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Aigul Akhmetshina is outstanding in the title role, hearing Piotr Beczała is a privilege, but it's Damiano Michieletto's new staging that takes the honours.

Christof Loy’s thoughtful staging enlightens the character of the protagonists in Sophocles’ tale of matricide; Sir Antonio Pappano extracts great nuance and beauty from Strauss’ score.

Tchaikovsky's final opera and ballet were always intended to be paired; at the Royal Albert Hall Petrenko and the RPO present them together in a rewarding double-bill, marred by microphones.

The star tenor is clearly under the weather, but the young house-favourite mezzo shines in an impressive role debut in a revival of Benoît Jacquot's cinematic staging. 

Adele Thomas’ Royal Opera staging channels the Marx Brothers in playing it for laughs, but the musical compensations are many under Sir Antonio Pappano.

The Royal Opera presents another Handel rarity for its Jette Parker Artists in the Linbury Theatre, the but action thriller approach is ill-suited to the ancient tale. 

Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami give Rusalka an ecological reading, but it's the musical side of things that really takes flight in The Royal Opera's new production.

A mixed bag of performances at Covent Garden, but with an outstanding Butterfly who brings ample rewards to an evening where the emotional temperature eventually soars.    

Students triumph in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta and Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges.