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A long, strange trip: Opera Philadelphia’s Il viaggio a Reims

By Cameron Kelsall, 19 September 2025

The intrepid company brings Damiano Michieletto’s well-traveled production of a Rossini rarity to the US for the first time.

***11

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***11

Philadelphia

19 Sep 2025

A long, strange trip: Opera Philadelphia’s Il viaggio a Reims

By Cameron Kelsall

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Berlin

Low on laughs: Die schweigsame Frau in Berlin

By Elena Luporini, 19 July 2025

Newly General Music Director Christian Thielemann and Jan Philipp Gloger bring Richard Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau to the Staatsoper Berlin for the first time, but la commedia is hardly stupenda.

**111

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**111

Berlin

19 Jul 2025

Low on laughs: Die schweigsame Frau in Berlin

By Elena Luporini

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New York City

Allan Clayton dazzles in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Metropolitan Opera

By David Wolfson, 18 May 2022

Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Met is a worthy addition to the operatic canon, and the production is a treat.

*****

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*****

New York City

18 May 2022

Allan Clayton dazzles in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Met

By David Wolfson

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Los Angeles

LA Master Chorale shines in Mozart's C minor Mass

By Matthew Richard Martinez, 31 March 2022

The soloists and LA Master Chorale lead the way in a performance of Mozart's “Great” C minor Mass conducted by Zubin Mehta.

***11

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***11

Los Angeles

31 Mar 2022

LA Master Chorale shines in Mozart's C minor Mass

By Matthew Richard Martinez

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New York City

A singer for the ages: Lise Davidsen a triumphant Ariadne at the Met

By Robert Levine, 08 March 2022

The Norwegian soprano is acclaimed at the Met in Richard Strauss' mash-up of commedia dell'arte and tragic opera.

*****

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*****

New York City

08 Mar 2022

A singer for the ages: Lise Davidsen a triumphant Ariadne at the Met

By Robert Levine

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Zurich

The New Year arrives with laughter in Zurich, on the notes of Le Comte Ory

By Laura Servidei, 31 December 2021

Zurich Opera revives a successful production of Rossini’s masterpiece with a strong cast for a fun, entertaining New Year’s Eve.

***11

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***11

Zurich

31 Dec 2021

New Year arrives with laughter in Zurich: Le Comte Ory

By Laura Servidei

London

David McVicar's staging of The Magic Flute revived at the Royal Opera House

By Mark Valencia, 15 September 2021

Unlike many Flutes, David McVicar's 2003 production treats Mozart's score as a proper opera, albeit with romp instead of pomp.

****1

****1

London

15 Sep 2021

McVicar's Magic Flute staging revived at the Royal Opera House

By Mark Valencia

Edinburgh

Edinburgh International Festival closes in style with a terrific Ariadne auf Naxos

By David Smythe, 25 August 2021

Memorable role debuts from Dorothea Röschmann, David Butt Philip and Catriona Morison make Ariadne auf Naxos with the RSNO and Lothar Koenigs a night to savour.

****1

****1

Edinburgh

25 Aug 2021

EIF closes in style with a terrific Ariadne auf Naxos

By David Smythe

New York City

“Endless pleasure” in Bicket's Semele at Carnegie Hall

By Robert Levine, 14 April 2019

A concert performance of Handel's not-quite-an-opera proves a hit on tour in New York.

*****

*****

New York City

14 Apr 2019

“Endless pleasure” in Bicket's Semele at Carnegie Hall

By Robert Levine

Chicago

A vibrant, urgent Ariodante at Lyric Opera of Chicago

By Katherine Syer, 02 March 2019

A revival of Richard Jones’ production of Handel’s emotionally probing opera.

*****

*****

Chicago

02 Mar 2019

A vibrant, urgent Ariodante at Lyric Opera of Chicago

By Katherine Syer

Philadelphia

Brenda Rae's remarkable Lucia a compensation in Philadelphia

By Susan Gould, 21 September 2018

Top-notch singers and some sensitive direction almost make up for Laurent Pelly's frustrating Opera Philadelphia production.

***11

***11

Philadelphia

21 Sep 2018

Brenda Rae's remarkable Lucia a compensation in Philadelphia

By Susan Gould

Munich

Die schweigsame Frau: a commedia del Kosky staging in Munich

By Jonathan Sutherland, 15 November 2017

Barrie Kosky’s clever direction enlivens a Strauss rarity at the Bayerische Staatsoper but the minimalist stage setting sinks HMS Schweigsame Frau.

