En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | The Royal Opera

Adele Thomas’ Royal Opera staging channels the Marx Brothers in playing it for laughs, but the musical compensations are many under Sir Antonio Pappano.

A potent rendering of Alban Berg's tale of the traumatised and impoverished war veteran.

Robert Carsen's Aida focusses on the brutality of war, with powerful lead performances from Angel Blue, SeokJong Baek and Elīna Garanča, plus strong orchestral colours from Sir Mark Elder.

The Royal Opera presents another Handel rarity for its Jette Parker Artists in the Linbury Theatre, the but action thriller approach is ill-suited to the ancient tale. 

Kaija Saariaho's opera – staged by Simon Stone and the hit of the 2021 Aix-en-Provence Festival – makes its UK debut.

Riddle me this: what is the result of combining Andrei Serban's beloved staging of Turandot with Antonio Pappano's first stage outing of the piece? Answer: a thrilling evening.

Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami give Rusalka an ecological reading, but it's the musical side of things that really takes flight in The Royal Opera's new production.

Two outstanding performances by young singers light up a splendidly crafted revival of Caurier and Leiser's colourful production.

Albery's production allows the opera to speak for itself, although sluggish pacing in the pit detract from the musical merits of this revival. 

In a face-off between Gabriele Viviani's Scarpia and Malin Byström’s Tosca in this solid revival of Jonathan Kent's 2006 production, there could only be one winner

Oliver Mears' new production of Britten's chamber opera is a visceral reflection on tyranny and sexual violence.

Lisette Oropesa leads strong vocal performances in Handel's madcap tale of love and sorcery. Richard Jones' production is visually all over the place, but in a good way.

Richard Jones' production is revived again at Covent Garden, where Juan Diego Flórez and Ailyn Pérez lead a convincing cast. 

Oliver Leith's opera is inspired by the death of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain and it turns out to be a mesmerising, fulfilling creation.

This is an Aida for the 21st century, with many pertinent things to say about oppression.

A mixed bag of performances at Covent Garden, but with an outstanding Butterfly who brings ample rewards to an evening where the emotional temperature eventually soars.    

Swedish soprano Malin Byström returns to Sir David McVicar's production at Covent Garden, where she is now probably unsurpassed in the role, vocally and histrionically.

Speranza Scappucci makes her house debut conducting Verdi's early opera in concert, featuring Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov as an outstanding Attila. 

The Royal Opera's revival of Keith Warner's staging feels underbaked, although interest is largely focused on the pit as the latest contender to take over from Antonio Pappano as Music Director is auditioned.

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.

Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production has undergone a year of expert scrutiny before this well-sung revival. 

Inspiration eludes the director as a new staging of Saint-Säens’ biblical epic falls flat but for some excellent musical performances led by outstanding mezzo Elīna Garanča. 

Michieletto's slightly cold take on one of Donizetti's greatest comedies is amply compensated by some spectacular singing, with Pretty Yende's Norina a particular delight.

A strong cast and a masterclass in Wagnerian conducting from Jakub Hrůša complement David Alden’s disturbing staging.

Deborah Warner's intelligent new Covent Garden staging provides the perfect backdrop for a strong singing cast in Britten's maritime masterpiece.

The second cast of the season for Oliver Mears' new Royal Opera production augments the intelligent staging with superb singing and acting.

Superb singing from Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Józef Orliński lights up a curate's egg staging from Katie Mitchell.

It was fitting that one of The Royal Opera's most loyal servants, Renato Balsadonna – Chorus Director of the Royal Opera Chorus from 2004-16 – was in the pit for this anniversary performance, leading an often thrilling musical account. 

A sublime Federica Lombardi leads a young cast of mostly Italian singers in a revival of Sir David McVicar's popular staging. 

A change of tenor mid-performance adds further drama to a night at the opera in Covent Garden...

The Italian soprano produces enormous power and great sensitivity in equal measure to illuminate a memorable Verdi Macbeth.

Following success in New York and Madrid, Oropesa gives Covent Garden a Violetta that will be difficult to better.

Guth's intelligent production comes with a Karita Mattila masterclass and an outstanding cast, intense to the point of pain. 

Unlike many Flutes, David McVicar's 2003 production treats Mozart's score as a proper opera, albeit with romp instead of pomp. 

Oliver Mears’ first production since becoming Director of Opera also heralds the start of a new Royal Opera season, with a full house finally returning after the long Covid hiatus.

The Jette Parker Young Artists take on their most ambitious programme yet, showcasing some of the most promising Verdian voices of the future.

Unimpeachable voices and fine playing light up The Royal Opera's latest revival of Kasper Holten's dark staging.

A uniformly excellent ensemble enlivens the Royal Opera House's latest Bohème revival.

A pared back production is required in these Covid times: as little physical contact as possible, no chorus on stage, and tempi brisk and alert to keep the audience in the house for as short a time as possible. 

As theatre, Isabelle Kettle's staging of Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins is timelessly harrowing and bang up to date.

It’s the title character who gets the best tunes in Ariodante and Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy ate them up. 

The Royal Opera House responds to current global turmoil with a double bill by four women composers. Baritone Peter Brathwaite delivers a tour de force in The Knife of Dawn and A New Dark Age is a powerful emotional journey.

Christine Rice gives an astonishingly performance in an evening of four powerful chamber pieces.

After a few streamed events with chamber forces, the full orchestra and chorus returned to the House – albeit not in their usual positions – for an entertaining fundraising gala.

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. 

The evening’s most unbuttoned applause was reserved for two native anglophone artists, countertenor Patrick Terry and bass-baritone Michael Mofidian.

An outstanding role debut from Davidsen, a star-studded vocal cast and a revelatory orchestral performance make a Beethoven anniversary performance to savour.

Barry goes for out-weirding Carroll at a fast and furious pace. There's plenty of fun and it's beautifully staged – but is that enough?

This third revival of Richard Jones' production is thoroughly competent but struggles to rise above the routine.

Violetta Valéry was Armenian soprano Hrachuhí Bassénz, who made a strong impression on the audience, certainly by the end.