Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Quinn Kelsey

Angel Blue shines in the Met’s glitzy new Aida

By Susan Stempleski, 31 December 2024

The American soprano heads an uneven cast in Michael Mayer’s archeologically inspired staging of Verdi’s great tale of love, war and betrayal.

***11

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***11

New York City

01 Jan 2025

Angel Blue shines in the Met’s glitzy new Aida

By Susan Stempleski

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Some thrills and a bit of a chill in Lise Davidsen's Tosca at the Met

By Robert Levine, 15 November 2024

Nézét-Séguin takes a thoroughly veristic approach in the pit. Lise Davidsen's marmoreal nobility may not be perfectly suited to the title role, but oh Lord, the voice!

****1

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****1

New York City

17 Nov 2024

Thrills and a chill in Lise Davidsen's Tosca at the Met

By Robert Levine

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Quinn Kelsey and Nadine Sierra galvanize the Met’s revival of Bartlett Sher’s Rigoletto

By Susan Stempleski, 30 September 2024

This revival of the company’s 2019 Weimar-inspired staging of Verdi’s heartbreaking masterpiece is distinguished by stylish singing.

****1

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****1

New York City

02 Oct 2024

Superb cast galvanizes the Met’s revival of Bartlett Sher’s Rigoletto

By Susan Stempleski

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The Met's Ballo falls flat in its latest revival

By Kevin W Ng, 31 October 2023

An attractive supporting cast isn't sufficient to bring this revival of David Alden's Ballo in maschera to life in New York.

**111

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**111

New York City

01 Nov 2023

The Met's Ballo falls flat in its latest revival

By Kevin W Ng

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Philadelphia

Quinn Kelsey triumphs in Opera Philadelphia's Simon Boccanegra

By Cameron Kelsall, 22 September 2023

In his role debut as the Genoan Doge, the American baritone continues to burnish his bona fides as the premier Verdi baritone of his generation.

****1

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****1

Philadelphia

23 Sep 2023

Quinn Kelsey triumphs in Opera Philadelphia's Simon Boccanegra

By Cameron Kelsall

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Toronto

McVicar's grim and creepy Macbeth impresses at Canadian Opera Company

By John Gilks, 28 April 2023

Sir David McVicar's grim and creepy take on Verdi's Macbeth, backed up by brilliant conducting from Speranza Scappucci and a fine performance of the title role by Quinn Kelsey, is the best thing seen at the COC since lockdown.

****1

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****1

Toronto

30 Apr 2023

McVicar's grim and creepy Macbeth impresses at Canadian Opera Company

By John Gilks

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Tomb Raider: Sonja Frisell’s Aida exhumed one last time at the Met

By Kevin W Ng, 13 December 2022

A loud, unsubtle performance of a loud, unsubtle production – the Met really deserves a new Aida.

**111

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**111

New York City

14 Dec 2022

Tomb Raider: Sonja Frisell’s Aida exhumed one last time at the Met

By Kevin W Ng

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A new cast brings the Met's Rigoletto to life

By Kevin W Ng, 10 November 2022

Three major Metropolitan Opera debuts bring excitement and vocal glamour to this revival of Bartlett Sher's Rigoletto production.

****1

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****1

New York City

11 Nov 2022

A new cast brings the Met's Rigoletto to life

By Kevin W Ng

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Gürbaca's Rigoletto is back on the table in Zürich

By Laura Servidei, 10 April 2022

The Opernhaus Zürich revives Tatjana Gürbaca’s uninspiring production of Verdi’s masterpiece, with a solid cast under the baton of Leonardo Sini.

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Zurich

12 Apr 2022

Gürbaca's Rigoletto is back on the table in Zürich

By Laura Servidei

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Dresden

Moving singing, but missed opportunities in Dresden’s new Aida

By Zoltán Szabó, 17 March 2022

Katharina Thalbach offers a traditional staging at the Semperoper, with fine vocal performances led by Krassimira Stoyanova, Francesco Meli and Oksana Volkova.

***11

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***11

Dresden

17 Mar 2022

Moving singing, but missed opportunities in Dresden’s new Aida

By Zoltán Szabó

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Il trovatore as gothic, medieval fairy tale in Zurich

By Laura Servidei, 28 October 2021

Gianandrea Noseda takes his post as general music director at the Opernhaus Zurich leading a great cast in Adele Thomas' successful new production.

