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A programme of shorter masterpieces brings the Hallé season at the Bridgewater Hall to an uplifting and exhilarating conclusion. 

The NZSO are on sparkling form in Puccini arias and other operatic orchestral passages; Eliza Boom shows her potential as a Puccini singer of the future.

Excellent singing, an amusing production and lively staging showcases Mascagni's Le maschere in the best possible light at Wexford Festival Opera. 

Opera North's revives its Cavalleria rusticana production by Karolina Sofulak, pairing it this time with Rachmaninov's early opera Aleko. 

Questionable conducting aside, The Royal Opera's latest revival of Damiano Michieletto’s fluid production of the famous operatic double-bill is terrifically executed by two excellent casts.

Shawna Lucey directs verismo's inseparable twins in the Lyric Opera of Kansas City's outstanding season opener. 

The Dresden Music Festival public renew their love for Jan Vogler, who is joined by festival debutants from Parma. 

Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall bubbles with a concert staging of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi with Sir Byn Terfel leading a cast of fine young singers from the European Opera Centre.

With more cast reshuffles than in Downing Street of late, this revival of Damiano Michieletto's intertwined Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci double bill triumphs against the odds.

The white hot intensity and conviction of the duet between Santuzza and Turiddu encapsulated the strengths of this performance.

Bumble? Tinder? Who needs a dating app when you have Rabbi David setting up every singleton in sight. Opera Holland Park's new production of L'amico Fritz is a feel good rom-com that will warm the heart.

What do you do when your planned season opener bites the dust? Fly in the stars and put on a concert performance of a verismo favourite. 

Exceptional singing, an auspicious conducting debut and a staging that is both sophisticated and emotionally involving make this production an unequivocal winner.

Mascagni's stirring music and gripping storyline cast their spell over a festival audience at the edge of the Baltic Sea.

Notwithstanding director Pippo Delbono's narcissistic excesses, his staging confirmed itself as effective and penetrating.

Some rousing singing from the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir of the famous choruses from the great operas. 

Tenor-turned-director José Cura transplants the action from southern Italy to Buenos Aires. 

An embarrassingly trite libretto proves unsalvageable, even with a committed cast of singers.

Pippo Delbono, an advocate of experimental theatre, tests the audience's patience at Opera di Roma, masking some enjoyable musical performances.

David McVicar's uninspiring Cavalleria rusticana remains problematic, but a strong Pagliacci leaves the New York audience gasping. 

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

Even stronger than first time round, Michieletto's impressive staging is complemented by an outstanding double role debut from Hymel and a heartbreaking Santuzza from Elīna Garanča.

Opera North's Little Greats festival continues with two deeply contrasting short operas - a grimly tragic and austere version of Macagni's Cavalleria rusticana and a frothy and hilarious production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury.

Opera in the City puts two key short works side by side, both duos, to create an evening of contrasting voices in which mature, selfish passion quails before youthful promise. 

For the final week of the CSO season, Muti led a stirring program of operatic excerpts by Verdi, Puccini and Mascagni, along with a rarity by Boito.

This was less a concert of two halves than one of two tenors: able to dramatise the music of Puccini and Verdi far more effectively than his earlier Mozart, Flórez came alive.

A voice with the proportions of a cathedral; a higher register that's entirely secure; an attention to text. Rosenblatt Recitals gave a tantalising preview of a singer who will have a stellar career.

A remarkable performance for State Opera of South Australia from Rosario La Spina as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana and Canio in Pagliacci was evidence of the brilliant tenor he has become.

One wonders why Emma Dante's concept, which explores the plight of women crushed by romantic catastrophes, is not done more often.

Damiano Michieletto's inspired intertwining of the standard double-bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci makes for vivid storytelling, the whole supported by an excellent cast solidly directed by Andrea Licata.

Despite occasionally brilliant singing, the Norwegian National Opera fails to raise seasonal spirits with a dramatically inert Cavalleria rusticana and a shaky Pagliacci.

Scottish Opera may be admirably committed to Mascagni's under-appreciated opera, but the musical quality and vision are lacking.

Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra revive Mascagni's Iris in a fully staged version in Frank Gehry's architecturally stunning Richard B Fisher Center at Bard College.

Perhaps not a masterpiece, but worth exploring, Mascagni's Iris returns to Opera Holland Park. 

Welsh National Opera may have reached the ripe old age of seventy but it's very much alive and kicking.

Craig Ogden in Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Guitar Concerto no. 1 is the highlight of the Northern Chamber Orchestra's varied concert of (mostly) Italian music in Macclesfield.

Benjie del Rosario ignites a thrilling Pagliacci, while Cavalleria rusticana is potentially as good but marred by intelligibility and balance issues.

Singing at short notice, Luis Gomes made a fine partner for Ekaterina Siurina at another superb recital in the Rosenblatt Recital series.

Bryan Hymel and Irene Roberts explored the boundaries of love in the latest splendid performance in the Rosenblatt Recitals.

The Met’s revival of David McVicar’s year-old take on the perennial Verismo twins strikes out emotionally in Cavalleria rusticana but scores high in Pagliacci. Working on the same set by Rae Smith, flanked by the forbidding stone walls of the town church, Cavalleria is dark, dark, dark – the very picture of a poor, unhappy Sicilian hill town.

A gripping double bill of  “Cav &Pag” from Italian director Damiano Michieletto at Covent Garden includes a few surprise guest appearances. 

To celebrate its 50th birthday Dutch National Opera put on a festive tribute to the people that have made it the innovative and much-admired house it is today.

Opportunities to see Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff come few and far between, mainly because the title role is an absolute killer for any tenor mad enough to attempt it. Step forward, Angelo Villari...

Mario Martone's Cavalleria rusticana—Pagliacci returns to La Scala, with results that do not always convince. 

The Met's new production of Cav and Pag boasted strong musical performance, but its production, despite some interesting ideas, was not completely successful.

After a slightly disjoined start, the RPO delivered an ultimately satisfying concert with distinctive and involing intepretations of two Romantic warhorses. 

Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello open San Diego Opera's season in a generous duo recital.

“Sorry for my meddling. I am the director of this opera.” Before the curtain opens, in a prologue to the prologue, Delbono shows up and addresses the audience.