Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Aleksandra Kurzak

Oksana Lyniv triumphs in her Met debut in Turandot revival

By Kevin W Ng, 28 February 2024

The Ukrainian conductor heads an impressively cast revival of Franco Zeffirelli's gaudy Turandot.

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New York City

28 Feb 2024

Oksana Lyniv triumphs in her Met debut in Turandot revival

By Kevin W Ng

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Aleksandra Kurzak emerges as a charismatic Butterfly at the Met

By Susan Stempleski, 11 January 2024

Anthony Minghella’s highly stylized Madama Butterfly returns to New York for its ninth revival, with the Polish soprano delivering a thrilling performance in a Met role debut.

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New York City

11 Jan 2024

Aleksandra Kurzak emerges as a charismatic Butterfly at the Met

By Susan Stempleski

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Blinded by passion: Michieletto's Cav & Pag returns to the Royal Opera House

By Dominic Lowe, 30 November 2023

Questionable conducting aside, The Royal Opera's latest revival of Damiano Michieletto’s fluid production of the famous operatic double-bill is terrifically executed by two excellent casts.

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London

30 Nov 2023

Blinded by passion: Cav & Pag returns to the Royal Opera House

By Dominic Lowe

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Kurzak and Fabiano star in a fresh, lyrical Tosca at the Met

By Kevin W Ng, 04 October 2022

Aleksandra Kurzak's lyrical Tosca brings out the woman behind the caricature in this revival of Sir David McVicar's lavish production.

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New York City

04 Oct 2022

Kurzak and Fabiano star in a fresh, lyrical Tosca at the Met

By Kevin W Ng

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La commedia è finita: a scorching Cav & Pag at Covent Garden

By Mark Pullinger, 05 July 2022

With more cast reshuffles than in Downing Street of late, this revival of Damiano Michieletto's intertwined Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci double bill triumphs against the odds.

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London

05 Jul 2022

La commedia è finita: a scorching Cav & Pag at Covent Garden

By Mark Pullinger

Aleksandra Kurzak impresses in latest Covent Garden Traviata revival

By Mark Pullinger, 14 March 2020

In its 25th anniversary season, Richard Eyre's production continues to attract the world's great sopranos to the role of Violetta, the latest being Aleksandra Kurzak.

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London

14 Mar 2020

Aleksandra Kurzak impresses in latest Covent Garden Traviata revival

By Mark Pullinger

Aleksandra Kurzak impresses as the Met’s new Violetta

By Ako Imamura, 10 January 2020

Michael Mayer’s colorful and busy production of La traviata returned to the Met with a triumphant performance of the title role by soprano Aleksandra Kurzak.

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New York City

10 Jan 2020

Aleksandra Kurzak impresses as the Met’s new Violetta

By Ako Imamura

Alagna shines as murky Cav and exciting Pag reappear at The Met

By Robert Levine, 08 January 2018

David McVicar's uninspiring Cavalleria rusticana remains problematic, but a strong Pagliacci leaves the New York audience gasping.

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New York City

08 Jan 2018

Alagna shines as murky Cav and exciting Pag reappear at The Met

By Robert Levine

Returning to the crime scene: fresh blood improves Royal Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor

By Mark Pullinger, 11 May 2016

A new cast arrives for Katie Mitchell's gothic Lucia di Lammermoor – and, despite caveats about the staging, deliver some excellent performances.

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London

11 May 2016

Returning to the crime scene: Royal Opera's Lucia

By Mark Pullinger

Grigolo wins the girl and the evening in Met's L’elisir d'amore

By Robert Levine, 14 March 2016

A revival of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Met, where Vittorio Grigolo's Nemorino happily ignores most of Bartless Sher's subtexts.

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New York City

14 Mar 2016

Grigolo wins the girl in Met's L'elisir

By Robert Levine

Zurich

Kurzak a deliciously devious Norina in Zurich's Don Pasquale

By Sarah Batschelet, 17 January 2016

In Donizetti’s most popular comic opera, the great mix of slapstick buffa and an obtuse venue make up the stuffs of what audiences continue to love.

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Zurich

17 Jan 2016

Kurzak a deliciously devious Norina in Zurich

By Sarah Batschelet

Kurzak and Pidò inspire a rumbustious Turco in Italia in Caurier and Leiser's Dolce Vita production

By David Karlin, 11 April 2015

Aleksandra Kurzak delivers a top drawer performance as Fiorilla, leading a star-studded cast as Evelino Pidò gives us a lesson in how to conduct Rossini in the latest revival of Il turco in Italia.

