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The Hungarian State Opera presents a new modern production of Don Carlo by a director who depicts the historical cruelty as very much present in our world today.

London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir paint a terrifying picture of hell and damnation at the Royal Festival Hall.

From stylised 16th-century dress to a 1970s sitcom ballet, Konwitschny's Staatsoper staging is full of brilliantly inventive touches, splendidly realised in this excellently sung revival. 

Performing arts duo Ricci/Forte throw what feels like the entire directorial arsenal at this production.

Perhaps feeling that the drama and emotion of the Ring Cycle wasn't enough for one year, Antonio Pappano assembled a strong quartet and deployed the ROH's forces in a powerful, moving performance of Verdi's Messa da Requiem.

An astonishing performance by Asmik Grigorian is central to the Italian director's disturbing reading of a disturbing opera. 

Stephen Gould is less than convincing in the lead role of Tannhäuser, but excellent ensemble work under Ádám Fischer's inspired direction offers compensations.

Oliver von Dohnányi leads a great orchestral performance to drive Meyerbeer's grand historical epic, lit up by sparkling coloratura from Klára Kolonits.

With Gergely Kesselyák on double duty as conductor and director, this revival proves musically outstanding but theatrically less than satisfying.

The LSO’s pedigree in Berlioz is second to none so La Damnation de Faust acted as the perfect showcase in its “This is Rattle” festival. 

An outstanding Azucena and solid vocal and orchestral performances more than make up for David Bösch's unappealing staging.

A warhorse on its own, Kálmán Nádasdy's 79-year-old production works surprisingly well, providing a nice evening's entertainment with a dedicated cast.

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.

Hungarian critic Sandor Hevesy once declared that Bluebeard’s Castle was “far too dark”. Yet, Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Miraculous Mandarin are probably the summation of his orchestral journey. And what better experience then making it to Budapest, to hear it in its birthplace?

Budapest's Wagner Festival opens with an excellent Rheingold in a skilful combination of singing, acting and projections.

Christof Loy’s minimalist staging for Khovanshchina at Dutch National Opera has the advantage of clarifying a reputedly fragmented plot. 

For anyone seeing Carmen for the first time, this Royal Opera revival will have been a more than satisfactory evening. Old hands hoping to see something extra will find it in Hymel's Don José and Car's Micaëla, but not elsewhere.

The devil may not get all the best tunes in Gounod’s Faust, but Gábor Bretz certainly stole the show in this new production at Hungarian State Opera. 

The Met's revival of Carmen, with its rotating set, has a successful opening night with a strong cast, an insightful conductor, a superb orchestra and chorus, all working well as a team.

Ermonela Jaho gives an incomparable vocal acting performance; John Copley's production, 40 years old this year, never fails to enthrall. It's being retired after next season: catch it while you can, and remember to pack the handkerchiefs.

Two Eastern European masterpieces were given gripping readings by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Edward Gardner.

Les occasions d’entendre les Gurrelieder d’Arnold Schönberg ne sont pas si fréquentes.

Capitalising on their success with Verdi’s opera Rigoletto during the Aix-en-Provence Festival in the summer, the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Gianandrea Noseda chose to open the 2013/14 season last night with the same work.

Il Trovatore has doggedly survived in opera’s hit charts despite dispensing generous quantities of hair-raising as well as eyebrow-raising content. Verdi’s music is intoxicating, of course, but there is something to this work that makes it accessible beyond reasoning.

If director Luc Bondy has a muse, it’s the Georgian baritone George Gagnidze, blessed with a bulging eyes and a big, craggy voice. After growling and sneering his way through Scarpia in Bondy’s much-maligned Metropolitan Opera production of “Tosca,” Gagnidze is back to do the same to the title role of “Rigoletto” in Bondy’s new production at the Wiener Festwochen.

Les Contes d’Hoffmann reviennent à La Monnaie. Si la mise en scène hollywoodienne de Krzysztof Warlikowski montre ses limites, l'interprétation musicale n'appelle que des éloges.

Daniel Harding, Pierre-Laurent Aimard und das Concertgebouw-Orchester brillieren mit Dvořáks Klavierkonzert und Bartóks Herzog Blaubarts Burg.

Retour de Romeo Castellucci à La Monnaie, pour une Flûte enchantée attendue avec impatience. On s'attendait à une mise en scène non conventionnelle. On fut servi.

Si la nouvelle mise en scène d'Olivier Py s'appuie sur des postulats discutables, la réalistion est néanmoins très convaincante. 

Noch ehe die Lichter der bayerischen Staatsoper komplett erloschen sind, knallt es. Man entwischt dem zur Zeit nicht sehr winterlichen München und findet sich in der Hitze Südspaniens wieder. Klammheimlich hatte sich Dirigent Omer Meir Wellber ans Pult geschlichen und das munter plaudernde Publikum mit der furiosen Ouvertüre zu Carmen regelrecht zusammenzucken lassen.