Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | David Portillo

Bard’s always courageous Music Director, Leon Botstein, never one to shy away from a challenge, presents Strauss' comedy uncut.

François Girard’s production presents the moody, stormy atmosphere of Norwegian seascapes with stunning visuals, but offers few fresh ideas on the doomed love between the Dutchman and Senta.

New York City's Metropolitan Opera restages its shorter, family-friendly version of Mozart's The Magic Flute with great music and delightful visuals.

André Barbe and Renaud Doucet's Magic Flute is ideal entertainment for a fizz-filled summer night.

An unforgettable evening at the Met as John Dexter's production of Poulenc's masterpiece is revived to close the season. 

Axel Ranisch's production makes heavy use of film to tell a comic story of a medieval knight in love.

The Deutsche Oper's production of Rossini's sparkling occasion piece is big on gags but short on stardust.

A conventional and quite predictable staging of Lehár’s most famous operetta was saved by dedicated musicians.

Adès opera resists explanation, and the ambiguity of the story drives much of its compelling nature. 

A probing, exultant and musically tireless performance from The English COncert.

The Met revived Beethoven's only opera Fidelio with a strong cast and excellent chorus and orchestra, with a production that celebrates liberty and love.

The revival of this nine-year-old production feels dated, but its three Rs – Ruiten, Rose and Rhorer – make it a worthwhile evening.

The world première of Breaking the Waves was a qualified success, with a powerful drama performed with commitment by strong cast and musicians.

Not just a jolly romp through the inconstancies of the heart, Sir David McVicar takes Così fan tutte through a dark lesson for lovers while leaving the music ravishingly intact.

“Honour your masters!” Sachs instructs Walther in the final scene. Wagner's spirit was honoured well as Glyndebourne's festival opened, but did the song contest necessarily crown the right winner?  

Bringing out the unabashed colour and detail of the score, Andrew Davis delivered a superb reading in the pit, tightly coherent and with exemplary attentiveness to articulation. 

An updating of Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail to the post-World War One era in a desert fails to inspire in Aix. 

A visually striking production of Rossini's La Cenerentola for Washington National Opera.

On Friday, a new co-production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg opened at the Lyric. The only comedy among Wagner’s mature music dramas, its sound is very much like that of the better-known tragedies – brassy, overfull, with a core of strings teetering at vibrato’s edge.

Andrea Marcon dirige la Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, apropiadamente adaptada a la música barroca, y un magnífico reparto vocal en uno de los títulos más importantes de Handel.

Das vorzüglich auf Barock getrimmte Orchester trägt nicht über den sehr durchwachsenen Chor und die rätselhafte Deplatzierung der Solisten hinweg.

Bolton, la Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, el Coro Intermezzo y el reparto solista evidencian durante muchos de los coros y arias el esplendor que la innovación del lenguaje melódico y armónico alcanza en esta pieza, probablemente la ópera de Mozart más injustamente relegada a una posición secundaria dentro de su propio canon.

In einer konzertanten Aufführung hat sich The English Concert unter der Leitung von Harry Bicket in der Elbphilharmonie der Händeloper gewidmet und bot mit einem Sänger-Ensemble eine rasante und gefühlsbetonte Barockoper der Spitzenklasse.

Deux mois après une production controversée à Aix, Jérémie Rhorer retrouve son plateau soliste pour une flamboyante version de concert.