Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Ed Lyon

Laurence Cummings and John Caird’s second Garsington exploration of the operas of Monteverdi brims with wonderfully playing and singing in an attractive setting.

Robert Carsen’s staging of Handel's oratorio arrives, via Salzburg, in the city where Handel composed it in 1707. 

Tenor Ed Lyon fulfils a long-held ambition to sing Monteverdi's Eighth Book of Madrigals, conducted by his former teacher, Laurence Cummings at Milton Court.

Jetske Mijnssen’s house debut sees Handel’s opera transposed to a modern-day palace, with Emily D'Angelo angelic in the title role. 

Ruth Knight untangles Handel's Rodelinda, directing a new staging at Garsington which features a feast of fine singing. 

The greatest music of the 18th century – no arguments, please – is given a fine reading at London's Barbican. 

Shobana Jeyasingh choreographs Monteverdi's Tancredi e Clorinda for the 21st century, transporting her narrative from the Middle Ages to the present day while remaining fixed on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Laurence Cummings and The English Concert deliver musical excellence in a wonderfully designed and choreographed production.

On Easter Monday, this year's London Handel Festival came to a close with Handel's youthful oratorio La Resurrezione in the suitably Baroque setting of London's St Martin-in-the-Fields.

At the Royal Albert Hall, the Philharmonia Chorus make an infernal set of demons, encouraged by that impish Lord of misrule, Vasily Petrenko. 

Superb singing from Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Józef Orliński lights up a curate's egg staging from Katie Mitchell.

A highly satisfying level of polish in La Monnaie's stream in which one recognizes a precisely executed live performance at its core – one that would be thrilling to experience in person. 

It’s the title character who gets the best tunes in Ariodante and Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy ate them up. 

A compelling treatment of a richly ambiguous work, one that invited us into the drama.

A marvellously affirmative account of The Kingdom that brought thrilling intensity and evident commitment from the combined forces of the Waynflete Singers and the BSO.

Director Louisa Muller overcomes the problems of opening a ghost story in natural daylight to deliver plenty of operatic chills. 

Best of all is the self-effacing pianism of Lada Valešová, a constant yet discreet onstage presence.

The culmination of Thomas Ades' Beethoven cycle with the Britten Sinfonia channels Beethoven's atavistic energies. 

The RLPO and NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover join forces for Britten's War Requiem.

Directing Entführung at the grand old age of 85, John Copley gives us plenty of fun in the Pasha's palace. 

Lars Vogt, Royal Nothern Sinfonia and Chorus and a strong quartet of soloists bring the angelic tidings of peace and goodwill in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

Cappella Mediterranea blows life into Eliogabalo’s dark carnival as imagined by Thomas Jolly.

Luis Buñuel's derision at the sense of entitlement of over-privileged, self-righteous prigs shines through a high quality operatic adaptation.

Handel's oratorio Theodora performed by Pinchgut Opera in Sydney was played and sung beautifully in a rather drab production. Kudos to the soloists especially countertenor Christopher Lowery and conductor Erin Helyard.

The Salzburg Festival audience warmly applauded Thomas Adès, Tom Cairns and all musicians for a rounded and gripping première.

Tim Albery's 2010 production of Tannhäuser, receiving its first revival at Covent Garden, begins with a stylish opening 20 minutes, but thereafter things become rather bland. 

Intelligently staged and brilliantly sung, Scottish Opera can be justly proud of their new production of Ariodante. It is all about the oranges really.

Another ancient hit revived and delivered with panache by Sydney-based Pinchgut Opera: Gretry's L'Amant jaloux (1778) proved it still could raise laughs, aided by a superb cast. 

Opera North's captivating production of Janáček’s Jenůfa directed by Tom Cairns at the Grand Theatre Leeds

Adrianne Pieczonka and Anett Fritsch shone in an otherwise disappointing opening night, impaired by poor conducting and unimpressive staging.

