2019

A new, successful production by Leiser and Caurier supports a great cast of Rossini specialists, with Teresa Iervolino, Paolo Bordogna and Davide Luciano in the lead roles.

****1

****1

Pesaro

13 Aug 2019

Puns, dirty jokes and bizarre misunderstandings

By Laura Servidei

Joyce El-Khoury shines as Donizetti's Tudor queen in Welsh National Opera's Roberto Devereux

By Alice Hughes, 02 March 2019

It is a thing of wonder that Roberto Devereux is one of Donizetti’s lesser known works. Whether on account of its challenging soprano part, or its fussy Tudor setting, it is rarely performed, but contains some of the composer’s most beautiful – and indeed memorable – arias and duets.

****1

****1

Cardiff

02 Mar 2019

Joyce El-Khoury shines as Donizetti's Tudor queen

By Alice Hughes

Ballo II, the American cut: an indigestible staging by David Pountney for WNO

By Mark Valencia, 09 February 2019

Musically, WNO gets it right. Straightforward brilliance is the order of the day, and plenty of it.

***11

***11

Cardiff

09 Feb 2019

Ballo II, the American cut: an indigestible staging at WNO

By Mark Valencia

Devil takes all in The Met's Mefistofele

By Robert Levine, 12 November 2018

Mefistofele proves a mixed blessing: good meets evil, devils fight with angels, lovely lyricism alternates with bombast and second-rate material.

***11

***11

New York City

12 Nov 2018

Devil takes all in The Met's Mefistofele

By Robert Levine

Amsterdam

Superb, sinister Tales of Hoffmann at Dutch National Opera

By Jenny Camilleri, 03 June 2018

Selectively unearthed from current critical editions, this fabulously performed new Hoffmann plumbs the murky depths of its antihero’s psyche.

*****

*****

Amsterdam

03 Jun 2018

A superb, sinister Hoffmann at Dutch National Opera

By Jenny Camilleri

Atlanta

Refined classicism from Rizzi and the ASO

By William E Ford, 26 April 2018

Carlo Rizzi and Elizabeth Koch Tiscione perform exquisitely in Mozart’s Oboe Concerto with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

*****

*****

Atlanta

26 Apr 2018

Refined classicism from Rizzi and the ASO

By William E Ford

Rome

Opera as circus: a controversial Cav & Pag double bill in Rome

By Mark Pullinger, 05 April 2018

Pippo Delbono, an advocate of experimental theatre, tests the audience's patience at Opera di Roma, masking some enjoyable musical performances.

**111

**111

Rome

05 Apr 2018

Opera as circus: a controversial Cav & Pag in Rome

By Mark Pullinger

An uncomplicated, thrilling Tosca from WNO

By Rohan Shotton, 09 February 2018

Carlo Rizzi conducts WNO's Tosca revival in Cardiff.

****1

****1

Cardiff

09 Feb 2018

An uncomplicated, thrilling Tosca from WNO

By Rohan Shotton

Wheel of Fortune: Preziosilla spins Pountney's Force of Destiny

By Mark Pullinger, 02 February 2018

When the entire plot is triggered by a freak accident, you can't blame director David Pountney for making Fate itself one of the key characters.

****1

****1

Cardiff

02 Feb 2018

Wheel of Fortune: Preziosilla spins Pountney's Force of Destiny

By Mark Pullinger

Manchester

Novel approaches to old favourites from Carlo Rizzi and The Hallé

By Rohan Shotton, 10 December 2017

Carlo Rizzi conducts The Hallé in a programme of inventive and thrilling approaches to Resoighi, Rachmaninov and Rossini at Bridgewater Hall.

****1

****1

Manchester

10 Dec 2017

Novel approaches to old favourites

By Rohan Shotton

Dyka and Antonenko shine in an extravagant Turandot at the Met

By Ako Imamura, 17 October 2017

The Met succeeded in casting two strong singers for the difficult lead roles of Puccini's final opera.

***11

***11

New York City

17 Oct 2017

Dyka and Antonenko shine in an extravagant Turandot at the Met

By Ako Imamura

The Met opens its season with a fine new Norma

By Robert Levine, 25 September 2017

Sondra Radvanovsky scores a rousing success in the taxing title role of Bellini's masterpiece in New York.

