Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | David Karlin

Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic are persuasive in Also sprach Zarathustra, less so in Sibelius. Thomas Dunford soothes with Dowland and Purcell.

With Christoph Koncz, the Orchestre National de Mulhouse punches above its weight to bring to a close a delightful and varied stay at the Festival International de Colmar.

Lucie Horsch shows that her star is fully risen in Vivaldi and Telemann. Grigory Sokolov demonstrates why he has been in the top rank of pianists for many years.

Klaus Mäkelä and the Orchestre de Paris give us an orchestral kaleidoscope, Kosky's pared-down staging allows the emotions of Strauss and Hofmannstahl's work to shine through.

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

In a mismatched pairing of Elgar and Mahler, the London Symphony Orchestra produce immaculate instrumental sound quality, but is that enough?

Leonardo García-Alarcón's exhumation of Bembo's work proves a winner, in a hyper-quirky staging by Netia Jones with Julie Fuchs as the pick of the fine singers.

Music Director Douglas Boyd conducts a performance of exceptional musical quality, and Louisa Muller's uncontroversial but passionate direction makes this Traviata one for the ages.

Ted Huffman brings some interesting ideas to his first Glyndebourne production. Excellent singing is let down by indifferent physical acting.

Crisp and elegant cello and piano playing is more successful in French and early repertoire than in Brahms.

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

In Bach, Beethoven and Schubert, the Icelandic pianist demonstrates how perfect technique and total control can lead to expressivity.

Excellent vocal acting from Thomas Hampson, Renée Fleming, Xiaomeng Zhang and a magnificent orchestral performance conducted by Kent Nagano can't make Valentina Carrasco's production fully grip.

The Icelandic pianist and Finnish conductor make a superb case for John Adams' latest concerto; the Philharmonia play Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé strongly but don't convince completely.

Never has Brecht and Weill’s satire on the inhumanity of man to man been render with such utter darkness; Simon O’Neill heads up a superb cast.

Kornél Mundruczó brings the characters to life in Janáček’s drama of eternal youth; the brilliance of Dennis Russell Davies and the Orchestre National de Lille come close to overwhelming the proceedings.

Alice Nellis' staging of Purcell's masterpiece is both historically faithful and innovatively modern. With Collegium 1704 providing the early music chops, it's a rare treat.

MacMillan's large scale choral work offers a rich variety of texts and musical ideas, the composer conducts the BBC Symphony with unerring precision.

Andrei Șerban’s 40 year old take on Puccini's tale of the ice princess largely stands the test of time, but Netrebko and Eyvazov are short of their best form. 

An entertaining portrayal of the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs is marred by ham-fisted amplification.

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France impress mightily under the baton of their new Principal Guest Conductor. Gidon Kremer disappoints in Weinberg.

Bach’s virtuosic keyboard work is transformed into a uniquely dynamic and expressive showpiece for two guitars at Paris’ Cité de la Musique.

Anneliese Miskimmon's ENO production of Jake Heggie and Terence McNally's tale of crime, repentance, compassion and redemption compels from start to finish.

Thomas Adès and the London Symphony Orchestra make the best possible case for SIbelius' lesser played symphonies, the Fourth and Sixth and Johan Dalene turns on the romanticism in Rautavaara.

Fusing the Renaissance polyphony of Les Arts Florissants with the contemporary dance of Compagnie Amala Dianor was an ambitious experiment, which displayed great virtues but didn't quite come off.

Oliver Mears' new staging impresses and Jakub Hrůša's first season as Music Director excites interest. But the evening belongs to Anna Netrebko.

The German violinist gives us plenty of Czech brio in Dvořák; conductor and orchestra display many good qualities but fail to thrill.

Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide a Mahler 3 of exceptional clarity and forward momentum, with terrific posthorn solos from Corey Morris and Beth Taylor an outstanding soloist.

Scion of generations of sitar players, Nishat Khan is the perfect person to tell the "greatest love story never told" behind India's most iconic building.

Superb Handelian singing and intense character acting light up Handel’s Semele, staged as a stark, uncompromising indictment of the rich and powerful. 

A fine singing cast gives creditable performances in Johann Stauss II's most famous operetta, but Paul Curran's updating of Act 2 to 1930s Berlin takes the fizz out of the Champagne.

Simon Mayo’s Young Adult novels are turned into an operatic romp which explores the fascination of the elements with excellent music and setting, albeit riddled with plot lacunae.

Simon Higlett’s exquisite sets and costumes give a backdrop to Donizetti’s frothiest of rom-coms.

Stripped of its original superstar casting, Gounod’s grand opera provides entertainment but fails to cohere. 

Annabel Arden’s production provides joyous comedy, with vocal and orchestral performances of the very finest.

The Uzbek conductor shows that he's a force to be reckoned with, revealing unimaginable amounts of detail in Stravinsky's score. Jan Lisiecki gives a carefully weighted account of Mozart.

Although Karine Deshayes role change from Adalgisa to Norma is a work in progress, Luciano Ganci and Roberto Scandiuzzi shine in a staging charged with mythic symbolism.

Massenet’s take on Goethe’s blockbuster novella of unrequited love and suicide is handled with great subtlety by Christof Loy and Marc Leroy-Calatayud. Benjamin Bernheim and Marina Viotti lead a starry vocal cast.

Berg's concerto “To the Memory of an Angel” is played with heart-melting beauty; David Afkham and the Orchestre national de Lyon offer pleasant, but unmemorable, Beethoven and Brahms. 

Eloise Lally shifts the Romeo and Juliet love story into New York mafia families. Jessica Cale and Samantha Price provide blissful bel canto as the star-crossed lovers.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's operatic adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg's tale of abuse provides rich entertainment even as it shocks.

Excellent vocal acting and total commitment to the text make for a riveting piece of operatic storytelling, driven by James Schouten's powerful Loge.

Iestyn Davies shows how to make every word count in a fairly standard sampler of Baroque arias; Ticciati is a fireball on the podium with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Giovanni Antonini leads Il Giardino Armonico through a sampler of Vivaldi's L'estro armonico, with a stellar Isabelle Faust leading the soloists.

Watching Ma inspire younger musicians is an extraordinary experience. Renaud Capuçon conducts an entertaining if imperfect Eroica.

Strong performances by chorus, orchestra and the father-daughter pairing of Amartuvshin Enkhbat and Anna Pirozzi make this Covent Garden revival well worth the visit.

For La Scala’s prima, outstanding vocal performances light up a busy but interesting staging of Verdi’s revenge opera by Leo Muscato.

After an indifferent start, the Philharmonia finally come to life in the last movement of Sibelius’ First Symphony. Lawrence Power shows his viola class.

With gloriously inventive sets and costumes, Alex Esposito’s splendid Four Villains drive a wonderfully entertaining new production.

The long standing duo sound give impeccable sound and balance in a recital full of charm, whose musicianship and energy belies this being their farewell tour.