****1

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****1

Zurich

31 Oct 2021

Il trovatore as gothic, medieval fairy tale in Zurich

By Laura Servidei

Los Angeles

All the world is a stage indeed: LA Opera’s Roberto Devereux miraculously comes together

By Matthew Richard Martinez, 22 February 2020

Angela Meade fills in for an indisposed soprano in Los Angeles Opera’s company debut of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux.

****1

****1

Los Angeles

23 Feb 2020

LA Opera’s Roberto Devereux miraculously comes together

By Matthew Richard Martinez

Aleksandra Kurzak impresses as the Met’s new Violetta

By Ako Imamura, 10 January 2020

Michael Mayer’s colorful and busy production of La traviata returned to the Met with a triumphant performance of the title role by soprano Aleksandra Kurzak.

****1

****1

New York City

12 Jan 2020

Aleksandra Kurzak impresses as the Met’s new Violetta

By Ako Imamura

The Met welcomes Nézet-Séguin with a new Traviata

By Ako Imamura, 04 December 2018

A new production of La Traviata, colorful and conventional, brings little new ideas but is a fine vehicle for a fine performance conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin that features a trio of excellent singers.

****1

****1

New York City

06 Dec 2018

The Met welcomes Nézet-Séguin with a new Traviata

By Ako Imamura

At The Met, Netrebko triumphs as Aida, with Rachvelishvili a powerful rival

By Ako Imamura, 26 September 2018

Netrebko met the audience’s high expectations, as she does every time, conquering the challenges with her remarkable artistry.

*****

*****

New York City

27 Sep 2018

Netrebko triumphs as Aida at The Met

By Ako Imamura

London

Prom 11: A Mahlerian leaving party

By Rohan Shotton, 22 July 2018

Thomas Søndergård’s final performance as chief of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales sees them pull off Mahler 8 in style.

****1

****1

London

25 Jul 2018

Prom 11: A Mahlerian leaving party

By Rohan Shotton

Washington

Musically resplendent Don Carlo in Washington

By Edward Sava-Segal, 03 March 2018

The team of soloists, the chorus and the orchestra, under the baton of Philippe Auguin, powerfully conveyed the spectacular qualities of Verdi's Don Carlo.

****1

****1

Washington

06 Mar 2018

Musically resplendent Don Carlo in Washington

By Edward Sava-Segal

Exquisite musicianship in Met's revival of Il trovatore

By Edward Sava-Segal, 22 January 2018

Towering above all the other meritorious singers in this performance, was the phenomenal Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili

****1

****1

New York City

25 Jan 2018

Exquisite musicianship in Met's revival of Il trovatore

By Edward Sava-Segal

Surrealist Rigoletto at the Lyric impresses with vocal talent

By Dan Wang, 07 October 2017

The Lyric Opera’s new production of Rigoletto evokes visually the contours and high-contrast relief of a surrealist painting.

***11

***11

Chicago

10 Oct 2017

Surrealist Rigoletto impresses at the Lyric

By Dan Wang

San Francisco

Quinn Kelsey excels as Rigoletto in San Francisco

By Donna Stoering, 31 May 2017

If you love Verdi's inventive music, enjoy fabulous male voices in particular, and appreciate great opera conducting with exquisitely sensitive orchestral playing – then this Rigoletto is a must.

****1

****1

San Francisco

01 Jun 2017

Quinn Kelsey excels as Rigoletto in San Francisco

By Donna Stoering

Frankfurt am Main

A dark and stunning new Rigoletto in Frankfurt

By Ako Imamura, 28 April 2017

Oper Frankfurt's new production of Rigoletto focuses on the dark side of the tragedy with excellent singing from the two principals.

****1

****1

Frankfurt am Main

30 Apr 2017

A dark and stunning new Rigoletto

By Ako Imamura

London

Comic strip Trovatore a damp squib at the Royal Opera

By Mark Pullinger, 04 December 2016

The Marx Brothers famously sent up Verdi's middle period masterpiece in A Night at the Opera and if Bösch doesn't exactly send up Trovatore's corrosive cocktail of infanticide, jealousy and vengeance, he undermines it with his staging.

