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A feast for eyes and ears: Damiano Michieletto’s new Tales of Hoffmann at The Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 07 November 2024

With gloriously inventive sets and costumes, Alex Esposito’s splendid Four Villains drive a wonderfully entertaining new production.

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London

08 Nov 2024

A feast for eyes and ears: Michieletto’s new ROH Hoffmann

By David Karlin

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Naples

I vespri siciliani in Naples: a revolt against the Mafia

By Lorenzo Fiorito, 21 January 2024

In the Italian version of Verdi's French grand opéra, Emma Dante updates the action from 1282 to the organised crime of the Sicilian Mafia.

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Naples

23 Jan 2024

I vespri siciliani in Naples: a revolt against the Mafia

By Lorenzo Fiorito

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Bergamo

A tutor in a jam! L’ajo nell’imbarazzo at the Donizetti Opera Festival

By Laura Servidei, 20 November 2022

Alex Esposito and Alessandro Corbelli lead a young cast in an early opera buffa by Donizetti, in a new production, with mixed results, by Francesco Micheli.

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Bergamo

22 Nov 2022

A tutor in a jam at the Donizetti Opera Festival!

By Laura Servidei

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Méphistophélès returns to the stage in Gounod’s Faust at La Fenice!

By Laura Servidei, 30 April 2022

The Teatro La Fenice reprises Joan Anton Rechi’s production in its full stage version, less inspiring than the one expanded through the whole theatre during Covid times.

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Venice

01 May 2022

Méphistophélès returns to the stage in Gounod’s Faust at La Fenice!

By Laura Servidei

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Milan

Celebrating La Scala: Robert Carsen’s Don Giovanni returns

By Laura Servidei, 02 April 2022

Robert Carsen’s imaginative 2011 production of Mozart’s masterpiece is revived in Milan with an excellent cast led by Christopher Maltman.

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Milan

04 Apr 2022

Celebrating La Scala: Robert Carsen’s Don Giovanni returns

By Laura Servidei

La Fenice transformed into a cathedral for Joan Antón Rechi's vision of Gounod's Faust

By Renato Verga, 03 July 2021

The real sensation of the evening was Alex Esposito – this time, Gounod's Faust should have been titled Méphistophélès...

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Venice

05 Jul 2021

La Fenice transformed into a cathedral for Gounod's Faust

By Renato Verga

A requiem to honour the dead in Venice: Claus Peter Flor conducts Mozart

By Alexander Hall, 02 April 2021

Claus Peter Flor directs La Fenice forces with a fine quartet of soloists in the Requiem by Mozart that somewhat unjustifiably carries the composer's name, prefaced by a companion-piece motet.

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Venice

03 Apr 2021

A requiem to honour the dead in Venice

By Alexander Hall

Milan

Even more cynical than Così! A new Turco in Italia at La Scala

By Laura Servidei, 22 February 2020

Diego Fasolis conducts a great cast, led by Alex Esposito and Rosa Feola in a new production of Rossini’s masterpiece by Roberto Andò.

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Milan

24 Feb 2020

Even more cynical than Così! A new Turco in Italia at La Scala

By Laura Servidei

Beware Posa! A black, bleak Don Carlo opens season at La Fenice

By Laura Servidei, 30 November 2019

Maestro Myung-Whun Chung leads an almost all-Italian cast in an impressive performance of Verdi’s most ambiguous masterpiece.

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Venice

01 Dec 2019

Beware Posa! A black, bleak Don Carlo opens season at La Fenice

By Laura Servidei

Naples

The Tales of Hoffmann are beautifully told in Naples

By Lorenzo Fiorito, 17 March 2019

One of Teatro San Carlo’s most cherished productions of recent years, with an excellent cast of singers and a director who steered at his ease into the libretto’s erratic changes of mood and atmosphere.

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Naples

19 Mar 2019

The Tales of Hoffmann are beautifully told in Naples

By Lorenzo Fiorito

Rome

A great cast for Anna Bolena at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

By Laura Servidei, 24 February 2019

Riccardo Frizza conducts a complete version of Donizetti’s masterpiece, with the debuts of Maria Agresta in the title role, Carmela Remigio as Giovanna Seymour and René Barbera as Percy.

