Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | James Cleverton

Showing 28 of 28 reviews

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A magnificent Tosca from Welsh National Opera at the Mayflower

By David Truslove, 03 October 2025

WNO imports Edward Dick’s exceptionally fine production, which benefits from from superb casting and outstanding performances led by Natalya Romaniw.

*****

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*****

Southampton

03 Oct 2025

A magnificent Tosca from Welsh National Opera at the Mayflower

By David Truslove

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London

Redemption Song: Jenůfa triumph signals a bright future for Hrůsa at Covent Garden

By Eleanor Knight, 15 January 2025

Corinne Winters is phenomenal as the self-possessed Jenůfa in The Royal Opera's revival of Claus Guth's powerful staging.

*****

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*****

London

15 Jan 2025

Redemption Song: Jenůfa triumph signals a bright future for Hrůsa

By Eleanor Knight

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London

A noble effort: Puccini's Edgar makes a rare appearance at Opera Holland Park

By Dominic Lowe, 02 July 2024

Is Puccini's second opera unloved and unlovable? Opera Holland Park makes a commendable attempt to revive Edgar, but struggles to overcome its many flaws.

***11

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***11

London

02 Jul 2024

Puccini's Edgar makes a rare appearance at Opera Holland Park

By Dominic Lowe

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London

Costume drama at its finest: Andrea Chénier at The Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 30 May 2024

The Royal Opera orchestra, chorus and a large cast bring their A game to Sir Antonio Pappano's last run as music director.

*****

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*****

London

30 May 2024

Costume drama at its finest: Andrea Chénier at The Royal Opera

By David Karlin

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Southampton

Stacey Alleaume leads Welsh National Opera's emotionally-charged Traviata

By David Truslove, 24 November 2023

Leading an international cast in a still-sumptuous revival in Southampton's Mayflower, Stacey Alleaume gives a sovereign performance as the ill-fated courtesan Violetta.

****1

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****1

Southampton

24 Nov 2023

Stacey Alleaume leads WNO's emotionally-charged Traviata

By David Truslove

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London

Jonas Kaufmann ails as Werther, but Covent Garden hails Aigul Akhmetshina's Charlotte

By Mark Pullinger, 20 June 2023

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.

****1

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****1

London

20 Jun 2023

Jonas Kaufmann ails, Covent Garden hails Aigul Akhmetshina

By Mark Pullinger

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Glasgow

Sir David McVicar's new Trittico a triumph for Scottish Opera

By David Smythe, 11 March 2023

Scottish Opera’s 60th birthday present proves a triumph, with outstanding singing from Karen Cargill, Sunyoung Seo, Viktor Antipenko and Roland Wood.

*****

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*****

Glasgow

11 Mar 2023

Sir David McVicar's new Trittico a triumph for Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

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London

Sisterhood tenderly explored: Mark Adamo's Little Women at Opera Holland Park

By David Karlin, 22 July 2022

Composer-librettist Adamo does full justice to Louisa May Alcott's 19th-century bestseller, one of the most widely read works in American literature.

****1

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****1

London

22 Jul 2022

Sisterhood tenderly explored: Little Women at Opera Holland Park

By David Karlin

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Glyndebourne

Strictly Alcina: Handel as Fellini fantasy cabaret at Glyndebourne

By Mark Pullinger, 02 July 2022

Director Francesco Micheli undersells Handel in this Glyndebourne debut, but there's plenty of froth to keep the audience entertained.

***11

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***11

Glyndebourne

02 Jul 2022

Strictly Alcina: Handel as Fellini fantasy cabaret at Glyndebourne

By Mark Pullinger

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Manchester

Eri Nakamura leads a fine cast in The Hallé's season closing Madama Butterfly

By Rohan Shotton, 28 May 2022

Sir Mark Elder conducts The Hallé in a stirring semi-staged production of Madama Butterfly.

****1

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****1

Manchester

28 May 2022

Eri Nakamura leads a fine cast in The Hallé's Madama Butterfly

By Rohan Shotton

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London

New-minted rather than dusted down: ENO opens season with Satyagraha

By Mark Valencia, 14 October 2021

Phelim McDermott's popular staging of Satyagraha, which verges on the lush and the voluptuous, is revived to open English National Opera's season.

****1

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****1

London

14 Oct 2021

New-minted rather than dusted down: ENO opens season with Satyagraha

By Mark Valencia

London

Opera Holland Park: colour and laughter as Figaro opens the season

By Stephen Pritchard, 01 June 2021

Amid all the18th-century flummery, contemporary touches abound as the OHP's post-pandemic season opens.

***11

***11

London

01 Jun 2021

Opera Holland Park: colour and laughter as Figaro opens the season

By Stephen Pritchard

London

A sunny evening in Provence: Cilea’s L’arlesiana shines at Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger, 25 July 2019

A good, honest staging and solid singing add up to an excellent new production – its third – at Opera Holland Park.

****1

****1

London

25 Jul 2019

Cilea’s L’arlesiana shines at Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger

London

Iain Bell's new opera for ENO, Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel

By Mark Valencia, 30 March 2019

Daniel Kramer’s direction is a model of restraint compared to some of his earlier work for the company.

