En vivo, Video: Buscador de críticas de conciertos de música clásica, ópera, ballet y danza | Heidi Melton

A strong cast led by Sarah Aristidou and compelling conducting from Nicholas Collon are the highlights of the opening night of this year's Musikfest Berlin.

Musikalisch überzeugend, aber aufgrund der fehlenden Regie bleiben viele Absurditäten und der abgründige Schabernack auf der Strecke.

New York Philharmonic, under the strong leadership of its incoming music director, demonstrated that they can perform opera as well as symphonies in an impressive performance of Act 1 of Die Walküre.

Joining Music Director Jaap van Zweden were some familiar faces who had appeared in Das Rheingold and Die Walküre in the same or different roles, and new faces appearing for the first time.

Simon Rattle leads the LSO and a fine chorus and cast of soloists in Ligeti's masterpiece: surreal, madcap but touching the sublime.

Singing, orchestral playing and scenic portrayal all combine to make a highly memorable second instalment of Wagner's Ring.

English National Opera's new Tristan is at its best when responding to Anish Kapoor's stunning stage sculptures.

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Maestro Gergiev, showed off their brilliant versitility, and gave us a taste of Wagner's Ring.

In Act II of Tannhäuser, Hermann, Landgrave of Thuringia, sets the theme of the singing contest that is about to take place in his hall by asking: “Can you describe love’s nature to me?” To some extent, the entire opera is an examination of two very different answers to that question.

It’s Richard Wagner’s bicentennial year, and everyone is getting in on the act. 22 different productions, by one count, of the complete Ring cycle will be seen worldwide, not to mention countless other celebratory evenings put on by sundry ensembles.

Read our review of Robert Lepage's production of Wagner's Götterdämmerung in its 2012 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.