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Rome

26 Feb 2019

A great cast for Anna Bolena in Rome

By Laura Servidei

Berlin

A Mixed Evening at Deutsche Oper Berlin's new Les Contes d'Hoffmann

By Ako Imamura, 15 December 2018

Deutsche Oper Berlin staged an ambitious production by Laurence Pelly with mixed results. The performance included new discoveries and young singers brought fresh energy to the evening.

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Berlin

16 Dec 2018

Mixed Evening at Deutsche Oper Berlin's new Les Contes d'Hoffmann

By Ako Imamura

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A regal, integral version of Semiramide in Venice

By Laura Servidei, 21 October 2018

La Fenice presents Rossini’s monumental farewell to Italy and to 18th-century tradition in Ligorio’s elegant new production with a superb cast.

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Venice

23 Oct 2018

A regal, integral version of Semiramide in Venice

By Laura Servidei

Macerata

Michieletto's L'elisir d'amore finds its ideal setting at the Macerata Festival

By James Imam, 21 July 2018

With unbridled imagination, Michieletto fills this usually-problematic space with a wealth of racy detail.

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Macerata

23 Jul 2018

L'elisir d'amore finds an ideal setting at Macerata

By James Imam

Naples

From darkness to light for Rossini's Mosè in Egitto in Naples

By Lorenzo Fiorito, 15 March 2018

David Pountney’s 2014 staging was revived in Naples with good singing and empathetic conducting.

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Naples

19 Mar 2018

From darkness to light: Mosè in Egitto in Naples

By Lorenzo Fiorito

Rome

Dark humour: Michieletto and Gatti provide an adventurous La Damnation de Faust

By James Imam, 14 December 2017

Michieletto's production for the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome is fresh, intelligent and destined to go down as one of his best.

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Rome

15 Dec 2017

An adventurous La Damnation de Faust in Rome

By James Imam

Giant haystacks: Pelly's sunny L'elisir d'amore romps back to Covent Garden

By Mark Pullinger, 27 May 2017

This was meant to be Pretty Yende's night, but it was Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan who stole hearts as country bumpkin Nemorino.

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London

28 May 2017

Giant haystacks: Pelly's sunny L'elisir d'amore

By Mark Pullinger

Milan

Rossini’s Thieving Magpie doesn’t quite take flight at La Scala

By Mark Pullinger, 12 April 2017

La gazza ladra celebrates its 200th anniversary with a new production at La Scala, an earthbound effort from director Gabriele Salvatores, but it was Riccardo Chailly who drew the wrath of sections of the Milanese audience.

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Milan

13 Apr 2017

Thieving Magpie doesn’t quite take flight at La Scala

By Mark Pullinger

Making Babylon great again: DiDonato shines in musically spectacular Semiramide in Munich

By Laura Servidei, 18 February 2017

The Rossini masterpiece is brought to life by an inspired conductor and four first-class singers in a new, modern production by David Alden.

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Munich

19 Feb 2017

Making Babylon great again: Semiramide in Munich

By Laura Servidei

Amsterdam

Choice cast in bonbon-box Marriage of Figaro at Dutch National Opera

By Jenny Camilleri, 06 September 2016

The singing is the main attraction in Dutch National Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro, but this new production is also entertaining and looks good enough to eat.

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Amsterdam

08 Sep 2016

Bonbon-box Marriage of Figaro at DNO

By Jenny Camilleri

In praise of strong women: Holten's Don Giovanni returns to the Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 16 June 2015

Kasper Holten's virtuosic staging is revived by the Royal Opera with a cast of three exceptionally strong women, and accomplished performances by Christopher Maltman and Alex Esposito as the Don and his servant.

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London

17 Jun 2015

Holten's Don Giovanni: In praise of strong women

By David Karlin

Comedy in the madhouse: A risky twist on Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at Theater an der Wien

By Chanda VanderHart, 13 April 2015

“Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It’s a bum’s life,” stated the late, great Marlon Brando. Felix Breisach took this idea to heart when staging his modernized Figaro in a mental institution.