***11

***11

London

30 Mar 2019

Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel

By Mark Valencia

London

Mesmerising Akhnaten returns to ENO

By Mark Pullinger, 11 February 2019

Philip Glass' hypnotic opera returns in Phelim McDermott's outstanding production that respects the solemn, statuesque grandeur and epic ritual of the score.

*****

*****

London

11 Feb 2019

Mesmerising Akhnaten returns to ENO

By Mark Pullinger

Buxton

Revolutionary jungle fever: Verdi's Alzira staged at the Buxton Festival

By Mark Pullinger, 07 July 2018

A spirited account of Verdi's early opera in its first professional UK staging, nowhere near as “ugly” as Verdi would have had us believe.

****1

****1

Buxton

07 Jul 2018

Revolutionary jungle fever: Verdi's Alzira in Buxton

By Mark Pullinger

London

Verismo with a capital V: Zazà at Opera Holland Park

By David Karlin, 18 July 2017

A convincing outing for Leoncavallo's rarely performed tale of adultery, populated by characters who are flesh and blood and are immediately recognisable today.

****1

****1

London

18 Jul 2017

Verismo with a capital V: Zazà at Opera Holland Park

By David Karlin

London

The indiscreet charmlessness of the bourgeoisie: Adès brings The Exterminating Angel to opera

By David Karlin, 24 April 2017

Luis Buñuel's derision at the sense of entitlement of over-privileged, self-righteous prigs shines through a high quality operatic adaptation.

****1

****1

London

24 Apr 2017

Adès brings The Exterminating Angel to opera

By David Karlin

Perth

A delightful boutique Elixir of Love from Scottish Opera on tour

By David Smythe, 25 October 2016

Scottish Opera’s boutique touring production of The Elixir of Love is a fun-filled delight. Fine singing, perfect comic timing, all to a score for just five players. It worked a treat.

****1

****1

Perth

25 Oct 2016

A delightful boutique Elixir of Love from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

London

A grim fate for sopranos: Mascagni's Iris at Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger, 07 June 2016

Perhaps not a masterpiece, but worth exploring, Mascagni's Iris returns to Opera Holland Park.

****1

****1

London

07 Jun 2016

Mascagni's Iris: A grim fate for sopranos

By Mark Pullinger

London

Glass' Akhnaten at ENO: an utterly absorbing visual and aural experience

By David Karlin, 04 March 2016

Phelim McDermott tackles Philip Glass's ancient Egypt in a production that's totally absorbing visually and aurally, with a star performance by Anthony Roth Costanzo.

*****

*****

London

04 Mar 2016

Glass' Akhnaten at ENO

By David Karlin

Harrogate

A sparkling Patience in Harrogate

By Peter Connors, 14 August 2015

This traditional production of Patience was strongly sung and acted and was a joyful evening.

****1

****1

Harrogate

14 Aug 2015

A sparkling Patience in Harrogate

By Peter Connors

High Wycombe

Love's not Time's fool: Intermezzo at Garsington

By David Karlin, 06 June 2015

At Garsington Opera, Richard Strauss' Intermezzo presents an utterly compelling picture of a mature marriage with its joys and trials; Mary Dunleavy brings it to life with a top class piece of acting.

****1

****1

High Wycombe

06 Jun 2015

Love's not Time's fool: Intermezzo at Garsington

By David Karlin

London

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland impresses audience of all ages

By Amanda Dean, 19 July 2014

Alice's story in a sparkling outdoor production for families, which will not disappoint mainstream opera enthusiasts.

****1

****1

London

19 Jul 2014

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland impresses audience of all ages

By Amanda Dean

Dublin

Nixon in China lands in Dublin for triumphant Irish première

By Terry Blain, 11 May 2014

The Irish première of John Adams' Nixon in China results in an inspiring and triumphant evening in Dublin.

****1

****1

Dublin

11 May 2014

Nixon in China lands in Dublin for triumphant Irish première

By Terry Blain

London

Bring your mental body armour: Wozzeck at ENO

By David Karlin, 11 May 2013

Military service brutalises. If you’re in any doubt about this, Berg’s short opera Wozzeck should dispel them, and particularly so in Carrie Cracknell’s new production for ENO.

****1

****1

London

11 May 2013

Bring your mental body armour: Wozzeck at ENO

By David Karlin

Buxton

Gilbert and Sullivan's Gondoliers in Buxton

By Andrew H. King, 03 August 2012

Among the fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, it must be acknowledged that there are glimpses of weakness. The Gondoliers maintains one of Gilbert’s typically insane plots, which is best described as ‘topsy-turvy’ until the final scene, when order is restored. Likewise the music is far from Sullivan’s strongest score, but there are moments of inspired vocal writing.

***11

***11

Buxton

03 Aug 2012

Gilbert and Sullivan's Gondoliers in Buxton

By Andrew H. King

London

The Death of Klinghoffer at ENO

By David Karlin, 25 February 2012

Hijacking, murder and terror on the high seas: you might expect that The Death of Klinghoffer, John Adams's 1991 opera about the Palestinian hijacking of the cruise liner Achille Lauro has all the makings of a pot-boiling thriller. But you would be wrong: Adams and his librettist Alice Goodman have other fish to fry.

***11

***11

London

25 Feb 2012

The Death of Klinghoffer at ENO

By David Karlin