Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Miklós Sebestyén

Christophe Dumaux shines as Arsamene in Nina Russi’s enjoyable production of Handel’s masterpiece revived at the Opernhaus Zürich under the baton of Enrico Onofri.

***11

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Zurich

01 Oct 2024

Handel’s Serse as a quirky modern tale in Zurich

By Laura Servidei

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Zurich

Back on the catwalk: Calixto Bieito's L’incoronazione di Poppea revived in Zürich

By Laura Servidei, 14 September 2021

Julie Fuchs and Delphine Galou shine in this revival and the Orchestra La Scintilla gives a great performance under Ottavio Dantone’s baton.

***11

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***11

Zurich

16 Sep 2021

Calixto Bieito's L’incoronazione di Poppea revived in Zürich

By Laura Servidei

Bregenz

Staging on steroids: Verdi’s Rigoletto in Bregenz

By Sarah Batschelet, 19 July 2019

Here was the much-loved three-act opera Rigoletto, yes, but chances are, it was one far beyond Verdi’s wildest dreams.

****1

****1

Bregenz

21 Jul 2019

Staging on steroids: Verdi’s Rigoletto in Bregenz

By Sarah Batschelet

Cardiff

A thrilling Don Giovanni at Welsh National Opera

By Benjamin Poore, 22 February 2018

A strong cast take us to the brink of damnation in Welsh National Opera’s revival of Don Giovanni.

****1

****1

Cardiff

23 Feb 2018

A thrilling Don Giovanni at Welsh National Opera

By Benjamin Poore

Cardiff

Wheel of Fortune: Preziosilla spins Pountney's Force of Destiny

By Mark Pullinger, 02 February 2018

When the entire plot is triggered by a freak accident, you can't blame director David Pountney for making Fate itself one of the key characters.

****1

****1

Cardiff

02 Feb 2018

Wheel of Fortune: Preziosilla spins Pountney's Force of Destiny

By Mark Pullinger

Budapest

A radiant start to the year in Budapest: Haydn's The Creation at Müpa

By Orsolya Gyárfás, 01 January 2018

Ádám Fischer delivers a remarkable performance of Haydn's great oratorio.

****1

****1

Budapest

03 Jan 2018

A radiant start to the year in Budapest

By Orsolya Gyárfás

Southampton

Natalya Romaniw an imperious Tatyana as Tchaikovsky is unleashed from the Mayflower pit

By Mark Pullinger, 18 October 2017

The cavernous Mayflower pit eats singers for breakfast and only Natalya Romaniw’s full-blooded Tatyana escaped its jaws unmarked

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Southampton

19 Oct 2017

Natalya Romaniw an imperious Tatyana

By Mark Pullinger

Cardiff

Stark and spellbinding: Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina leads WNO's Russian season

By Katherine Cooper, 23 September 2017

Welsh National Opera’s new season commemorating the centenary of the 1917 Revolution with three Russian-themed works opens with both a bang and a whimper with this trenchant revival.

*****

*****

Cardiff

27 Sep 2017

Stark and spellbinding: Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina

By Katherine Cooper

Milan

A glorious Meistersinger from Harry Kupfer at La Scala

By Renato Verga, 19 March 2017

Daniele Gatti is the winner of the night, managing to draw an astounding outcome from a far from ideal cast.

****1

****1

Milan

20 Mar 2017

A glorious Meistersinger at La Scala

By Renato Verga

Cardiff

Musically excellent but excessively brutal: Verdi's Macbeth at WNO

By Rohan Shotton, 17 September 2016

Oliver Sears' production of Macbeth comes to Cardiff in a production which offers a great deal musically but doesn't quite coalesce dramatically.

***11

***11

Cardiff

19 Sep 2016

Musically excellent but excessively brutal

By Rohan Shotton

Cardiff

All that glitters: Tchaikowsky's The Merchant of Venice staged by Welsh National Opera

By Simon Rees, 16 September 2016

André Tchaikowsky's version of The Merchant of Venice combines his love of Shakespeare with his recollections of a harsh childhood as a Jew in the Warsaw Ghetto.

***11

***11

Cardiff

17 Sep 2016

All that glitters: WNO stages The Merchant of Venice

By Simon Rees

Budapest

Erwin Schrott makes his Budapest debut as Don Giovanni

By Jonathan Sutherland, 04 December 2015

Erwin Schrott seduces the Budapest audience with smiles, but Zerlina steals the show in Budapest.

***11

***11

Budapest

07 Dec 2015

Erwin Schrott makes his Budapest debut as Don Giovanni

By Jonathan Sutherland

Cardiff

Marc Chagall inspires a new production of Mosè in Egitto

By Simon Rees, 03 October 2014

A colour-coded Mosè in Egitto uses the paintings of Marc Chagall to inspire the costumes for the Jews and the Egyptians in this production of a Rossinian rarity.

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Cardiff

07 Oct 2014

A Marc Chagall inspired Mosè in Egitto

By Simon Rees

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Vienna

Blutige Angelegenheit: Francesco Gasparinis Ambleto am MusikTheater an der Wien

By Norman Schwarze, 08 May 2025

Unter der Leitung von Raffaele Pe gelingt dem MusikTheater an der Wien eine kohärente Rekonstruktion von Francesco Gasparinis Opera seria Ambleto. Die musikalischen Highlights bleiben aber aus.

***11

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Vienna

10 May 2025

Blutige Angelegenheit: Francesco Gasparinis Ambleto am MTadW

By Norman Schwarze