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Not out of the woods yet: Glyndebourne’s iconic Dream approaches its century

By Eleanor Knight, 12 October 2025

Sir Peter Hall's classic staging of Britten's Shakespearean comedy nears a landmark moment in Glyndebourne’s autumn season.

****1

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****1

Glyndebourne

12 Oct 2025

Glyndebourne’s iconic Dream approaches its century

By Eleanor Knight

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Adelaide

Jonathan Dove’s excellent opera Flight touches down in Australia

By Sandra Bowdler, 08 May 2025

Jonathan Dove’s opera Flight earns its title as the most popular modern opera with this excellent ensemble performance in Adelaide, its Australian premiere.

****1

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****1

Adelaide

08 May 2025

Jonathan Dove’s excellent opera Flight touches down in Australia

By Sandra Bowdler

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Sydney

Brilliantly enjoyable Barber of Seville in Sydney

By Sandra Bowdler, 18 January 2025

A thoroughly enjoyable and brilliantly performed version of Rossini's great comic opera at the Sydney Opera House.

*****

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*****

Sydney

18 Jan 2025

Brilliantly enjoyable Barber of Seville in Sydney

By Sandra Bowdler

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Glasgow

Scottish Barber of Seville packed with fun

By David Smythe, 17 October 2023

Sir Thomas Allen returns to Scottish Opera to revive The Barber of Seville with a strong cast headed by Samuel Dale Johnson, Anthony Gregory, David Stout and Simone McIntosh.

****1

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****1

Glasgow

17 Oct 2023

Scottish Barber of Seville packed with fun

By David Smythe

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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

01 Jul 2023

A Glyndebourne Dream that works its sinister magic

By Mark Pullinger

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London

An icy Eugene Onegin at Opera Holland Park

By Kevin W Ng, 31 May 2022

Julia Burbach's new production lacks poetry in spite of an admirable cast led by Samuel Dale Johnson in the title role.

***11

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***11

London

31 May 2022

An icy Eugene Onegin at Opera Holland Park

By Kevin W Ng

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

Berlin

An enchanting new Midsummer Night’s Dream at Deutsche Oper Berlin

By Ako Imamura, 29 January 2020

Deutsche Oper Berlin’s new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a delightful and whimsical homage to Britten’s masterpiece. The orchestra, soloists and children’s chorus performed with energy and charm under the baton of Donald Runnicles.

***11

***11

Berlin

29 Jan 2020

An enchanting new Midsummer Night’s Dream at Deutsche Oper Berlin

By Ako Imamura

Berlin

Gilbert Deflo’s charming Manon Lescaut brilliantly performed at Deutsche Oper

By Ako Imamura, 09 June 2019

Deutsche Oper Berlin's revival of Manon Lescaut achieves a rare theatrical success; a witty and visually stunning production combined with thrilling music making in the pit with Sir Simon Rattle leading the orchestra and singers with emotional urgency.

****1

****1

Berlin

09 Jun 2019

Manon Lescaut brilliantly performed at Deutsche Oper

By Ako Imamura

Paisley

Pagliacci comes to Paisley’s operatic Big Top

By David Smythe, 26 July 2018

Scottish Opera brings opera to the people on a huge scale in a promenade production of Pagliacci.

***11

***11

Paisley

26 Jul 2018

Pagliacci comes to Paisley’s operatic Big Top

By David Smythe

Glasgow

Natalya Romaniw thrills in Scottish Opera’s epic Eugene Onegin

By David Smythe, 03 May 2018

Director Oliver Mears turns Scottish Opera’s Eugene Onegin into a memory play, with fine singing from a strong cast starring Natalya Romaniw as a thrilling Tatyana.

****1

****1

Glasgow

03 May 2018

Romaniw thrills in Scottish Opera’s epic Eugene Onegin

By David Smythe

London

Elena Zilio leads the verismo thrills as Cav & Pag return to the Royal Opera

By Mark Pullinger, 06 January 2018

After its Christmas break, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci return to the Royal Opera in Daminano Michieletto's arresting production.

