Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | John-Colyn Gyeantey

Blue could hardly have been better rendered than here. Indeed, I wish every opera I see could be staged with such grace and finesse. 

English Touring Opera open their autumn season with the first of two Singspiels. 

A direct and expressive new production of one of Mozart's most adventurous operas enthrals at the Hackney Empire. 

Rossini's Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra is a hard work to love and English Touring Opera's new production which launched at the Hackney Empire Theatre struggled to make a case for regular outings.

Immersive, direct and passionate Bach from English Touring Opera and the Old Street Band.

English Touring Opera’s new Radamisto took time to settle down on opening night.

ETO's production of Mozart's nuptial comedy, being performed in towns across the country, lacks depth but has some terrific singing with a particularly fine Susanna from Rachel Redmond.

ETO's extracts from Rossini's serious operas at the Hackney Empire lacked spark and dynamism, but saw a fine showing from Elena Xanthoudakis and Catherine Carby.

ETO's charactistically clear, simple production conveys Homer's story with clarity, confidence, and charm – and even humour – from a fine cast, making an exciting start to fully-staged opera at Saffron Hall. 

Clever staging and a high standard of acting does much to happily while away the three hours of this baroque opera in the second of ETO's Baroque extravaganza.

John Savournin takes Mozart's Magic Flute on an exotic adventure into the Peruvian rainforest: and retrieves more than a sprinkling of Inca gold. 

English Touring Opera gives Gluck's reformist masterpiece a suitably blood-spattered outing in a production which keeps the opera in touch with its classical roots. 

Donizetti's back catalogue proves just as rich as his well-loved works, with this blisteringly good foray into an extraordinary opera whose UK premiere is 179 undeserved years late. 

“... and as Venice in many things surpasses all places else where I have been, so are these Operas the most excellent of all its glorious Vanities.” So wrote the entranced English traveller Richard Bargrave in 1655. These days, however, Venice travels to England in the form of the English Touring Opera’s 2013 autumn season production.