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London

11 Apr 2015

Kurzak and Pidò inspire a rumbustious Turco in Italia

By David Karlin

Hansel and Gretel at The Met: Richard Jones' sinister fairy tale production

By Ako Imamura, 18 December 2014

The Met's holiday special, Hänsel und Gretel, is a treat not only for young children but for adults with its sophisticated music, excellent singing ensemble and orchestra playing, as well as its witty production.

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New York City

18 Dec 2014

A sinister fairy tale Hänsel and Gretel

By Ako Imamura

Madrid

La Fille du régiment revives the Teatro Real

By Laura Furones, 23 October 2014

Donizetti's La Fille du régiment brings much needed joy to the Teatro Real, with Javier Camarena's astonishing voice and Aleksandra Kurzak's unapologetic tomboy mesmerising the audience.

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Madrid

23 Oct 2014

La Fille du régiment revives the Teatro Real

By Laura Furones

A Royal Opera Rigoletto desperately in need of a shot of espresso

By Mark Pullinger, 12 September 2014

A prelude that was pedestrian rather than portentous signalled Maurizio Benini’s approach to Rigoletto: Verdi as aural Ovaltine, tucked up in cosy dressing gown and slippers.

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London

12 Sep 2014

Rigoletto in need of a shot of espresso

By Mark Pullinger

Milan

The quotidian and the absurd: La Scala's rib-tickling Le Comte Ory

By James Imam, 04 July 2014

The singing is strong and the stagework slick in Laurent Pelly's rib-tickling, often uproarious production of Le Comte Ory.

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Milan

04 Jul 2014

A rib-tickling Le Comte Ory

By James Imam

Donizetti's elixir is still a winning formula at Covent Garden

By David Karlin, 13 November 2012

Take one hapless but lovable hero, one capricious but ultimately vulnerable heroine, a doctor and an army officer straight out of commedia dell’arte, a couple of basso buffo patter songs, at least one memorable romantic ballad, and stir the lot into a good lashing of boisterous Italian music with a sprinkling of furtive tears.

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London

13 Nov 2012

Donizetti's elixir is still a winning formula at Covent Garden

By David Karlin

San Francisco

Opera in the ballpark: Rigoletto at the home of the San Francisco Giants

By Jeffery S. McMillan, 15 September 2012

The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD simulcasts to movie theaters all over the world have been one of the biggest stories in the opera world in recent years and an undoubted hit with opera fans. Whether the program’s audience-building potential is commensurate with its box office hauls, however, is still a matter of debate.

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San Francisco

15 Sep 2012

Opera in the ballpark: Rigoletto at the home of the San Francisco Giants

By Jeffery S. McMillan

Figaro's wedding makes perfect comedy

By David Karlin, 11 February 2012

There's no such thing as a perfect comic opera, and I know it's wrong to describe any work of art as perfect. But seeing Mozart and da Ponte's Le Nozze di Figaro last night, I found this a difficult principle to accept: this opera is about as close as you can get.Many operas have a slew of memorable tunes; many have opportunities for singers to show off their qualities.

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London

11 Feb 2012

Figaro's wedding makes perfect comedy

By David Karlin

Aleksandra Kurzak shines as Rossini's Rosina

By David Karlin, 18 January 2011

Rossini's The Barber of Seville has been his most enduringly well-loved opera. It's in the top ten of operas performed worldwide today, and it has stayed at the top of the most-played lists even when many of his other works were little played.

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London

18 Jan 2011

Aleksandra Kurzak shines as Rossini's Rosina

By David Karlin

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Geneva

Complots russes au Grand Théâtre de Genève avec le retour de Fedora

By Stéphane Lelièvre, 17 December 2024

Le rare opéra de Giordano, inégal mais intéressant, fait son retour dans l'institution genevoise avec un plateau vocal de grande qualité, emmené par le duo Roberto Alagna-Aleksandra Kurzak.

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Geneva

17 Dec 2024

Complots russes à Genève avec le retour de Fedora

By Stéphane Lelièvre

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Barcelona

La vida como arte: Adriana Lecouvreur de Patrick Summers y David McVicar en el Gran Teatre del Liceu

By Maria Sánchez, 16 June 2024

La elegancia orquestal de Summers y el metateatro conceptual de McVicar perfilaron un retrato biográfico con una protagonista destruida por las pulsiones humanas.