***11

***11

Munich

15 Nov 2017

A commedia del Kosky staging in Munich

By Jonathan Sutherland

Santa Fe

Brenda Rae carries Santa Fe Opera's Lucia

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 21 July 2017

Static blocking and an uneven cast can't kill a Lucia di Lammermoor with a star this bright.

***11

***11

Santa Fe

21 Jul 2017

Brenda Rae carries Santa Fe Opera's Lucia

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz

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

28 Apr 2017

A dark and stunning new Rigoletto

By Ako Imamura

London

Dramatic intensity, risk of sensory overload: ENO's Lulu

By David Karlin, 09 November 2016

William Kentridge's Lulu for ENO is easier to admire than it is to love. But if you want to be challenged dramatically, this is the opera to do it.

***11

***11

London

09 Nov 2016

Risk of sensory overload: ENO's Lulu

By David Karlin

Seattle

A ravishingly entertaining Semele alights in Seattle

By Thomas May, 21 February 2015

Handel's sensual tragicomedy comes to dazzling life in Seattle Opera's first-ever staging of Semele, a new production directed by Tomer Zvulun.

****1

****1

Seattle

21 Feb 2015

A ravishingly entertaining Semele alights in Seattle

By Thomas May

Munich

Silence is silver, singing is golden: Strauss' Silent Woman in Munich

By Benedikt Zacher, 25 September 2014

Matrimony, divorce, Germany's next top model and superb voices - this Munich production promises an exciting evening.

****1

****1

Munich

25 Sep 2014

Singing is golden

By Benedikt Zacher

London

All I want for Christmas is Fantasio : Opera Rara score a hit

By Charlotte Valori, 15 December 2013

Offenbach’s wrongfully neglected masterpiece has returned to us at last, thanks to the concerted efforts of Opera Rara, the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment and Sir Mark Elder; and, above all, because of the tireless, lifelong devotion of one man: Jean-Christophe Keck.

*****

*****

London

15 Dec 2013

Opera Rara: Fantasio

By Charlotte Valori

London

A finely-cast Radamisto from The English Concert

By Nahoko Gotoh, 10 February 2013

Handel’s Radamisto has an improbable plot (although average by Baroque opera standards) which can make it difficult to stage. The most recent staging in London was the ENO production in 2010, which had a largely abstract setting.

****1

****1

London

10 Feb 2013

A finely-cast Radamisto from The English Concert

By Nahoko Gotoh

London

Glyndebourne's Rinaldo comes to the Proms

By Intermezzo, 25 August 2011

London audiences had never seen anything quite like it. Fireworks, fountains and live sparrows were just a few of the special effects livening up the premiere of Handel's Rinaldo way back in 1711, prompting the Spectator's critic to compare it sniffily to a Punch and Judy show. Fast forward two hundred years, and you might wonder if there's been any progress.

****1

****1

London

25 Aug 2011

Glyndebourne's Rinaldo comes to the Proms

By Intermezzo

Glyndebourne

Rinaldo at Glyndebourne

By Travis Mason, 02 July 2011

To Glyndebourne, for the opening night of Handel's Rinaldo, the first of his operas to be staged in London in 1711, when he was just 26 years old.

Glyndebourne

02 Jul 2011

Rinaldo at Glyndebourne

By Travis Mason

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Munich

Die Braut, die sich nicht traut: imposante Semele an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By Michael Vieth, 15 July 2023

Oratorium oder Oper? Claus Guth macht daraus in München ein mitreißendes Drama voller Anspielungen und Komik.

*****

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*****

Munich

15 Jul 2023

Die Braut, die sich nicht traut: imposante Semele in München

By Michael Vieth

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Paris

La folie sage de Lucia di Lammermoor à l’Opéra Bastille

By Suzanne Lay-Canessa, 18 February 2023

La reprise de la mise en scène d'Andrei Șerban donne à entendre une distribution plus qu'enthousiasmante, un orchestre et des chœurs excellents ; mais théâtralement parlant, on reste un peu sur sa faim.

***11

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***11

Paris

18 Feb 2023

La folie sage de Lucia di Lammermoor à l’Opéra Bastille

By Suzanne Lay-Canessa

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Zurich

Barkouf au pied de la lettre à l’Opernhaus de Zurich

By Romain Daroles, 27 October 2022

Malgré la direction décapante de Jérémie Rhorer, cette nouvelle production pâtit d'une distribution globalement peu à son avantage et d'une mise en scène tiède et littérale.

**111

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**111

Zurich

27 Oct 2022

Barkouf au pied de la lettre à l’Opernhaus de Zurich

By Romain Daroles

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Salzburg

Edle Größe, stilles Zwiegespräch: Die Zauberflöte bei den Salzburger Festspielen

By Benedikt Zacher, 24 August 2022

Frauenpower allenthalben in der überarbeiteten 2018er-Inszenierung, angeführt von einer fabelhaften Joana Mallwitz.