**111

**111

London

05 Dec 2016

Comic strip Trovatore a damp squib at the Royal Opera

By Mark Pullinger

Shagimuratova and Beczała shine in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Lyric

By Dan Wang, 19 October 2016

Strong vocal talent rules the night, and a late moment of visual splendor caps off a serviceable reading of a battered warhorse.

***11

***11

Chicago

25 Oct 2016

Shagimuratova and Beczała shine in Chicago Lucia

By Dan Wang

Santa Fe

Santa Fe Rigoletto offers a gimmick-free Mantua where vocal authority rules

By Michael Wade Simpson, 04 July 2015

Quinn Kelsey's Rigoletto is commanding, emotional and complex. His bass-baritone has all the qualities you could ask for – darkness and light.

****1

****1

Santa Fe

07 Jul 2015

Santa Fe Rigoletto offers a gimmick-free Mantua

By Michael Wade Simpson

A better Violetta could not stray: La Traviata in Zurich

By Isabella Steppan, 21 April 2015

Sonya Yoncheva shines in a production which proves that the story of Verdi's opera still feels current today.

*****

*****

Zurich

22 Apr 2015

Traviata in the here and now

By Isabella Steppan

A listener's Trovatore

By Dan Wang, 05 November 2014

The Il trovatore on offer at the Lyric this month would make a fine CD, its vocal strengths to be found equally among the leading foursome, but its weaknesses are visual and dramaturgical, and these are plenty too.

***11

***11

Chicago

08 Nov 2014

A listener's Trovatore

By Dan Wang

A welcome reprise of Zeffirelli's La Bohème at the Met

By David Browning, 23 September 2014

Zeffirelli's La Bohème at the Met never fails to charm. Balance issues aside, a beautifully sung performance by a very capable cast.

****1

****1

New York City

25 Sep 2014

A welcome reprise of Zeffirelli's La Bohème at the Met

By David Browning

Toronto

Don Quichotte enchants with luscious singing and whimsical design

By Catherine Kustanczy, 09 May 2014

Don Quichotte makes its Canadian Opera Company debut in triumphant fashion, offering an elegant visual feast in addition to a trio of magnificent, magnetic performances.

****1

****1

Toronto

11 May 2014

Don Quichotte enchants with luscious singing and whimsical design

By Catherine Kustanczy

London

Not for beginners: Christopher Alden's Rigoletto at ENO

By David Karlin, 13 February 2014

Last night’s opening of Christopher Alden’s allusive, conceptual Rigoletto for ENO, a co-production with Canadian Opera Company, was a notable event for London opera. Musically, ENO have been on top of their game this season and last night was no exception.

****1

****1

London

14 Feb 2014

ENO: Rigoletto

By David Karlin

A singers' Traviata at the Lyric Opera in Chicago

By Dan Wang, 20 November 2013

The new Traviata at the Lyric Opera is both hyper-traditional and, in moments, saucily modern. In broad strokes, it looks like many another Traviata that has come before, though a twinge of visual ambition goes past such clichés.

***11

***11

Chicago

25 Nov 2013

Lyric Opera: La Traviata

By Dan Wang

San Francisco

Verdi's Attila returns to San Francisco… with a vengeance!

By Jeffery S. McMillan, 12 June 2012

In an attempt to persuade Attila the Hun to spare Italy from the scorch and burn policy, the corrupt Roman general Ezio says, "Avrai tu l'universo, resti l'Italia a me," ("You can have the universe, but leave Italy for me").

****1

****1

San Francisco

18 Jun 2012

Verdi's Attila returns to San Francisco… with a vengeance!

By Jeffery S. McMillan

Toronto

Rigoletto from Canadian Opera Company

By James Karas, 29 September 2011

The Canadian Opera Company’s second offering for its 2011-2012 season is Verdi’s ever-popular Rigoletto. It comes on the heels of Robert Carsen’s stunning production of Iphigenia in Tauris. In Carsen’s brilliant conception of the opera, everything works to produce a great night of opera By contrast in Christopher Alden’s production of Rigoletto just about nothing works.

***11

***11

Toronto

05 Oct 2011

Rigoletto from Canadian Opera Company

By James Karas

The Met in HD, La Bohème, 2008

By Andrew Crust, 04 May 2008

Read our review of Franco Zeffirelli's production of Puccini's La Bohème in its 2008 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.

New York City

01 Dec 2013

The Met in HD, La Bohème, 2008

By Andrew Crust

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