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Barcelona

16 Jun 2024

La vida como arte: Adriana Lecouvreur de Summers y McVicar

By Maria Sánchez

Barcelona

Tándem superlativo en el Liceu: Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci encumbrados en Barcelona

By Maria Sánchez, 05 December 2019

Una propuesta escénica que engloba referentes provincianos del sur de Italia en estas dos joyas del verismo en un mismo mundo y con una belleza casi fílmica

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Barcelona

05 Dec 2019

Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci de Michieletto triunfan en Barcelona

By Maria Sánchez

La première de Don Carlo à Bastille laisse sans voix

By Georgiana Hatara, 25 October 2019

Dans la mise en scène de Warlikowski créée en 2017, Don Carlo est de retour à Bastille, cette fois-ci dans sa version italienne. Une franche réussite malgré l'état grippal de Roberto Alagna.

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Paris

25 Oct 2019

La première de Don Carlo à Bastille laisse sans voix

By Georgiana Hatara

Le Concert de Paris : entendez-vous dans nos campagnes ?

By Julius Lay, 14 July 2019

Au Concert de Paris, les stars de la musique classique se sont succédées devant les caméras de télévision, sous la Tour Eiffel. Pour de beaux moments, malgré la lourdeur des paillettes du 14 juillet.

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Paris

14 Jul 2019

Le Concert de Paris : entendez-vous dans nos campagnes ?

By Julius Lay

Otello en noir et blanc : Kurzak éblouit, Alagna sombre

By Tristan Labouret, 07 March 2019

À l'Opéra Bastille, le retour de la mise en scène d'Andrei Serban produit un Otello mitigé, où l'étincelante Aleksandra Kurzak répond à un Roberto Alagna défaillant.

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Paris

07 Mar 2019

Otello en noir et blanc : Kurzak éblouit, Alagna sombre

By Tristan Labouret

Séduisante Traviata : Kurzak et Borras brillent à Bastille

By Tristan Labouret, 02 October 2018

Retour de La Traviata à l'Opéra Bastille, dans la mise en scène de Benoît Jacquot. Aleksandra Kurzak et Jean-François Borras portent cette production du célèbre opéra de Verdi.

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Paris

02 Oct 2018

Séduisante Traviata : Kurzak et Borras brillent à Bastille

By Tristan Labouret

Vienna

Prominenten Rollendebüts glänzen in Otello an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon, 12 March 2018

Roberto Alagna, Aleksandra Kurzak und Dalibor Jenis bringen frischen Wind in Christine Mielitz' Inszenierung an der Wiener Staatsoper.

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Vienna

12 Mar 2018

Prominenten Rollendebüts glänzen in Otello

By Snapdragon

Sir Bryn Falstaff réjouit l’Opéra Bastille

By Jean-Marc Piriou, 26 October 2017

Cette reprise de Falstaff fait la part belle à l’esprit buffa et donne à Bryn Terfel une nouvelle occasion de briller dans un rôle qui lui sied à merveille.

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Paris

26 Oct 2017

Sir Bryn Falstaff réjouit l’Opéra Bastille

By Jean-Marc Piriou

Opéra Bastille, Carmen : De l'éternelle difficulté à illustrer le désir

By Maeva Da Cruz, 10 March 2017

Carmen dans la mise en scène de Calixto Bieto, présentée actuellement à l'Opéra Bastille, dépeint une héroïne victime du machisme et d'un certain ordre moral conservateur, tout en affirmant sa nécessité d'indépendance et la légimité de ses désirs de liberté.

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Paris

10 Mar 2017

Opéra Bastille, Carmen : De l'éternelle difficulté à illustrer le désir

By Maeva Da Cruz

Munich

La Juive an der Bayerischen Staatsoper: Fromental Halévy in Reinstform

By Norman Schwarze, 30 June 2016

Die Bayerische Staatsoper eröffnet mit einer etwas handzahmen Inszenierung vom Fromental Halévys La Juive die Opernfestspiele 2016.

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Munich

30 Jun 2016

Halévy in Reinstform

By Norman Schwarze

L'Elisir d'amore à Bastille : le couple Alagna-Kurzak au sommet

By Clémence Faber, 08 November 2015

Le pétillant opera buffa de Donizetti revient à l'Opéra de Paris dans une savoureuse mise en scène de Laurent Pelly, porté par une distribution de rêve. On y était.

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Paris

08 Nov 2015

L'Elisir d'amore à Bastille : le couple Alagna-Kurzak au sommet

By Clémence Faber