***11

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***11

Salzburg

24 Aug 2022

Edle Größe, stilles Zwiegespräch: Die Zauberflöte in Salzburg

By Benedikt Zacher

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Munich

Der Strauss'sche Enkeltrick: Die schweigsame Frau an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By Alexandra Richter, 29 January 2022

Die selten aufgeführte Strauss-Oper wird im Nationaltheater mit einer Traum-Besetzung wiederaufgenommen.

****1

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****1

Munich

29 Jan 2022

Der Strauss'sche Enkeltrick: Die schweigsame Frau in München

By Alexandra Richter

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Madrid

El Handel más gamberro llega al Teatro Real

By David Santana Cañas, 13 November 2021

Christopher Alden trae al Teatro Real de Madrid una Parténope al estilo art decó dinámica de la que supo exprimir toda su comicidad.

***11

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***11

Madrid

13 Nov 2021

El Handel más gamberro llega al Teatro Real

By David Santana Cañas

Madrid

Perdidos en la espesura: Don Giovanni en el Teatro Real

By Juan José Freijo, 18 December 2020

Claus Guth nos traslada a un entorno sombrío y lúgubre para narrar las horas finales de un Don Giovanni herido de muerte.

****1

****1

Madrid

18 Dec 2020

Perdidos en la espesura: Don Giovanni en el Teatro Real

By Juan José Freijo

Madrid

Este filtro no hace efecto: L’elisir d’amore en el Real

By Ramón del Buey Cañas, 02 November 2019

El escenógrafo veneciano plantea el trasvase de la trama a un contexto contemporáneo, la playa masificada de nuestros días, pero olvida en su ejercicio de adaptación lo más fundamental: preservar un adecuado equilibrio entre las afectadas aspiraciones de los protagonistas y el desengaño hilarante en el que éstos se ven constantemente envueltos.

**111

**111

Madrid

02 Nov 2019

Este filtro no hace efecto: L’elisir d’amore en el Real

By Ramón del Buey Cañas

Frankfurt am Main

Ein Requiem für Bellini: I puritani an der Oper Frankfurt

By Alexandra Richter, 02 December 2018

Die Neuinszenierung von Bellinis I puritani wird dank der Sopranistin Brenda Rae zu einem unvergesslichen Belcanto-Erlebnis.

****1

****1

Frankfurt am Main

02 Dec 2018

Ein Requiem für Bellini: I puritani an der Oper Frankfurt

By Alexandra Richter

Munich

Sangesleistung im Mittelpunkt: Ariadne auf Naxos an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By Norman Schwarze, 17 October 2015

Mit Ariadne auf Naxos von Richard Strauss zeigt die Bayerische Staatsoper, dass auch eine Wiederaufnahme für musikalische Höhepunkte sorgen kann.

****1

****1

Munich

17 Oct 2015

Sangesleistung im Mittelpunkt

By Norman Schwarze

Paris

Ariane à Naxos au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées : prima la musica !

By Denis Peyrat, 12 October 2015

Kirill Petrenko donnait en version de concert au TCE l'opéra qu'il dirigera bientôt sur scène à Munich, avec le même cast. Il avait cependant une guest star de luxe, le Bacchus de Jonas Kaufmann. Une soirée où la musique était à la fête et où le théâtre était quand même présent.

****1

****1

Paris

12 Oct 2015

Ariane à Naxos au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées : prima la musica !

By Denis Peyrat

Schwarzenberg

Brenda Rae : belle surprise au Festival Schubertiade d’Autriche

By Elodie Martinez, 26 August 2015

Mercredi 26 août, dans l’Angelika-Kauffmann-Saal de Swarzenberg se poursuivait le Festival Schubertiade avec, à 16h, un liederabend par la jeune soprano Brenda Rae accompagnée de Wolfram Rieger au piano.

****1

****1

Schwarzenberg

26 Aug 2015

Brenda Rae : belle surprise au Festival Schubertiade d’Autriche

By Elodie Martinez

Munich

Künstler in Nöten – Hoffmanns Erzählungen an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By David Renke, 28 March 2015

Rolando Villazón bricht nach einer schwachen Leistung seine Vorstellung ab und übergibt an Arturo Chacón-Cruz. Dass die Aufführung an der Münchener Staatsoper dennoch gelingt, liegt vor allem an der einfallsreichen Inszenierung.

***11

***11

Munich

28 Mar 2015

Künstler in Nöten

By David Renke