****1

****1

New York City

25 Sep 2017

The Met opens its season with a fine new Norma

By Robert Levine

London

From Auber to Halévy: El-Khoury and Spyres celebrate a pair of French stars in style

By Mark Pullinger, 14 July 2017

Rare repertoire, polished orchestral playing, thrilling singing – it's no wonder London's operatic cognoscenti were out in force.

****1

****1

London

14 Jul 2017

El-Khoury and Spyres celebrate French stars

By Mark Pullinger

Amsterdam

Rigoletto is mad but the singing is fine at Dutch National Opera

By Jenny Camilleri, 09 May 2017

Damiano Michieletto’s intriguing production of Rigoletto is set in a mental hospital, and sidelines emotion in favour of analysis. The singing, on the other hand, is heartfelt and exciting.

***11

***11

Amsterdam

09 May 2017

Rigoletto is mad but the singing is fine

By Jenny Camilleri

Cav & Pag: a nostalgia trip for Welsh National Opera

By Mark Pullinger, 29 May 2016

Welsh National Opera may have reached the ripe old age of seventy but it's very much alive and kicking.

****1

****1

Cardiff

29 May 2016

Cav & Pag: a nostalgia trip for Welsh National Opera

By Mark Pullinger

From the Somme's trenches: Iain Bell's In Parenthesis opens at Welsh National Opera

By Simon Rees, 13 May 2016

David Jones' First World War epic poem comes to musical life in Iain Bell's newly-commissioned opera.

****1

****1

Cardiff

13 May 2016

From the Somme's trenches: Iain Bell's In Parenthesis

By Simon Rees

Milan

Jesting aside: La Scala revives Giordano's La cena delle beffe

By Oliver Brett, 03 April 2016

A revival of a verismo rarity: Umberto Giordano's La cene delle beffe at La Scala.

****1

****1

Milan

03 Apr 2016

Jesting aside: La Scala revives Giordano's La cena delle beffe

By Oliver Brett

Chicago

A strongly cast Nabucco opens at Lyric Opera of Chicago

By Dan Wang, 23 January 2016

The Lyric Opera put together the best-sounding première of the year so far, in which singers, chorus and the orchestra all began with astonishing confidence and only improved from there.

****1

****1

Chicago

23 Jan 2016

A strongly cast Nabucco opens at Lyric Opera of Chicago

By Dan Wang

Zurich

Feverish madness: Bizet's Pearl Fishers in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 25 October 2015

Zurich’s revival of Georges Bizet’s three-act opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) pulls out all the stops, but it was not to everyone’s liking.

***11

***11

Zurich

25 Oct 2015

Feverish madness: Bizet's Pearl Fishers in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Rosa Feola shines in Welsh National Opera's I puritani

By Simon Rees, 11 September 2015

Annilese Miskimmon's production of I puritani mixes Royalists with Loyalists - but is musically successful under Carlo Rizzi's baton.

***11

***11

Cardiff

11 Sep 2015

Rosa Feola shines in WNO's I puritani

By Simon Rees

Milan

Mending fences: Luc Bondy's Tosca at La Scala

By Courtney Smith, 22 June 2015

Six years after its contested 2009 world première at the Metropolitan Opera, Luc Bondy's disputed production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca bowed its third Teatro alla Scala staging here on Monday night.

**111

**111

Milan

22 Jun 2015

Mending fences: Luc Bondy's Tosca at La Scala

By Courtney Smith

Milan

Waking Nightmares: Mario Martone's Cav—Pag double bill reprised at La Scala

By Courtney Smith, 12 June 2015

Mario Martone's Cavalleria rusticana—Pagliacci returns to La Scala, with results that do not always convince.

***11

***11

Milan

12 Jun 2015

Waking Nightmares: Mario Martone's Cav—Pag reprised at La Scala

By Courtney Smith

Berlin

Love in the time of mining: La fanciulla del West at the Deutsche Oper Berlin

By Christie Franke, 13 March 2015

Puccini's La fanciulla del West gets a modern update at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

**111

**111

Berlin

13 Mar 2015

La fanciulla del West in Berlin

By Christie Franke

Zurich

Dreadful duplicity, misguided ardour: Luisa Miller in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet, 16 December 2014

Luisa Miller in Zurich is a finely crafted and intelligent production in which Verdi's music supports a tragic story of bourgeois respectability.