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Vienna

14 Apr 2015

Comedy in the madhouse: A risky twist on Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro

By Chanda VanderHart

Rossini's Turco in Munich: sometimes funny, but deeply flawed

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 28 November 2014

There's much to recommend this Turco, including stunning vocal fireworks by Olga Peretyatko and moments of comedic gold in the staging. But this production also reinforces some ugly racial and gender stereotypes.

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Munich

01 Dec 2014

Turco in Munich: funny, but deeply flawed

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz

McVicar’s subtle take Le nozze di Figaro returns to ROH

By Francesca Vella, 02 May 2014

David McVicar's production of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro returns for its sixth revival at the Royal Opera House, the refinement of the production matched, almost at all times, by the performances.

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London

03 May 2014

McVicar’s subtle take Le nozze di Figaro returns to ROH

By Francesca Vella

Oslo

The night of the two Hoffmänner: The Tales of Hoffmann at the Norwegian National Opera

By Aksel Tollåli, 04 December 2013

Calixto Bieito's The Tales of Hoffmann at the Norwegian National Opera contains some very effective and at times striking moments, but the production turned out something of a disappointment overall.

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Oslo

08 Dec 2013

Norwegian National Opera: The Tales of Hoffmann

By Aksel Tollåli

La Cenerentola at the Bavarian State Opera

By Max Woods, 07 June 2012

Shortly after Rossini's success with The Barber of Seville came La Cenerentola, a reworking of the Cinderella fairy tale, but with a little less magic, and a lot more worldly comedy. It was an instant success and further established the 25-year-old Rossini as one of the greatest Italian opera composers of his day.

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Munich

09 Jun 2012

La Cenerentola at the Bavarian State Opera

By Max Woods

Schrott thrills in a mixed Don Giovanni

By David Karlin, 16 February 2012

It's the most spectacular entrance in opera: the giant stone statue bursts in to join Don Giovanni at the dinner table; a pair of sweeping downward octave swoops in D minor fills the audience (and the hapless Leporello) with terror at the rake's imminent descent into hell.OK, that was a spoiler, but then we all know the story: a production of Don Giovanni is all about how you tell it.

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London

17 Feb 2012

Schrott thrills in a mixed Don Giovanni

By David Karlin

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Mit dem Metronom: Les Contes d'Hoffmann an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon, 16 December 2024

Vor allem Andrei Șerbans fantasievolle, zeitlos-elegante Inszenierung ist ein Plädoyer, Hoffmann viel öfters auf den Spielplan zu setzen.

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Vienna

18 Dec 2024

Mit dem Metronom: Les Contes d'Hoffmann an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon

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Paris

Le docteur Faust de mister Kratzer s’éparpille à l’Opéra de Paris

By Erwan Gentric, 26 September 2024

Si la mise en scène de Tobias Kratzer n'est pas dépourvue d'incohérences, elle réserve tout de même de grands moments de spectacle. Et la distribution tient son rang, emmenée par un grand Pene Pati.

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Paris

29 Sep 2024

Le docteur Faust de mister Kratzer s’éparpille à l’Opéra de Paris

By Erwan Gentric

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Paris

Le drôle de Don Giovanni de Claus Guth à l'Opéra Bastille

By Erwan Gentric, 13 September 2023

Excellents en Don Giovanni et Leporello, Peter Mattei et Alex Esposito s'illustrent dans une mise en scène convaincante de Claus Guth, malgré un penchant pour le giocoso au détriment du dramma. La direction d'Antonello Manacorda déçoit.

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Paris

15 Sep 2023

Le drôle de Don Giovanni de Claus Guth à l'Opéra Bastille

By Erwan Gentric

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Madrid

Il turco in Italia en el Real: un purísimo Rossini en los sesenta

By David Santana Cañas, 31 May 2023

Laurent Pelly traslada el divertido Il turco in Italia a los años sesenta en una producción que cuenta con unas voces puramente rossinianas.

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Madrid

03 Jun 2023

Il turco in Italia en el Real: un purísimo Rossini en los sesenta

By David Santana Cañas

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Leider nur ganz kleines Kino: Der Freischütz am MusikTheater an der Wien

By Norman Schwarze, 24 March 2023

David Morton stößt mit seiner filmlastigen Inszenierung von Carl Maria von Webers Oper auf das Missfallen des Wiener Publikums und wird gnadenlos ausgebuht.

