En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | William Towers

It sizzles with energy, fizzes with musical delight and rejoices in an understated sense of fun. Conway gives the work’s incongruities free rein and defies the audience not to chuckle.

Blazers and breastplates! This Rinaldo is already eight years old! It’s played at the BBC Proms while almost 40 performances have graced Glyndebourne’s festival and tour up to now, so it must be doing something right.

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.

Lars Vogt, Royal Nothern Sinfonia and Chorus and a strong quartet of soloists bring the angelic tidings of peace and goodwill in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

An opera only ever performed once, over 300 years ago. Would this be a marvellous revival, or a reminder of why it has been neglected all this time?

An excellent performance of Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s The Last Supper receiving its Scottish première, with Roderick Williams and Susan Bickley heading a luxury cast.

As a very generous birthday present for ‘Accrington’s Finest’, Harrison Birtwistle, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Martin Brabbins pulled out all the stops to give a revelatory performance of the composer’s most Wagnerian opera, Gawain.

J S Bach's opus ultimum, the Mass in B Minor, was also the opus ultimum of the year-long Bach Unwrapped series at Kings Place. Unfortunately, it proved not to be the crowning glory it might have been.

Music Theatre Wales’ production of Salvatore Sciarrino’s The Killing Flower begins in darkness. Michael McCarthy’s highly stylized production fits with the music, which is a fitting interpretation of extreme emotions: love that knows no control and no reason.

On hearing about the concept of Mark Latimer’s The Imperfect Pearl or Perola Barroca, I wasn’t sure what to expect. This UK première told the tale and music history of Baroque composer Domenico Zipoli in a two-and-a-half-hour show. An open mind was certainly necessary for this Baroque musical fairytale.

Glyndebourne has a great track record with staging Handel’s works. In recent years, there have been great productions of Theodora, Rodelinda and Giulio Cesare, all of which have proved equally popular at subsequent revival and Glyndebourne on Tour (GTO) productions as well.

London audiences had never seen anything quite like it. Fireworks, fountains and live sparrows were just a few of the special effects livening up the premiere of Handel's Rinaldo way back in 1711, prompting the Spectator's critic to compare it sniffily to a Punch and Judy show. Fast forward two hundred years, and you might wonder if there's been any progress.