Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Josef Wagner

The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence gives us a definitive performance of Wagner's opera – but for listening only.

Using the Nazi regime as his Leitmotif, Canadian director Robert Carsen brings Richard Strauss’ Arabella to the Zurich stage. 

The EIF’s cycle comes to a fabulous end with RSNO and Andrew Davis leading a luxury cast, Christine Goerke’s emotionally powerful Brünnhilde a highlight. 

Lise Davidsen and Sabine Devieilhe produce soprano heaven in their contrasting vocal styles. Katie Mitchell’s staging feels disappointingly familiar.

Jérémie Rhorer led a turbocharged performance of this rare Spontini opera, which, although it tires with its grandiose hyperbole, contains excerpts that deserve to be heard more often.

Hoffmann goes Steampunk: Renaud Doucet’s staging for the Volksoper is the exception to the sensible rule that “less is more”.

The Royal Swedish Opera's Salome, directed by operatic first-timer Sofia Jupither, is dramatic, and its strong directorial concept does not get in the way of the story. Nina Stemme sings astoundingly, and gives a nuanced portrayal of the title character.

Arabella triunfa en el Teatro Real bajo la dirección de Christof Loy y David Afkham.

La mise en scène de Robert Carsen reste trop littérale et la direction de Markus Poschner trop anguleuse pour la comédie lyrique de Strauss.

Esta Capriccio es moderna porque se mantiene escrupulosamente fiel a los códigos de los salones intelectuales del siglo XVIII. Y también es realista porque detecta con irreverente precisión y astuta elegancia el interrogante filosófico que atraviesa el testamento operístico straussiano y la época en que se inscribe.

In der Regie von Achim Freyer und unter der Leitung von Jan van Steen zeigt die Volksoper Wien ihren neuen Don Giovanni.

Così fan tutte in einer klugen und optisch ansprechenden Neuinszenierung: Schwarze und weiße Rokoko-Kostüme vor schwarz-weißem weißem Bühenbild, emotionale und tatsächliche Erdbeben.

A l’Opéra royal de Versailles, l'ode-symphonie Christophe Colomb de Félicien David se voyait ressuscitée par Les Siècles sous la baguette de François-Xavier Roth. Un voyage dépaysant, passionnant, mené d'une main de maître et servi par des interprètes convaincus.