A dark and minimalist staging doesn't quite fire Wagner's Flying Dutchman into life at the Royal Opera House, despite worthy performances from Bryn Terfel, Adrianne Pieczonka and others under the direction of Andris Nelsons.

At carnival time, Cavalli’s mission was to make his audience laugh, wow them with a bit of vocal gymnastics, butter up their romantic feelings with a few delicate cadences, and maybe leave a tear or two in their eye. It’s a potent formula, and it still works.

First class performances from Stephen Gould and Nina Stemme are backed by a magnificent orchestral performance in the Royal Opera's revival of Christof Loy's spartan production.

Ludus Baroque, with its handpicked performers, brought the tale of Athalia to spectacular life - the destiny of a bloodstained Queen or the King across the water? You decide!

As revivals go, Karita Mattila and Jane Archibald make the Royal Opera's Ariadne auf Naxos a must-see.

Closing your eyes while listening, you could easily imagine yourself in a gilt-edged salon, with Her Highness Mademoiselle Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise, peer of France, princess of Joinville, hereditary seneschal of Champagne herself sitting not far from you, enjoying and approving every lovely note.

There is something pleasurably straining, for the big-hall, velvet-accustomed operagoer, about the experience of sitting for three hours on a very tiny bench in a charmingly chiselled, candlelit little theatre that invites contemplation in its own right – beyond the attractions, musical and other, set up within its frame.

A year of theatre refurbishment leaves Scottish Opera with only three and half full productions this season, so the spotlight turned firmly onto this Don Giovanni from director Sir Thomas Allen, designer Simon Higlett and lighting designer Mark Jonathan.

In brief introductory remarks, founder and director of Ludus Baroque Richard Neville-Towle outlined three significant features of the performance. The indicated presence of a crib signified that this was to be a devotional performance, and being able to make sense of this is possibly what divides the faithful from the faithless.

As dappled evening sunshine filled the historic Canongate Kirk, near the foot of the Royal Mile, a large audience filled the powder blue-coloured pews under the Colours of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the Royal Scots for an evening of music by Handel.

J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor was described by its first publisher as “the greatest musical work of art of all times and nations”. It’s also the culmination of one man’s great life of musical creativity, and a great personal statement of faith.

David McVicar’s production of Berlioz’s opera Les Troyens at the Royal Opera House last month was notable for several reasons. Firstly, stellar vocal performances from world-class lead singers; secondly, brilliant acting; thirdly, ravishing music; and lastly, a memorable set – including a curious giant horse and human made out of what looked like scrap weapons and tools.

Rameau's Castor et Pollux, his take on the Greek myth of two brothers so close that Pollux is prepared to descend into hell in the place of Castor, isn't exactly one of the standards of the repertoire.

In 1676, Louis XIV’s court composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully, wrote Atys, an unusually tragic opera that became a favorite of the king. In 1987, William Christie’s Les Arts Florissants revived it in an acclaimed series of performances in Paris and eventually at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

A career woman, a femme fatale, a shop girl, an actor, a teacher, an idler, a biker, a priest, a bank clerk and five circus acrobats. These are not the figures that come to mind when we think of Purcell’s Fairy Queen.

La comprensión errónea del oratorio Theodora enturbia una, por lo demás, excelente producción de Katie Mitchell.

Le second concert de l'Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie a mobilisé moins de spectateurs, mais les absents ont eu tort, tant le programme britannique agencé par Alain Altinoglu méritait le déplacement.

Plus entendue à Bruxelles depuis 1953, l'œuvre du compositeur de Samson et Dalila sort de l'oubli grâce à une belle distribution menée avec sensibilité par Alain Altinoglu.

A priori intéressante, l'idée de Rafael Villalobos de greffer le destin de Pasolini sur celui l'œuvre de Puccini ne prend pas, en dépit d'une distribution engagée et d'une direction d'orchestre remarquable. 

Le chef-d'œuvre wagnérien bénéficie de la mise en scène intelligente et subtile de Ralf Pleger et d'un couple-titre convaincant. Très grande prestation d'Alain Altinoglu à la baguette.