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Vienna

26 Mar 2023

Leider nur ganz kleines Kino: Der Freischütz am MTadW

By Norman Schwarze

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Lyon

Moïse et Pharaon réussissent la traversée Aix-en-Provence – Lyon

By Irma Foletti, 24 January 2023

Après sa présentation au Festival d'Aix-en-Provence l'été dernier, la mise en scène de Tobias Kratzer fait ses débuts sur la scène lyonnaise, avec la même réussite.

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Lyon

26 Jan 2023

Moïse et Pharaon réussissent la traversée Aix-en-Provence – Lyon

By Irma Foletti

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Valencia

Dos reinas lastradas: Anna Bolena en Les Arts

By Juan José Freijo, 01 October 2022

Un producción que, aunque cuenta con escenas magníficamente cantadas, resulta entorpecida por elementos escénicos y musicales con escaso acierto dramático.

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Valencia

03 Oct 2022

Dos reinas lastradas: Anna Bolena en Les Arts

By Juan José Freijo

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Geneva

À Genève, Anna Bolena ne muscle pas assez son jeu

By Romain Daroles, 26 October 2021

Pour l'entrée au répertoire d'Anna Bolena à Genève, seul l'orchestre semble véritablement tirer son épingle d'un jeu belcantiste face à un plateau vocal et une proposition scénique en demi-teinte.

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Geneva

28 Oct 2021

À Genève, Anna Bolena ne muscle pas assez son jeu

By Romain Daroles

Don Giovanni im Paralleluniversum am Theater an der Wien

By Isabella Steppan, 24 September 2019

Konzertant angekündigt und dreiviertelszenisch umgesetzt begeistert Mozarts Oper das Publikum.

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Vienna

26 Sep 2019

Don Giovanni im Paralleluniversum am Theater an der Wien

By Isabella Steppan

Gipfel der Opernkunst: Albina Shagimuratova als Semiramide an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By Benedikt Zacher, 10 June 2018

Die russische Sopranistin weiß das Münchner Publikum vom ersten bis zum letzten Ton in der Wiederaufnahme von David Aldens Inszenierung zu fesseln.

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Munich

11 Jun 2018

Gipfel der Opernkunst: Albina Shagimuratova als Semiramide

By Benedikt Zacher

Mozart im Wunderland: Le nozze di Figaro an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By Norman Schwarze, 31 October 2017

In einer nüchternen Inszenierung hat Christof Loy versucht, in Mozarts Le nozze di Figaro vor allem musikalisch neue Akzente zu setzen.

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Munich

02 Nov 2017

Mozart im Wunderland: Le nozze di Figaro in München

By Norman Schwarze

Mozart zum Zurücklehnen: unterhaltsamer Figaro an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By David Renke, 20 November 2016

Dieter Dorns 1997er Inszenierung bietet gute Unterhaltung, kann aber mit dem Starensemble um Diana Damrau nicht mithalten.

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Munich

22 Nov 2016

Mozart zum Zurücklehnen

By David Renke

Toulouse

Comme un air de déjà vu pour un Faust de clôture

By Arnaud Saura-Ziegelmeyer, 22 June 2016

La production reprenait mise en scène, décors et costumes de la création toulousaine 2008-2009 amenée à l’époque par Michel Plasson et Nicolas Joel, et qui avait connu un succès certain, des Chorégies d’Orange à la ville rose. La part d’inconnue résidait surtout dans le plateau et l’individualité des voix.

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Toulouse

24 Jun 2016

Comme un air de déjà vu pour un Faust de clôture

By Arnaud Saura-Ziegelmeyer

Wiederaufnahme von Stephan Kimmigs Don Giovanni in München

By Freya Apffelstaedt, 17 January 2016

Die Bayerische Staatsoper zeigt erneut die umstrittene Don Giovanni-Inszenierung von Stephan Kimmig aus dem Jahr 2009.

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Munich

19 Jan 2016

Kimmigs Don Giovanni

By Freya Apffelstaedt