Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews

Tango infused contemporary dance sizzles on a hot summer evening. Sometimes tempestuous, sometimes tender; four couples oscillate between summer storms and wintry chills. Tangent, choreographed by Martin Lawrence opens a triple bill by the Richard Alston Dance Company at Sadlers Wells. He draws inspiration from Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas played on stage by pianist Jason Ridgway. 

Philip Glass' Eleventh Symphony, given its Turkish première at the Istanbul Music Festival, returns to his signature repetitive style. 

Evgeni Bozhanov marks his Liverpool début with the RLPO under the watchful eye of conductor Marzena Diakun. 

Sex and violence bubbles beneath the surface in this near-faultless staging of Carmen. 

Nicolas Altstaedt and Alexander Lonquich give Beethoven’s cello sonatas a chance to breathe in a thoughtful and accomplished performance of all five at Wigmore Hall.

A new score by Melinda Wagner, concertante pieces for saxophone and orchestra with Branford Marsalis, and works of Bizet and Debussy comprised Susanna Mälkki’s CSO program, intriguing in its eclecticism.

The MSO and some suitably angelic singers deliver a remarkably bright, joyous interpretation of an already uplifting oratorio.

Brecht and Weill's tirade against Big Money is exceptionally well acted throughout; vocal and musical performances are more mixed.

The Seattle Symphony's all-Strauss program included a refreshing take on the Four Last Songs with soprano Gun-Brit Barkman and a sonic tour de force in the rare Eine Alpensinfonie.

Handel's La Resurrezione, anchored the Boston Early Music Festival’s Thursday programs in a dramatic reading by many of the same forces performing Campra’s La Carnaval de Venise.

Johan Inger’s Carmen is back on stage in Madrid, seducing CND's audience once again.

Historically informed rarities from Rameau and Vinci aim to recreate the world of 18th-century opera-going in Paris. But a misaligned production distracts from this specialised experience.

Lord Sidney's contemplation of the insanity of the world seems to be the impetus for this delirious production. So endless is its stream of gags that to attend this show is to be left feeling exhausted.

Clad in sulphurous yellow with beaded jet shoulder pads she looked well able to vanquish Lohengrin in single combat with the swish of her cloak.

Two years ago, Russian soprano Ekaterina Bakanova was thrust into her Royal Opera debut, stepping in at short notice as Violetta. Her triumph was enough for the powers that be to offer her a run of five performances this month.

Eva-Maria Westbroek proves an outstanding Káťa in the Staatsoper's revival of Janáček's opera, powerfully conducted by Simon Rattle. 

Igor Levit, praised for his distinctive and sometimes unconventional approach to Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas, brought his cycle to a close with a concert of profound philosophy and bold contrasts.

Rosas’ exhilarating performance of Keersmaeker’s iconic piece

Lydia Steier’s colourful production of Alcina in Basel was as much a lesson in conflict resolution as it was in the power of love.

With Lully’s death in 1687 and Louis XIV’s increasing immersion in religious piety under the influence of Madame de Maintenon, the court ceased to exercise a strangle hold on opera.

Three concerts over one day at the opening weekend of Bachfest Leipzig combined Bach’s music with that of composers from Rachmaninov to Sibelius, but nothing matches the unrivalled bliss of Bach’s own music performed with total conviction.

Netia Jones' new production taps into Britten's silvery underworld in a staging dominated by video wizardry which is hypnotically beautiful, but comes at a price.

Brett Dean treats Shakespeare's behemoth as a timeless story told in language that has become timeless; no effort is spared in elucidating and amplifying that story.

Berlin Philharmonic cellists combine with Turkish counterparts for a dazzling performance in Istanbul.

Britten and Shostakovich were great friends, so it was appropriate that both composers were represented in the Belcea Quartet's two recitals on the opening weekend of the 70th Aldeburgh Festival. 

Grange Park Opera scored a direct hit with a fine production of Janáček's masterpiece, led by a superb performances from Natalya Romaniw and Susan Bullock as Jenůfa and the Kostelnička.

Calixto Bieito's Tosca, despite an intriguingly modern setting, fails to make sparks fly.

Waltzes and Turkish folk dances energise spirited piano duet recital

Visiting Russian players offer sophisticated Brahms and sensitive Elgar in Istanbul.

The Halle Handel Festival offered a unique opportunity to hear Handel's Messiah in both the Dublin version of 1742 and the London version of 1743 within the space of a week.

Palazzetto Bru Zane, spurred on by the zealous advocacy of conductor François-Xavier Roth, has turned to Saint-Saëns' very first opera, Le Timbre d'argent.

A recital programme that at first looked a little random was more than justified in performance

In an elegant new production by Ivo van Hove, Malin Byström portrays a graceful, erotic Salome and the RCO play with sensuous lyricism under Daniele Gatti.

Ravel and Prokofiev offer divergent views on the piano left-hand concerto, but fine performances ensure satisfying contrast.

Lawrence Brownlee gives a compelling performance that truly does the groundbreaking saxophonist justice. 

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne tragédie lyrique – simply staged in the compact, antique space of the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord – made for gripping drama. 

Woefully stiff acting lets down an otherwise excellent production; Joseph Calleja impresses in his role début as Cavaradossi.

In the absence of an indisposed Christoph von Dohnányi, Enrique Mazzola impressed in a perfectly formed programme with the Philharmonia. 

Mason Bates' homage to the Silicon Valley geeks; Alice Sara Ott takes over Tchaikovsky.

If Chailly’s recent Beethoven’s Seventh was notable for its originality, particularly for the conductor's choice of tempi, here he opted for a straighter reading free of idiosyncrasy.

A passionate revival of Longborough's 2015 production with outstanding performances from the principals.  

Richard Wagner, reviewing La Reine de Chypre for the Dresden Abend-Zeitung, praised Halévy's opera as “decidedly the best that has appeared on the Opéra's boards since Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots”. It's impossible not to agree. 

Piccolo Teatro celebrates its 70th anniversary with the best Italian independent contemporary dance company, Aterballetto.

Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria tells one of the world’s great stories. This production is a treat for early opera fans and a great introduction for those new to the genre.

Scottish Ballet meets the complex challenges of two great contemporary choreographers with considerable beauty 

That both the lead and a second key role were ill and couldn’t sing did not bode well, yet this performance of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera shook up the house nonetheless.

Nikita Mndoyants proved his adeptness in shaping small musical forms and meaningfully connecting them.

Víkingur Ólafsson’s recordings were already positive cues going in, but I must admit, his performance of the Goldbergs exceeded my wildest expectations. 

Thomas Adès conducts the Britten Sinfonia in Beethoven and Gerald Barry.

This ballet has evoked the same general criticism as the book and the film