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

Though occasionally entertaining, this production was ultimately unsatisfying as a stage presentation of Bernstein’s work. 

A superlative performance of Carmen that was certainly among the most thrilling performances New Zealand Opera has put on in recent memory.

La bohème staged as Tudorbethan drama? Opera Holland Park's quirky tribute to Shakespeare400 is a lot of fun. 

Verdi's rarely-performed masterpiece gets an intense, intimate outing with a very fine cast at Fulham Opera.

This small, fun, fast-paced comedy, probably the UK première of Salieri's neglected fairytale, makes for a glorious garden opera evening at Bampton (and touring). 

A superb Susanna and an excellent Count make this small-scale, traditional and period Marriage of Figaro from Regents Opera feel truly fresh and alive. 

Stephen Barlow’s staging of Puccini's Western is easy on the eye, if short on verismo. Susannah Glanville impresses as the barkeeper with a heart of gold.

While major opera houses mount a dazzling variety of new Verdi, Wagner and Britten productions, a smaller local company, Surrey Opera, has taken it upon themselves to remember George Lloyd by producing his “neglected” first opera, Iernin.

Mozart’s original The Magic Flute is bizarre enough. The story of a prince and a bird-catcher’s journey to save a princess they’ve never met from a sinister quasi-Freemason who turns out to be alright, it is sufficiently packed full of great songs and good humour to have become an enduring repertory favourite – but that doesn’t mean it makes any sense. It doesn’t, really. It is a daft opera.