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Showing 16 of 16 reviews

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Siobhan Stagg leads a strong Marriage of Figaro revival at the Sydney Opera House

By Sandra Bowdler, 31 July 2025

Siobhan Stagg is an outstanding Susanna in a strongly cast and well produced Marriage of Figaro at the Sydney Opera House

****1

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****1

Sydney

31 Jul 2025

Siobhan Stagg leads a strong Marriage of Figaro revival in Sydney

By Sandra Bowdler

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Sydney

Massenet’s Cendrillon goes to the ball at Opera Australia

By Sandra Bowdler, 15 January 2025

This abridged version of Massenet's Cendrillon was clearly chosen for a wide Sydney audience, succeeding as a popular offering in the Australian summer holiday season.

****1

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****1

Sydney

15 Jan 2025

Massenet’s Cendrillon goes to the ball at Opera Australia

By Sandra Bowdler

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Sydney

A triptych of loss from Sydney Chamber Opera

By Jeremy Eccles, 03 October 2023

Monodramas by Francis Poulenc, Kaija Saariaho and Jack Symonds feature in a triple bill on the themes of love, loss and absence.

****1

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****1

Sydney

03 Oct 2023

A triptych of loss from Sydney Chamber Opera

By Jeremy Eccles

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Sydney

Britten's Canticles awakened at Sydney Chamber Opera

By Jeremy Eccles, 30 September 2022

Luke Styles' interludes to the Canticles may not set the musical world alight in Awakening Shadow, but they provide the perfect excuse to perform Britten's remarkable works.

****1

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****1

Sydney

30 Sep 2022

Britten's Canticles awakened at Sydney Chamber Opera

By Jeremy Eccles

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

Two great Royal Opera debuts aren't enough to lift a Katya Kabanova lacking in drama

By David Karlin, 04 February 2019

Amanda Majeski is magnificent in the title role; Ed Gardner shows total master of Janáček's music. But that's not enough to rescue a poorly thought out Richard Jones production.

***11

***11

London

04 Feb 2019

Two great debuts, not enough drama: Katya Kabanova at ROH

By David Karlin

Sydney

Hasse's Artaserse receives its Australian première

By Sandra Bowdler, 29 November 2018

Perhaps Pinchgut Opera's finest production to date, a brave presentation of a classic Baroque opera, little heard in Australia apart from Handel, benefits from the star presence of Vivca Genaux in splendid form.

*****

*****

Sydney

29 Nov 2018

Hasse's Artaserse receives its Australian première

By Sandra Bowdler

London

Broken wings: Ermonela Jaho a devastating Madama Butterfly at Covent Garden

By Mark Pullinger, 27 March 2017

Ermonela Jaho sure likes to put herself (and us) through the emotional wringer on Covent Garden's stage. This time, London finally got to see her as another tragic Puccini heroine: Madama Butterfly.

****1

****1

London

27 Mar 2017

Broken wings: Ermonela Jaho a devastating Butterfly

By Mark Pullinger

London

The Royal Ballet: Les Enfants Terribles

By Graham Watts, 28 January 2017

An incredible musical performance - by pianists and singers - that is not well enough matched by the visual experience of cluttered creativity in which excellent dancers are often anonymous

**111

**111

London

28 Jan 2017

Les Enfants Terribles

By Graham Watts

London

Jonathan Kent's Manon Lescaut at Covent Garden: hard hitting staging, musically mixed

By David Karlin, 22 November 2016

Kent's staging brings out the sleaze in Puccini's first big hit; Sondra Radvanovsky thrills in the title role; the musical performance improves through the evening.

***11

***11

London

22 Nov 2016

Kent's Manon Lescaut at Covent Garden

By David Karlin

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

Powerful and assured: 4.48 Psychosis at the Lyric Hammersmith

By Ian Mikyska, 24 May 2016

Philip Venables' 4.48 Psychosis is the first musical adaptation of the eponymous play by Sarah Kane, which is the culmination of a three-year programme run jointly by the Royal Opera and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

London

24 May 2016

Powerful and assured: 4.48 Psychosis

By Ian Mikyska

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

25 Feb 2016

Jaho and Larsson break hearts, Gallo and Hurrell mend them

By David Karlin

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

23 Oct 2015

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

By David Karlin

Sydney

Bajazet: Pinchgut Opera concocts a striking Vivaldi pasticcio

By Paul Selar, 04 July 2015

A memorable production of Vivaldi's pasticcio opera Bajazet from Pinchgut Opera in Sydney.

****1

****1

Sydney

04 Jul 2015

Bajazet: Pinchgut Opera concocts a striking Vivaldi pasticcio

By Paul Selar

Sydney

Outstanding performances by Sydney Chamber Opera at Sydney Festival

By David Larkin, 18 January 2014

Sydney Chamber Opera deliver a thrilling double-bill of works by Kurtág and Benjamin under the direction of Jack Symonds, at the Sydney Festival 2014.

*****

*****

Sydney

18 Jan 2014

Sydney Festival: Sydney Chamber Opera

By David Larkin