San Francisco Opera's production of Sweeney Todd brings nothing new to the musical, but the cast includes wonderful surprises – most notably Stephanie Blythe's Mrs Lovett.
Konwitschny's bold approach to Rihm's musical dialectic surprises, challenges, and bewilders. The glorious soundscape created in the Felsenreitschule makes this Eroberung von Mexico a unique, unmissable operatic experience.
The children's Barber of Seville is too severely cut to have any substance, but fabulous playing and conducting, stellar young soloists, and an imaginative staging make it a fun afternoon.
The bright colours and childishness of Konwitschny’s production for the Bayerische Staatsoper shock but succeed. The cast and orchestra shine, especially in the final act.
Budapest Operetta Theatre's hundreth-anniversary touring production of Kalman's operetta is irresistably fun. The silly plot and catchy tunes, delivered by an excellent cast and orchestra, are sure to provoke smiles and earworms.
At the Estonian National Opera, Vilppu Kiljunen's staging of Hindemith's crime opera Cardillac is wonderfully eerie. Unfortunately, conductor Vello Pähn's reading of the score doesn't do it justice.
In his production of La traviata for the Swedish Royal Opera, Kasper Holten puts Violetta in a strip club and on the streets. Both the staging and the music are excellent, though the cast's acting is uneven.
Warlokowski's staging of Eugene Onegin for the Bayerische Staatsoper works from a bold premise: Onegin is gay. Strong musical and dramatic performances keep the concept coherent and interesting, but it ultimately doesn't convince.
Christof Loy's modern-dress production of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux for the Bayerische Staatsoper is deliciously, darkly ironic. A dream cast handles the dramatic and musical challenges well, though the voice of the star sounds worn for this star vehicle.
The Bayerische Staatsoper's Ring cycle has been full of ups and downs. It ended on an up, thanks to Petrenko's brilliant conducting, a strong cast, and a fun staging.
At the Bayerische Staatsoper, director Andreas Kriegenberg's concept for Siegfried works well, but the cast members aren't all up to the opera's challenges.
In a very silly production of Rossini's La Cenerentola at the Staatsoper, the cast takes a while to warm up, but are irresistably charming in full form.