***11

***11

Zurich

16 Dec 2014

Dreadful duplicity, misguided ardour: Luisa Miller

By Sarah Batschelet

Marc Chagall inspires a new production of Mosè in Egitto

By Simon Rees, 03 October 2014

A colour-coded Mosè in Egitto uses the paintings of Marc Chagall to inspire the costumes for the Jews and the Egyptians in this production of a Rossinian rarity.

****1

****1

Cardiff

03 Oct 2014

A Marc Chagall inspired Mosè in Egitto

By Simon Rees

Rossini's William Tell in fifty shades of grey

By Simon Rees, 12 September 2014

Welsh National Opera's new production of Rossini's William Tell shows off orchestra and chorus to their full under Carlo Rizzi's baton

****1

****1

Cardiff

12 Sep 2014

Rossini's William Tell in fifty shades of grey

By Simon Rees

Amsterdam

Dutch National Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor a bel canto treat

By Jenny Camilleri, 06 April 2014

Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor is a coloratura soprano vehicle and this season’s Dutch National Opera production felicitously starred Jessica Pratt, an internationally celebrated Lucia and a favourite of the Italian public.

****1

****1

Amsterdam

06 Apr 2014

Dutch National Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor a bel canto treat

By Jenny Camilleri

Toronto

La bohème from Canadian Opera Company

By James Karas, 09 October 2013

The Canadian Opera Company provides a traditional production (that’s a complement) of Puccini’s La bohème at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Its strengths are a well-sung Mimì (Grazia Doronzio) and Marcello (Joshua Hopkins), and fine directing by John Caird. The set design is very good except for the first act and the orchestral playing is sound.

***11

***11

Toronto

09 Oct 2013

La bohème from Canadian Opera Company

By James Karas

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Le sans-faute d'Il trittico selon Christof Loy à l'Opéra de Paris

By Stéphane Lelièvre, 29 April 2025

Ce trittico fera date, grâce à un travail d’équipe exceptionnel d’où se distinguent notamment Christof Loy, Carlo Rizzi et l’incroyable Asmik Grigorian dans les trois rôles féminins de l’ouvrage.

*****

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*****

Paris

29 Apr 2025

Le sans-faute d'Il trittico selon Christof Loy à l'Opéra de Paris

By Stéphane Lelièvre

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La Coruña

Entre Prokofiev y Bruckner: una noche de claroscuros

By Pablo Sánchez Quinteiro, 21 March 2025

Bomsori Kim y la Sinfónica de Galicia brillaron en sus respectivas partes en una velada en la que Carlo Rizzi presentó un Bruckner algo opaco.

***11

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***11

La Coruña

21 Mar 2025

Entre Prokofiev y Bruckner: una noche de claroscuros

By Pablo Sánchez Quinteiro

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Vienna

Treppen-Massaker: Verdis I vespri siciliani an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon, 16 January 2024

Ein musikalisch solider Abend mit etwas Degen-Gefuchtel, um eine weitere Verdi-Oper kennenzulernen.

***11

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***11

Vienna

16 Jan 2024

Treppen-Massaker: Verdis I vespri siciliani an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon

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Vienna

Minnie und die starken Männer: La fanciulla del West an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon, 10 January 2024

Carlo Rizzi leitet einen genussvollen Abend mit romantischen kleinen Gesten und großen Gefühlen.

****1

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****1

Vienna

10 Jan 2024

Minnie und die starken Männer: La fanciulla del West in Wien

By Snapdragon

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Triomphe spectaculaire pour Roméo et Juliette à l'Opéra Bastille

By Stéphane Lelièvre, 17 June 2023

La nouvelle production de Roméo et Juliette a fait l'unanimité auprès du public, qui a réservé à tous les artistes, sans exception, de longues et chaleuresues ovations. Une très belle réussite, tant scénique que musicale.

****1

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****1

Paris

17 Jun 2023

Triomphe spectaculaire pour Roméo et Juliette à l'Opéra Bastille

By Stéphane Lelièvre

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Le Trouvère gadget d’Àlex Ollé à l’Opéra de Paris

By Erwan Gentric, 21 January 2023

Malgré la révélation Judit Kutasi dans le rôle d'Azucena, la reprise de la (décevante) mise en scène d'Àlex Ollé à Bastille ne fait pas du Trouvère une production marquante.

***11

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***11

Paris

21 Jan 2023

Le Trouvère gadget d’Àlex Ollé à l’Opéra de Paris

By Erwan Gentric

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