****1

****1

London

06 Jan 2018

Elena Zilio leads the verismo thrills

By Mark Pullinger

Glasgow

Borderline sumptuous: Scottish Opera revives The Marriage of Figaro

By Gregor Forbes, 12 October 2016

Inventive comedy and excellent musicality bring Sir Thomas Allen’s traditional production back to life.

****1

****1

Glasgow

12 Oct 2016

Borderline sumptuous: Scottish Opera's Figaro

By Gregor Forbes

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

23 May 2016

Enescu's Oedipe at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin

London

Thomas Adès, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the LSO ravish the Barbican with an outstanding programme of Adès and Brahms

By Chris Garlick, 09 March 2016

Thomas Adès, in the first concert of his mini Composer Focus with the LSO, conducted three of his own works and one by Brahms at the Barbican.

*****

*****

London

09 Mar 2016

Thomas Adès, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the LSO ravish the Barbican with an outstanding programme of Adès and Brahms

By Chris Garlick

London

L'Étoile proves a disappointingly flat foray into opéra-bouffe for the Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 01 February 2016

Poor intelligibility and lack of pace in the music or acting make L'Étoile into a disappointingly flat evening.

**111

**111

London

01 Feb 2016

A flat foray into opéra-bouffe for the Royal Opera

By David Karlin

London

A workmanlike Carmen at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 19 October 2015

For anyone seeing Carmen for the first time, this Royal Opera revival will have been a more than satisfactory evening. Old hands hoping to see something extra will find it in Hymel's Don José and Car's Micaëla, but not elsewhere.

***11

***11

London

19 Oct 2015

A workmanlike Carmen at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin

London

Karita Mattila a peerless Ariadne at the Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 10 October 2015

Jane Archibald and Ruxandra Donose provide a compelling prologue to Ariadne auf Naxos, while Karita Mattila's majestic performance lights up the opera seria second half.

***11

***11

London

10 Oct 2015

Karita Mattila a peerless Ariadne

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

Hitting the rocks: Damiano Michieletto's Guillaume Tell at Covent Garden

By David Karlin, 29 June 2015

Sadly, Damiano Michieletto and Antonio Pappano's production is more likely to be remembered for its failings – the awful rape scene, its dullness, plus a list of annoying details too long to mention – than for its musical excellence. It’s worth seeing to get a feel of both.

***11

***11

London

29 Jun 2015

Hitting the rocks: Michieletto's Guillaume Tell

By David Karlin

London

Marina Rebeka: a Violetta in robust health in Covent Garden's Traviata

By Mark Pullinger, 18 May 2015

Any revival of La traviata stands or falls by its principals and their ability to inhabit the roles rather than merely sing them prettily. A good revival director helps.

***11

***11

London

18 May 2015

Marina Rebeka: a Violetta in robust health

By Mark Pullinger

London

Clattering cherry blossom: solid revival of Madama Butterfly at Covent Garden

By Mark Pullinger, 20 March 2015

Kristine Opolais offers a nuanced, moving Cio-Cio-San in a solid revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s sepia and cream production of Madama Butterfly at the Royal Opera.

***11

***11

London

20 Mar 2015

Clattering cherry blossom: ROH Madama Butterfly

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

23 Oct 2014

Jette Parker Young Artists deliver vivacious Rossini

By Mark Pullinger

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Berlin

Zum Zerreißen spannend: Francesca da Rimini an der Deutschen Oper Berlin

By Christoph Wurzel, 19 May 2023

Christof Loy ist an der Deutschen Oper Berlin mit der selten gespielten Oper Francesca da Rimini von Riccardo Zandonai ein echter Opernthriller gelungen.

****1

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****1

Berlin

19 May 2023

Zum Zerreißen spannend: Francesca da Rimini an der Deutschen Oper

By Christoph Wurzel

Zurich

Karaokeparty de luxe: L'elisir d'amore in Zürich

By Isabella Steppan, 25 October 2020

Gaetano Donizettis Oper muss ohne Chor auskommen und auch das Orchester ist nicht so ganz live dabei. Ein Experiment, das dennoch erstaunlich gut klingt.

***11

***11

Zurich

25 Oct 2020

Karaokeparty de luxe: L'elisir d'amore in Zürich

By Isabella Steppan